Treasured in Her Heart

“So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”

Luke 2:16-20

 

As Christmas quickly approaches, I constantly find myself in awe. I love everything about this season. I can't get enough of it. The lights, the sparkles, the joy... the feeling deep in my soul that everything really is going to be okay. Hope wells up within me. But OF COURSE I am gonna make this post about Jesus--if you know me at all you could have guessed that's where this was going. And yes, I get caught up in the hype of the parties and the lights and the joy and everything, but it's because Jesus is the source of my joy and he is so much more than just hype. I can't help but be excited about him. If anything, this is a cause for celebration.

This month above all others I get to celebrate the birth of a baby boy who would redefine salvation and ravage my heart with his eternal sacrifice. I will never apologize for doing that. I was brought to tears when reading this passage in Luke today (as I am whenever I truly stop and take a moment to realize just how magnificent Jesus is). Every December I am affected by consistent reminders of Jesus Christ. But I have seen some passages in a new light this year as I picture Mary and the things she experienced through the birth of a Savior and shaking of the world.

 

I think my favorite part of the entire passage above is the instance that speaks of what was going on inside Mary's heart and mind. Imagine the roller coaster of emotion! As shepherds, kings, rulers of nations, and anyone else who happened to be passing by came in and witnessed with their own eyes the majesty of this tiny child, Mary was treasuring things up in her heart. She was taking mental pictures of the divine encounters occurring. She witnessed for years souls being awakened because of her own obedience and faith. Out of the chaos surrounding a very controversial pregnancy, Mary had such supernatural trust in her Lord. Now THIS is a woman who knew firsthand the mighty power of God (and by woman, I mean girl, because most scholars put Mary right around the age of 14 when this all went down).

 

As she sat in a filthy stable with a newborn, multitudes came to visit. In Bethlehem, a small town known for raising sheep for sacrifice, came the lamb of God to be sacrificed for us. A king of humble beginnings. The world was shaking with an understanding that the Word had finally become flesh. I know what the presence of God feels like, but I can only imagine the peace that surrounded that little barn. History changed that day. Shepherds cautiously entered to visit a child they had heard about only to be overcome with praise for their God. All who heard about Jesus were amazed. You can't help but be overwhelmed when you meet him ace to face. The astounding faithfulness Mary was exercising was being rewarded over and again as person after person came into the stable to visit the Messiah only to have their hearts shifted forever. She got to see instant fruit from her radical dependence on God. The ultimate affection of her God was something she could fully understand now because of Jesus.

 

What really gets me choked up whenever I think about it is the relationship Mary and Jesus have until the very end of his earthly life. If you don't think it's vital to honor your mother, think again. Jesus, Savior of the world and all eternity, epitomized love to his mom. He knew so thoroughly the sacrifices she had to make to bring him into the world. He knew the audacious faith that ruled in her heart that enabled her to trust in the Lord her God. As a teenage, unmarried girl, she should have been killed for having a baby when she did. This kind of thing usually ended in assumed betrayal and either the woman's betrothed or her parents would have her killed so as to not bring dishonor onto the family. Mary understood that listening to what the angel told her about this baby had to be true or else she would be killed (most likely by her own family). She knew. And she went through with it because she trusted that God was who he said he was. This 14-year-old was the one God entrusted with His son because he knew that she was trustworthy, too. God takes nobodies and makes them somebodies when he knows that he'll be the one getting the glory still.

 

How do you parent somebody who is going to die for your sins in a few decades? Mary went into this whole thing with knowledge that this baby was the Savior of the world, capable of miracles, and still cared for him with such supernatural yet personal maternal instincts. She knew how to care for this beloved son because she was secure in her identity as a beloved daughter. When Jesus, as an adolescent, disappeared for three days, Mary endlessly searched until she found him:

 

"When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “ Didn't you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart."

Luke 2:42-51

 

Jesus seems to have a habit of disappearing for three days and then coming back, huh?

But that's another story...

Mary had an understanding that Jesus was going to shape eternity, and yet her heart was overwhelmed with affection at his obedience to her as his mother. She was worried about a lost child, yes, because she was a good mom. But the things she would treasure in her heart were the examples of Jesus' glory reflecting God's. Imagine the joy and pride she had that day in the temple courts. There's Jesus, who obviously knows everything even as a pre-teen boy, still respectfully asking questions of church leadership and opening up peoples' eyes to new truths. She got to see him do this for many years.

 

At age 33 Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for us by dying on the cross for our sins. As his battered body hung as a sacrifice to wash away our iniquities, his loving mother stood at his feet. A mommy who new this was the plan from the start still had to suffer and incredible loss. As his blood dripped down and he breathed his final breaths, Mary watched and wept at the loss of her child. No matter how much she knew this was necessary for the salvation of the world, she had to stand and watch as her son whom she loved was tortured beyond compare. The baby she felt kick in her belly was tortured to death before her eyes. The divine understanding she had of God's plan still couldn't quiet her emotions. She looked up to the cross see a now disfigured man groaning in pain she could not mollify and was overcome with grief. In Jesus' final seconds of life he looked down to the wonderful woman who had raised him so beautifully and told her that he loved her. He commissioned John to comfort and care for Mary once he was gone. The Messiah himself, barely coherent because of the crucifixion he was suffering, used his final time to assure his mother would be taken care of (John 19).

 

Jesus' broken body hung on a cross while his mother reflected on the things she had been treasuring in her heart for more than thirty years. She remembered the impact of this tiny child so humbly birthed in a stable in a small town. The infant who instantly changed the disposition of anyone who came into his presence was now dying in front of her eyes to redeem the entire world forever. The boy who awed and inspired the teachers in the temple at the age of twelve was fulfilling the ultimate prophecy. Mary would remember every up and down of a boy's childhood as she watched the very same person die for her sins. This is a woman who entrusted her entire being to God's will.

 

Mary had mountain-moving faith. Faith to put God's will above her own. Faith to raise a child who was the Messiah, knowing full well that God's plan was so much bigger than she could ever imagine. It all started with her faithfulness at the knowledge of a divine pregnancy. A sprightly teenage girl who was pure of heart was the one God entrusted. She trusted God with her everything and He trusted her with the very reason we celebrate Christmas. As I celebrate the birth of my Savior, I am challenged by Mary's life. She knew what it meant to let God get all the glory and shape her life according to HIS will. She trusted God and his words no matter what it meant for the direction of her life. She would follow her God, no questions asked. Because of this woman's exemplary stewardship from the stable to the cross, I am reminded of what a life of faith really looks like. Imagine how our lives would be different if we trusted Him with abandon like Mary did.