The Treasury of the Heart
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart…
His mother treasured all these things in her heart.
Did you ever witness an event of such magnitude that for days afterward you were disturbed as you weighed what you had witnessed? It may have been something that was said or some event, but it made such an impact on your mind that you could not quite shake the thought that a turning point of life had been reached. As time passed you may have found a reason for the event or the thought, and perhaps even now you occasionally mull over in your mind the meaning of that singular event. You know you have witnessed something momentous, but the full impact is not yet apparent. Something like that happened at least twice to Mary, the human vessel chosen to give birth to Jesus.
Some religious groups promote stories of Jesus’ youth which make Him out to be scarcely more than a conjuror or a cheap magician. Despite these fanciful accounts, we are given few details of the childhood years of our Saviour in God's Word. More than that is unnecessary either for the purposes of the Word of God or for a complete revelation of the Saviour. However, in the abbreviated accounts of His birth and of one incident when He was twelve years of age, our version provides a wonderfully poetic and insightful commentary on Mary's reaction to the events which swirled about her. Twice Dr. Luke says of this young peasant woman that she treasured up all these things [Luke 1:19,51]. Even a cursory examination of Luke’s words provides exciting insight into the treasury of the heart.
What is intriguing to students of the Word is that though Luke twice speaks of Mary treasuring up the things which were occurring, in either instance he employs a different word. A word study of his statement is helpful in obtaining understanding. Verse 19 employs the word sunethvrei, the imperfect of sunthrevw, meaning to keep in mind, or as it is translated in our version to hold or to treasure up (in one's memory). Other instances of the employment of this word are Matthew 9:17, to keep safe and sound or to preserve as in the NIV; and to observe strictly or to secure from harm or to protect as in Mark 6:20 in the NIV.
Verse 51, on the other hand, uses the slightly different word diethvrei, the imperfect of diathrevw meaning to watch carefully or to guard with vigilance. The only other instance of the use of this word in the New Testament is also by Dr. Luke. In Acts 15:29 he uses this same word. There it relates the directive of the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to the Gentiles. In that place and context the word means to keep one’s self or to abstain wholly from. Hence the NIV translation translates the word abstain in this instance.
The root of either word is the somewhat more common Greek word threvw, which conveys the idea of watching, keeping, or guarding as is evident in both the account of the actions and of the charge given the guards at the crucifixion of Jesus [Matthew 27:36,54] and before the tomb [Matthew 28:4]. The word would readily be employed to convey the idea of keeping in custody or the concept of jailing as in Acts 12:5, 24:23 or 25:4. So, threvw commonly speaks of security. Likewise sunthrevw and diathrevw each speak of a particular act of keeping, especially as it relates to memories. Dr. Luke chose, therefore, a most descriptive word in either instance. Thus, the choice directed by God's Spirit is not superfluous.
After this somewhat extended excursus through some of the peculiarities of the language employed by writers of the New Testament, the question may fairly be asked, "What has this to do with the message?" Indeed, we ought to ask how we may apply this somewhat esoteric information to advantage as believers in the Risen Christ. The answer of necessity lies in our desire to serve the Lord our God, to honour Him in every act, and to keep His sayings in our hearts.
Weigh The Contrast of Spiritual Presence. Other than what we are provided in the nativity narratives, the Word of God tells us nothing of the development of faith in this young Jewish teenager chosen to share in the incarnation drama of the Son of God by bearing Him into the world. We do know that in time she became a worshiper of the One she bore and whom she knew so intimately as her firstborn [see John 2:5 and Acts 1:14].
However, we also know that Mary struggled over the issue of faith in Him as her Lord. You will no doubt remember that on at least one occasion she was carried away by the emotions of other family members; or perhaps it was that she herself questioned His claim to be the Son of God. On that singular occasion Mary came with other family members, determined to seize Him — by force if necessary, because the family members had agreed among themselves that He [was] out of His mind [Mark 3:21,31,32]. Mary's own faith toward her son Jesus obviously did not influence her other children for we read that during the days of His flesh even His own brothers did not believe in Him [John 7:5]. It seems best to state that Mary was human, and that she faced much the same struggle that any of us face in our intimacy with God.
Clearly, at the time of the nativity, and during the months preceding that divine birth, a marvellous drama had played out on the Judean stage. Never had heaven seemed nearer to earth then during those days. Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, was with child in her old age, her husband Zechariah having been visited by an angel while ministering before the altar. Mary had been visited by an angel who announced that she was to bear the Messiah. Her body had shortly yielded evidence to substantiate his words. Her espoused husband had likewise been visited by the angel to calm his own fears concerning the pregnancy of his betrothed. Clearly, these were momentous events, but in the main the circumstances were confined to the one family. Beyond a few neighbours and friends, what impact did the visit of angels have on the earth? Time passed; and she gave birth to a little boy in conditions which could only be described as poverty‑stricken and unthinkable, even for a Jewish teenager wed to a hard-working tradesman, citizens of an impoverished and occupied nation.
