Keeping and Pondering

Ruins of the church in Ephesus named in honor of 
Jesus' mother, Mary. It's believed that two church
council meetings were held here. 

Scripture:

Luke 2:15   When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Luke 2:21   After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Observation:

The shepherds had great faith and believed what they had just heard from the angels. Notice, they didn’t say, “Let’s go and see if this really happened,” but rather they referred to it as “this thing that has taken place.” God could trust these ordinary shepherds with the most extraordinary news. We see that throughout Luke’s gospel, from these opening scenes to Jesus’ resurrection. It is glimpse of kingdom life where God exalts the lowly and imparts upon them the most important of responsibility. 

The shepherds go “with haste” — not wasting any time and find the family. Luke specifically mentions Mary, Joseph and the baby — because the prophetic words of the angel are true. If Mary and Joseph were in the back portion of the house, the shepherds would have had to enter and speak to the relatives. Can you imagine these smelly shepherds showing up and telling the family that they want to see the baby in the manger because a bunch of angels appeared to them! But these shepherds are evangelists — sharing the good news and affirming all that they had heard and how the angels had been correct about what they would find. This is the third time the manger is mentioned, for it was a sign for all the people. 

There are those who presume that these shepherds were taking care of sheep that would be utilized in sacrifices at the temple. If this was the case, in the coming days they may have been at the temple bringing their sheep, and telling anyone who would listen about the good news. People listened, and they were amazed. 

The words of the shepherds were also an affirmation to Mary. She treasured, or “kept” all of these things and pondered them. The Greek verb here is imperfect, in other words, it is a continual and on-going action. Throughout her life we see Mary continuing her own spiritual journey, treasuring up what she saw and pondering, not speaking many words. Luke gives us this very personal glimpse of Mary, referring to her fourteen times, as opposed to six times in Matthew. 

Neale tells us, “He includes intimate information about her state of mind in his narrative. She is, by turns, greatly troubled (1:29), afraid (v 30), perplexed (v 34), faithful (v 38), ecstatic (vv 46–52), humble (v 48), grateful (v 48), and amazed (2:33). Endearingly, she hurries to see Elizabeth (1:39). These passages give a unique glimpse into the inner life of Jesus’ mother and are useful in developing a theology about Mary as an example of faith and holiness” (NBBC). 

Application:

Mary’s faith grows throughout her entire life, as she remains a servant of God until the end of her journey. The later years of her life are believed to have been lived in Ephesus where she dies under the care of John. What we do come to see is that she becomes a model of the Christian journey of faith. She begins the journey young and innocent in her faith and belief, carrying the Messiah within her own body. Throughout her life she has many experiences which seem to build upon that faith. While her words are few, they are significant, from the magnificat, to the wedding in Cana — she lives her faith. 

Throughout our lives we have spiritual experiences. God is constantly reaching out to each and every one of us, encouraging us to follow after Him. These are to be “kept” within us, not just as one-time experiences, but as those which we will ponder. As I write this my computer is suggesting an emoji for ponder 🤔. This is a reminder that there are times when we need to stop and quietly think and consider our experiences. 

Sometimes it can take me days to process something that has happened to me. An experience can live in my head and I can mull it over and over again. I think that’s a bit like pondering. I respond much better to something if I’ve had time to ponder and work it out to its conclusion in my head and my heart. That’s what we’re supposed to do with the things of God. The human solutions which may first come into our heads are not the answer to all that ails us. We are a people who are in need of a Savior, and that’s something that we begin to understand when we take time to ponder. 

This year of COVID has changed our lifestyles and just maybe, we haven’t filled all the days with busyness. While we stay tucked away in our homes, may we take this opportunity to ponder all that God has done for us. We are the common people for whom he came. We watch in wonder at lives transformed and trust God for the future. This, today, I will ponder. 

Prayer:

Lord, in the stillness of these days, may I ponder that which you have allowed me to experience. Please, use those experiences to change me as you desire. Amen.