Mary Pondered in Her Heart
But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
Mary had been taught Bible things from childhood. And now, an angel shows up and tells her she is going to have a child without an earthly father. She knew that from the time of Moses, the prophets had told of a coming Messiah, a Savior that would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14). She worked at fitting it together. She may not have been more than fifteen, but she was fifteen in a strong Jewish culture. Moses had told the people to daily teach their children the Word of God (Deuteronomy. 6:4-7). If her parents had obeyed the Lord in teaching Mary, then she was a smart fifteen.
Not only did Mary ponder (meditate, think it over), she also kept the new things stored in her heart. Is the new thing true and how does it fit with what we already know? It was easy for Mary to think about a virgin conceiving a child without an earthly father… out there somewhere in the land of Israel. But, the shock that came to Mary: “Me?” “Some teen-age daughter in Israel, yes! But, Me?”
Mary goes home and announces to her parents: “I’m pregnant. The Holy Spirit is the Father. The baby will be the only begotten Son of God.” The angel didn’t tell Mom and Dad, just Mary, not even Joseph. Mom and Dad have to sort it out. The natural thing for them to believe is that Joseph is the father. Something like: “Sure, Mary. You and Joseph have gotten a little close. And now, what are we going to do? Our family is disgraced!”
We know that God had to appear to Joseph in a dream to convince him. Her cousin, Elizabeth was convinced immediately by the Holy Spirit when John the Baptist, cousin of Jesus, jumped in Elizabeth’s womb. We are not told exactly how and when Mary’s parents were both convinced.
It was a hard thing at the community well where all the women convened to fill their pitchers with fresh water and catch up on the village news. Mary was an immediate outcast among the village women when the “little harlot” showed up to get water. Which of the women would speak to her? Perhaps Mary waited until they were all gone or maybe Mary’s mother went to the well alone.
The point for us today is that hearing from God as an individual and carrying out the thing God has given us to do may not always be easy and may not fit into the normal way people are thinking. Later, when Jesus was born, and the shepherds came to visit them, she was amazed and thought in her heart all the things God had done to her and through her.
This story followed Jesus for thirty years and they cast it into his teeth: “We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.” (John 8:41) There has been a reluctance to use Mary as an example and inspiration to us because some pray to Mary to get her to talk to God on our behalf. Well, Mary cannot help us persuade God on our behalf. But, I think she is a terrific example of surrender to God and in paying whatever price she had to pay to be faithful to God. Ω
●This article is edited and reprinted from Morning Minute: November 16, 2015
Read Through the Bible in a Year
DECEMBER 13, 2017 - WEDNESDAY
A.M. Joel 1-3 P.M. Revelation 4
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
A Good Verse to Memorize:
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:18)
Song for Today:
O Come All Ye Faithful (3:06) (Larry Ford– Gaither)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mIh3JMqxuo&index=10&list=PLFnkxTsXGTjUasNkVw1lNWSxrSy9aRTWb
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