Tag: Blessed are you among women

December 22^nd 2024: Ian Jones

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“But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19

People are very busy shopping at this time of the year. Life is busy. We are all busy, rushing here and there with little time to spare. There are times when we need to slow down. Our text shows a wonderful scene. Marry is resting quietly by the Manger, pondering all she has been told by the shepherds. We are looking at this verse in context with what has been previously written. The verse starts with ‘But,’ so it is connected with what has gone before.

The shepherds are the most unlikely Jewish people to be told by God of the good news. Shepherds had a bad reputation. Living with animals they were dirty and smelly, they were despised and rejected by leaders and referred to as being uneducated. Yet, these were the ones God chose, these shepherds. The same God who chose uneducated fishermen to be His disciples.

The night began like any other, then an angel appeared and the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were frightened but the angel had come with good news, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12).

The shepherds were to go and find this child and make Him known to others. Immediately after, they were privileged to see not only one angel but then a host of angels. The shepherds decided to go to Bethlehem. They are an example of how we are to respond to God’s word. They went with haste and wanted to share what they had heard and saw with others. At this, when they heard the shepherds’ words, others marvelled.

“But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  (v.19). Here we have Luke contrasting the response of others to the good news with the response of Mary. Shepherds made things wisely known, Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart. The Lord speaks to us as individuals, in different ways. The most important thing is that the shepherds and Mary believed in what they heard.

Can we say that of those who just marvelled? “And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.” (v.18). It seems as if that is all they did. We’re not told anything more about them. People today can hear God’s word and appreciate what they hear, but that is all the affect it has upon them. God’s word can be spoken and it can affect some and they will repent. But others will just marvel and go on as before. How has the word of God affected your life? Do you like to hear the stories at Christmas but that is as far as it goes?

Mary wanted to remember everything she saw and heard about Christ’s birth – the angel who told her she was going to have a child. She wanted to remember the angel coming to her and speaking about these things. She wanted to remember her visit to Elizabeth and the greeting Elizabeth gave her, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Luke 1:42b). Then, there was the journey to Bethlehem to be registered, finding there was no room in the inn. There was also Joseph’s dream, Simeon and Anna at the temple, and the visit of the wise men.

“But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (2:19). To keep is to be preserved. Mary treasured her memories. These things touched her heart and were precious to her. Mary is guarding, keeping hold of these things. How can this be applied to us? Mary keeps the word. She possesses the word of life and does not want to lose it. Do we hold on to the word of God? Mary treasures the word in her heart because it is so precious to her. In her song, the Magnificent, she says,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.
⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”
(2:46-48).

The words she uses can relate back in scripture to many other songs. She knows the word of God. It brings strength in her life. She is storing up that word for future times, to live upon. Jesus said we are to live upon the word of God. Are we holding on to the word of God? Are we memorising passages of scripture to draw on when we have nothing else to hold on to but the word of God?

Here is a woman of faith, ready to grasp whatever was being made known to her. She is ready to embrace, to believe. She holds on to the word, to what God has done in the past (Hebrews 11). Are we holding on to what God has done in the past? It enables us to believe in Him, whatever we may have to go through in times ahead.

Mary did not only keep these things, but she pondered these things in her heart. When Jesus was 12 years old and went to Jerusalem, Mary also pondered this time, when Jesus was found in the temple. Mary is considering these things, not in her mind, but in her heart. She pondered these things. She knows so little but wants to know as much as possible. She wants to understand these things. She is keeping hold of these things. Is that how it is with us?

When we look at familiar passages like this, are we are trying to understand what it means of Christ to come as a baby? Do we ponder these things, trying to know more about God, why God should love us and choose us? Why should He be merciful to us, sinners? Why should He be gracious towards us, day after day?

Mary ponders these things in her heart. She is an example to us. We should spend real time and thought with God and what His Word has to teach us.