The Heart of Mary

I distinctly remember the weeks following the birth of my firstborn son. I remember sitting with him on our couch, pondering many things about him. Where would those little feet travel? What would his first word be? What would his hands touch, and who would they provide for? I hung on every sound he made, listening intently for signs of distress. After two miscarriages, God had given me the treasure of this child, and I would love him forever. 

Even as I had these thoughts, I also thought about the bad things that would surely happen to him. I hoped his hands and feet would not lead him into trouble, but I also was wise enough to know they likely would. His mouth would say things that would be hurtful, because he was human. He would make choices I would not like and he would do things that would bring us disappointment. This is the normal course of life for us as fallible humans—falling and failing because ultimately, we are all sinners.

But Mary. Can you imagine the thoughts she must have had about her firstborn Son? As I've enjoyed readings of late of the Christmas story, Mary has spoken to my mother's heart. What must it have been like to mother the Savior of the world? The differences she would see in her Son must've been striking, and unlike anything she had ever heard about or seen before. It all began in the most unconventional way with a visit from an angel.

For the first decade and a half of Mary's life, she surely had been around other babies with their mothers. She surely saw the natural way that children want their way—temper tantrums and all. She surely saw them cry and whine and disobey. She would have watched as exasperated moms exercised discipline to alter the behavior of their disobedient children. But all of that would be absent in her mothering of Jesus, the Holy and Perfect Son of God. 

All of this would be included in the pondering of Mary's heart that we read about in Luke 2:19. In addition would possibly be the visits from the shepherds and the wisemen. The virgin birth would have also been admittedly astounding, yet would solidify the validity of this Child's title as Messiah. Simeon's message to them in the temple would also stand out in her mind. But aside from all of this would be the notable difference in His character and behavior, beginning at infancy.

What must it have been like to love Jesus as mother and Savior? I love how this same Scripture says she "treasured up all these things" as she pondered them. The thoughts of our sweet babies are thoughts we treasure. But even as we have many thoughts we treasure, we also know our children will bring us disappointment at some point along the way. They will make mistakes. They will disobey and need correction. But Jesus never did. 

As I enjoyed the thoughts Mary surely had, my heart was touched by the character of Jesus. Pure, holy, loving and kind. This Child would become the Bridge between us and God. He would offer Himself as a substitute for the punishment that should have been ours, because He deeply loved us. And for me, that conjures up quite a bit of pondering in my own heart for Jesus—our promised Messiah and Savior. Hope was woven into this Baby whom Mary treasured. Hope not only for Mary, but for me and for you. As Christmas has passed for another year, the real story behind it remains. And just like Mary, may I also treasure up thoughts of Him as I ponder Who He is, and the reason He came: to rescue sinners like me. 

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart (Luke 2:19, ESV). 

And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart (Luke 2:51, ESV).

Dear Heavenly Father, we are so grateful You came to rescue us and save us from our sin. May our hearts be like Mary's—touched with treasured thoughts of You. In Your name we pray, Amen!

Are You a Baby?

     Can you imagine a world run by babies and toddlers? A world full of immaturity and pureed food? A world full of temper tantrums and shallow relationships? There would be no solid foundation or structure, and it would be a very frustrating place to live. Sadly, this is a reality of christianity today-a world where most who have legitimately come to Christ, have no real development or spiritual interest or growth. In fact, 8 out of 10 christians never go on to live a life for Jesus, and never have the discipline to develop past the baby stage of belief. A surrendered life doesn't look like that-it's a life that is marked by obedience and character that mirrors the character of Christ.

     If we want to grow up in our faith, we will need to surrender our bodies. We read in Romans chapter 12 that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice-holy and acceptable to God. We are further urged to resist conforming to the world, but to be transformed by the truth found in God's Word (see Romans 12:1-2). A surrendered life will be noticed and will usher us into the growing up stages of our spirituality. I'd like to discuss a few body parts we can surrender in order to grow in our faith.

     One part of the body that often leads us to sin is our eyes. One of my favorite scriptures regarding the eyes is found in Psalm 119:37. It says, "turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways." How many of us have gotten distracted from our christian journey by pornography, lust, and materialism? We see things we want, and we view things we shouldn't, and they lead us to spiritual ruin and heartache. When we fail to surrender our eyes, we open them to a world of trouble. 

     Feet that aren't surrendered will take us places we have no business going. These feet may lead us into sex outside of marriage, strip clubs, relationships that are unhealthy, and paths that are not led by the Spirit. Proverbs 4:26 tells us to "ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure." Where we go tells a lot about us, and when we fail to surrender our footpath, we will walk in ways that dishonor our Father and stunt our spiritual growth. 

     Failing to surrender our hands have gotten us in trouble more times than we care to admit. My earliest memories as a new christian at the age of 11, still involve fist fights with my siblings. Fighting, hurting others, and touching people we shouldn't touch are a few examples of failing to surrender our hands. Hands were never meant to hurt; but to work, soothe and give. 1 Timothy 5:22 reminds us "not to be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep ourselves pure." Failing to surrender our hands will lead to hurt and broken relationships.