No doubt the angelic announcements to Mary and to Joseph had served to immediately calm their hearts and given them sufficient courage to withstand the wagging tongues of their fellow townspeople in Nazareth. Yet they would be silenced by the knowledge that the tale they could have told of angels visiting and a miraculous birth would be viewed as clearly fantastic by those who had not themselves seen the angel.
We wonder at Joseph taking the young woman with him to register at Bethlehem. According to the rules of Roman census it wasn’t necessary for a wife to accompany the head of the household to enrol on the list for taxation. Likely Mary accompanied Joseph so that she would be spared the hostile criticism and expressions of righteous indignation directed toward her as she neared her term. Whether or not they had considered the prophecies given long years before, they were moving toward fulfilment of one of the great prophecies, for the Messiah must be born in Bethlehem.
The little village was filled with travellers, most of whom had arrived long before Joseph and Mary and had found shelter with family members or in the only local inn. Had Joseph been alone, perhaps he would have sought shelter among the hills of Judea, but Mary was with him. Desperate for some form of shelter for his young wife, he made repeated enquiries until he secured permission for the only available shelter in the town — a sheep-cote. There, Mary delivered her firstborn son … without midwives, without celebration, without the comfort of family save for a scared husband still in his teens who would have had scant experience at assisting at the delivery of children.
The manger scenes on our Christmas cards all show a stable in the North American tradition. There is shelter from the cold night wind with a variety of animals gathered around the little family. Lying in the manger on a bed of clean straw covered by a warm receiving blanket is the new-born Son of God. The scene is a sanitised construction of our own imagination. We are offended by the thought of barnyard smells and filth, and we cannot imagine that God would permit His Son to be born into squalor.
The cotes of Bethlehem are still used in this day. They are caves carved into the hillsides. Centuries of accumulated sheep dung serve as flooring for the caves. Despite the night winds, the caves would be humid and dark, the stench of fresh dung overpowering. Into foulness such as we dare not permit ourselves to imagine, God sent His Son. Do you imagine that these foul conditions went unnoticed by Mary and Joseph? Do you think that they did not question what was happening? If this were the Son of God, why would the Father choose to send Him into the world in such poverty and permit Him to be born in such misery? You may be assured that Mary was quite likely confused and hurt at the thought of her failure to bring her child into the world under cleaner conditions. What of Joseph? What man would without reservation rejoice at the thought of his child being born into the world under such squalid conditions?
But now a chorus of angels … not one, but a great company. Shepherds appeared with a glorious story of holy angels. They were specifically directed to the cave, knowing that within its darkened interior they would find the Messiah. In the most primitive of conditions, in the filthiest environment imaginable they would find the very babe of whom angels sang. The Word of God is quite precise in stating that the shepherds were vocal toward all they met, telling them of the events they had witnessed. “We have seen the Christ! He is born! The angels of God have appeared in chorus with a message of glory and peace!” No wonder all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them [Luke 2:18].
Why would Mary treasure up all these things, pondering them in her heart? Surely she had heard marvellous things from the shepherds, but hadn’t she also seen Gabriel with her own eyes and with her own ears heard from him the message of God? Hadn’t she experienced the power of the Most High overshadowing her and setting in motion the birth of this child? Mary knew all these things from first-hand experience. Why should she be reduced to pondering what the shepherds said?
The answer no doubt lies in the contrast between the expectations she had and the conditions in which she now found herself. Spiritual expectations seldom reflect reality. We imagine that the presence of the Son of God will change our physical situation. There is an entire religious movement spanning denominations, which reflects this strange dichotomy between expectations and reality. Even when we recognise the distinction we are liable to be caught up in holding unrealistic expectations.
The Word Faith movement and related transdenominational movements speak to people’s expectations of what it will mean if God is present. Surely God would not permit Himself to be found in filth and poverty! Surely the people of God, if they dwell in the presence of God, will never experience reversal and want! The voices of Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, of Kenneth Hagin and of Benny Hinn unite with a growing multitude of voices chanting the mantra that the presence of God will shield from all unpleasantness. Even when we reject such distorted theologies, we are yet prone to question God when we ourselves experience reversal and injury. “Why?” is the first question to escape our mouth when we are crushed by reversal of our fortune.
What did Mary expect? Whatever she anticipated it would not likely have included filth and poverty and even opposition. The contrast must have been overwhelming for the young teenager. Even spiritually seasoned saints, mature in years, struggle to accept the crushing difference between expectation and experience. Did you ever wonder at the words of warning which Jesus gave? If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfil what is written in their Law: “They hated me without reason” [John 15:18-25].
Were this the only warning the Word of God gives concerning those who stand close to the Master, it would suffice to instruct us that our expectations do not often match reality. However, throughout the Word of God are repeated warnings which make clear the truth that His presence may well serve as a call to suffer in this world. On the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas experienced grave hardships, even to the very brink of death for Paul. As they made their way again toward Jerusalem, they stopped in the towns in which they had planted churches. The historic account teaches that they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said [Acts 14:21,22]. Perhaps the Apostle was thinking of these very incidents when he wrote in his last letter to Timothy, You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived [2 Timothy 3:10-13].
