3/25/2023 0 Comments Treasured once again![]() ![]() Mary reflected deeply on the events of her life. She was quiet, peaceful, and spiritually receptive. Luke’s observation also hints at the depth of Mary’s character. “Mary treasured these things in her heart” could be Luke’s indirect acknowledgment of his source. Some Bible commentators believe Mary may have kept a written memoir and shared it with New Testament writers like Luke, John, and Paul. ![]() Nevertheless, she stored up a treasure trove of recollections, each confirming Gabriel’s promise that “no word from God will ever fail” (Luke 1:37). Mary would not grasp every revelation in the course of her Son’s extraordinary life (Luke 2:48–49). She “treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51). But, once again, Mary’s reaction was different. Everyone who witnessed the exchange was amazed by Jesus’ wisdom and understanding (Luke 2:41–47). Upon discovering that Jesus was missing, Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to find Him in the temple courts fully involved in scriptural dialogue with the religious teachers. One Passover, when Jesus was twelve years old, Jesus’ parents started their trip back home, inadvertently leaving Jesus behind. ![]() In childhood, as God’s presence filled His life, Jesus “grew and became strong he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him” (Luke 2:40, see also verse 52). She knew that He had a divine calling, but how could she imagine with absolute clarity what that would entail? “All these things” incorporates not just the immediate encounter with the shepherds but all that had happened from the foretelling of John the Baptist’s birth until the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:5-2:19). The words “pondered them in her heart” indicate that Mary did not fully understand everything she was experiencing and learning about her Son. Now she collected more treasured memories to store and consider for the future. Mary had mentally preserved that earlier knowledge and pondered its reality in her heart throughout her entire pregnancy. Gabriel had promised that Mary would give birth to Israel’s promised Messiah, the Son of the Most High God. In the original Greek, the word translated “treasured” in Luke 2:19 means “to preserve knowledge or memories (as for later use).” Mary’s experience with the shepherds confirmed what she already knew about the significance of her Son. Already aware that her child had a world-altering destiny to fulfill, Mary had been waiting in hopeful expectation for this moment. She had received an angelic visit more than nine months earlier (Luke 1:26–33) and, no doubt, had spent countless hours contemplating the implications of that encounter. Why did Mary respond differently? The shepherds’ good news was amazing indeed, but it was not surprising or unexpected for Mary. But Scripture says that Jesus’ mother, Mary, “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:18–19). Everyone who heard their tremendous news was amazed. After the shepherds visited Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in Bethlehem, they were eager to share their story: an encounter with angels, the glory of God illuminating the fields, the angels’ shocking announcement about the birth of a Savior, the baby in a manger. ![]()
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