A phrase from the Bible that has sparked a chord in my heart (no pun intended!) recently is that
“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:19 (NIV)
and
“His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Luke 2:51 (NIV)
The background to the first line is shortly after Jesus’ birth when an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the fields nearby bringing them the good news of great joy for all people announcing the birth of Christ. Once the shepherds saw Jesus lying in the manger, they spread the words that the angel told them. How amazing is it to think that Mary, the mother of baby Jesus, took time and pondered all these things in her heart?
The passage from Luke 2:51 is when Jesus was about 12 years old and Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. When Mary and Joseph were heading home, after a day into the trip, they suddenly realized Jesus was missing. They headed back and THREE days later they found Jesus teaching in the temple. Jesus told Mary, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49 (NIV) And, again, Mary treasured all these things in her heart.
I think we can relate with Mary on many levels.
…Her willingness to do what God asked of her–to be the Mother of Jesus…not telling God she would not do it.
…Pondering in her heart what Jesus’ life would be like…not announcing to everyone that He was the Holy One.
…Treasuring the thoughts of what Jesus would do for His Father…not getting angry at Jesus for not being with them.
…Knowing that Jesus was really here to do God’s will she had to release Jesus back to God. Imagine watching your Son suffer an excruciating, painful death being hung on the cross…
Have you ever thought about the hardship Mary endured as the Mother of Jesus experiencing these things? Yet, she left us a wonderful example. If she, being the Mother of Jesus, pondered and treasured all these events in her life, how much more should we ponder and treasure the words and parables Jesus shared with us?
Do you ever “ponder” things in your heart or “treasure things in your heart?” I think that is probably a natural thing to do especially if you are a parent. Different milestones in your child’s life might be something you ponder or treasure.
How about even Scripture passages or prayers for people? Do you “ponder” or “treasure in your heart” those things? How about the many “God incidents” you experience in your life? Do you share them with others to strengthen their faith too?
Here is a link to a song, Mary Did you Know, that I think is truly beautiful and makes one ponder what Mary was thinking. Listen and be blessed.
Mary lived a gentle, humble life pondering and treasuring even the little things…..Let us strive to be more like Mary in our lives.
2 Timothy 2:7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
Ha! Inspired by a question from bible study this past week. 😉
I actually had the inspiration for it even before that..it was kind of confirmation. 🙂
You know what really strikes me about this is that Mary knew that she wasn’t the one to champion or declare Jesus’ mission. She knew that she wasn’t meant to be that kind of mom going to everyone and saying “Have you met my son? He’s the savior of the world.” This was God’s promise to her and she could have very easily taken pride in that. Instead, she let God be in control. I think these verses imply that Mary found joy in seeing God’s promise fulfilled.
It’s so easy for us to champion our own cause, especially when we feel it’s a promise from God. But if we let God remain in control, He always does such a better job than we can do. The lesson: sit back and watch God work and, when you see Him doing so, ponder/treasure these things in your heart.
Amen, Colin! Yes, Mary is a great example of letting God be in control, not questioning Him after the initial visit from Gabriel, accepting everything that happened, and humbly pondering/treasuring the way God worked everything out. What great lessons to apply to our daily lives indeed! Thanks for reading and sharing that insight.
Pondering – there are so many “mysteries” to ponder in the scripture writings and yes Mary is a great model of a holy, pondering person – who sought only to serve God.
You are so right, MaryAnn! There are so many Scripture writings to ponder and learn from. It is a great way to try and live each day…and giving praise and honor to Him for working in our lives. Thanks for sharing!
Maybe I will try pondering more and worrying less…the missing elements are GOD and PATIENCE!
Thanks Christine….
I do think “pondering” brings us a different mind set…one that helps our focus change more towards God working in our life…letting Him be in control. Thanks for reading and blessing.