     The final body part we often fail to surrender is our mouth. Profanity, dirty jokes, insults, boasting, sarcasm, lies and gossip are all ways our mouth will show a life that is not surrendered. Sadly, this is often the reality for many of us and has no place in the life of a believer. A mouth that isn't reigned in by the Spirit will show the real health of our spiritual age. In Romans 3 we read that our "throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." We should not be marked as one who lies and uses profanity, but rather as one who speaks truth and speaks kindly to others. Surrendering our mouths is crucial if we ever want to mature spiritually. 

     It's sad to think of how many fail to grow beyond their conversion. We allow schedules, selfishness, and laziness to stand in the way of our spiritual development. It's easier to continue on the way we lived before, but when we do that, we dishonor the name of the One we claim to serve. Furthermore, we are missing out on being an active part of His kingdom work on earth, and the eternal rewards associated with being a willing follower of Jesus. We look for shortcuts in most areas of our lives, but when it comes to growing in Christ, we must be willing to surrender our own will and seek to follow the path God has for us. 

     When our life is over and our friends and family gather to speak about who we were, what will they say? Will we be known by our faith, and will others easily identify us as Christians? Will people say we spoke kindly of others and lived a life of integrity and honor? Will the way we loved others stand out? Will our children say we had a heart for Jesus, and lived in such a way that our decisions, words and actions reflected His heart? Or will we be like the 80% who never really grew in our faith and left behind a legacy that didn't mirror the life of Jesus? It's sobering to think of the day we will stand before Him and give an answer for how we lived and loved. And while I've failed often, I pray that I will daily surrender my will to His. I pray that I'll realize the value in pouring myself into His Word, and how powerful it is in transforming me. And I pray that when I'm gone, the talk around the room will be less about me and more about Him-because I can tell you, He is worth the surrender.

And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it (Luke 9:23-24, ESV). 

Dear Heavenly Father, help us to be disciplined enough to surrender our bodies and our lives to Your way for us. We often find ourselves in a place that is stagnant and we are not growing spiritually. Help us to lay aside our own ways for Yours. In Your name we pray, Amen!

     

Perfect Baby Jesus

     The night seemed endless as pain racked her body. Sweat rolled down her face and her body arched with each contraction. It's hard to catch your breath, so much so, that you are given lessons on how to breathe correctly through these painful contractions. As they move closer and closer together, the pain intensifies. And then the moment comes- a baby is born! Relief and the worst of the pain are behind, and every mother wants to see one thing: the face and body of their little child. We count toes. We count fingers. We look at that tiny face- scrunched up with the sudden assault of light. We listen for their cry. As mothers, this long-awaited child is finally here, and we are so thankful to see this little one we anxiously looked forward to meeting.
     Mary was no different- I'm sure of it. And when she looked at her newborn baby Jesus, she beheld perfection. No crying. No deformities. Ten fingers. Ten toes. While she was no different- this child surely was. And I have no doubt that she knew from the start that the news of the angels was truth- the Messiah had come, and passed through her very womb, into the world. In my mind's eye, I can see Him too. This perfect baby with no sin- no scars. And just like I did with my own little ones, I also look at His hands, feet, and face. Smooth and pink- healthy and whole. But it wouldn't last, and it wasn't because of His sin. No- it would be my own sin that would disfigure Him. 
     Yes, I rejoice at this precious Christ child that came to save us. He was Immanuel- God with us. His name was Jesus, meaning this : He shall save His people from their sins. But I also want to own up to my part in how His perfect body would be beaten and crushed- offered on that cross for the sins of the world... specifically, mine. Gone were the smooth cheeks that were once pink and healthy and whole. Hands and feet now bleeding from the nails that fastened Him to that cruel tree. A side that was once perfect, now split open from the sword of a malefactor. His sweet forehead- likely kissed often by the lips of Mary, punctured with thorns made into a crown- a crown that mocked His title: King of the Jews. 
     It's humbling to think of what happened to the body of this precious baby- the baby we celebrate at this season of Christmas. And yet His body only endured a fraction of the pain felt on that Cross. Most of His pain was a result of dealing with our sin in those hours that God shrouded His Son in darkness- a darkness that was protective of His suffering Son. It was in those hours that the punishment of my sin was taken upon the Son of God- and God made good on His promise to send us a Savior. 
     So while we often get caught up in thinking of that manger scene- the couple huddled up together in the likely shelter of a cave in nondescript Bethlehem, there is so much more to it than that.  Yes-we think of this little baby, lying in the manger, wrapped in swaddling cloths. But I ask you to look even closer- look at these little hands and feet. Look at His tiny face. In this moment, the cost of our sin isn't visible on His little body- but it will be, and it had to be if I would ever be rescued. Oh God, I'm so thankful for this little baby- but I'm filled with an unspeakable gratitude for the promise that baby held. Thank You, Lord, for coming here with a willing heart to be our Jesus- the very One Who would save us from our sins. May we never forget that He's so much more than just a baby in a manger- He is the Savior of the world. Hallelujah- Christ came! Celebrate with me as we remember this child- our Messiah!

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14 (ESV)
And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12 (ESV)
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:7 (ESV)

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of Your perfect Son- sent into the world as a tiny baby. His purpose was huge- a purpose that would send Him to the cross and offer up His life in a terrible way. We can't understand the love You have for us- but we thank You for this precious gift of Your Son, and how You sent Him to rescue us from our sin. In Your precious name we pray, Jesus, Amen!