Mary treasured up in her heart and pondered what she had heard from the shepherds because she was grappling with reconciling expectation and reality. Her faith was challenged and she was struggling with the differences she was experiencing. Likewise, you and I struggle with our faith. Though we may not often voice our questions aloud, we nevertheless wonder why God would permit us to hurt or go without since we were born into His Family.
What seems to have happened to Mary reflects what happens to us even to this day when expectations fail to meet reality. We attempt to craft God in our own image, forgetting that His presence will not necessarily alter our situation. The caution we need to hear is that God’s presence will change us though our situation will likely remain unchanged. The words which the Apostle penned speak pointedly to this issue.
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified [Romans 8:18-30].
Think of The Contrast of Spiritual Purpose. The second time we are told that Mary treasured events in her heart was following that singular incident when Jesus was inadvertently left behind after the Pascal Observance at the Temple. You will recall that at the conclusion of the festival, Mary and Joseph, together with family and friends, made preparation to return to their village of Nazareth. After a days travel, as they made preparation for rest in the evening hours, they discovered that He was not with them.
We can easily imagine how the young boy could have been overlooked. There was a band of the worshippers all travelling together. No doubt there were other children of a similar age who frolicked and played as the festive party trekked through the Judean hills. These were all family and friends and there would be no undue concern over Jesus’ absence. Perhaps Mary voiced anxiety over not actually seeing him once or twice, but Joseph would likely calm her fears by remembering his own days as a child.
At last, as the evening hours caught up to the band of travellers they made preparation for the evening meal and rest. Jesus did not appear and the concern which had been pushed into the background now welled up into accute panic at the thought that he may have been left behind. No doubt the family hurried from one campfire to another asking if anyone had seen Jesus. Parents, sensing the concern in the voice of Mary and Joseph, would ask their own children when they had last seen Jesus. With horror the realisation that they had left Him behind must have gripped Joseph and Mary. The word chosen would indicate that they immediately left the band of travellers to make the return trip to Jerusalem to begin the search for where He might be.
Three days of searching, making inquiry of everyone they met and wracking their memories for any place He might have indicated an interest, proved fruitless. At what point does a parent cease looking for a lost child? When does a mother cease expecting to find her wandering son? Was the couple guided by the Spirit of God to the Temple? Did someone at last suggest that they look for Him in the Temple Courts? Perhaps they entered the Temple Courts thinking to pray for divine guidance. The text is silent about what led them to search the courts of the Temple. However they happened into the Temple Courts, they found the child they were seeking in the House of God.
As they stood there watching the scene before them they were no doubt awed by what they saw. Jesus was sitting among the teachers of the Law. The very rabbim responsible for providing instruction in the Law surrounded their son. He was listening to them discourse on the Word of God and in turn asking them questions in order to clarify the meaning. Those listening were amazed at His understanding and His answers. Why shouldn’t He be conversant with the will and the Word of God; He wrote the Word! This was the Word of God … the wisdom of God incarnate [cf. Colossians 2:2,3].
Her motherly concern at last overriding her astonishment, Mary questioned Him. Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you [Luke 2:48]. The response she received was what was treasured up in her heart for the remainder of her life. Why were you searching for me? her twelve-year-old boy asked. Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?
Again, there was a contrast between Mary’s anticipation of the purpose of God and the reality of His purpose. Mary, though a pure and godly young woman, was nevertheless a mere mortal, a mortal schooled in and influenced by Jewish theology. Cultural expectation of necessity coloured her understanding of the plan and purpose of God. This was the Messiah, but He was also her child. This was the Anointed Prince long promised through the prophets of God, but he was yet a child obedient to Joseph and submissive to Mary. God’s purpose was obvious to Mary. The child was responsible to grow to manhood and set the nation free from foreign domination. The Messiah would be the one to defeat the enemies of God. The only problem with Mary’s understanding of the purpose of God was that she had imposed her own purpose in the place of God’s purpose. More precise still, she had imposed a cultural expectation on the will of God.
We must not censure Mary in our hearts, for we are too often equally guilty of this same sin in our day. Mary had forgotten the Word of God which states,
My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,
declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
[Isaiah 55:8,9]
In the press of life, we think we know the mind of God. Too often what we ascribe to the mind of God is but a tawdry reflection of our own purpose. The Lord told me has become too often a mantra masking the naked imposition of our own will on a given situation. Our prayers at the opening of a meeting too often are an excuse to do our own thing.
You see, we are, as was true of Mary, conditioned by the culture in which we live and within which we grow to adulthood. Every action of the church, every act of the saints, is filtered through the lens of culture; and every command of God is filtered through that same cultural lens. Consequently, we are challenged when the Spirit of God resists our efforts to impose our will on God. The voice of Jesus asking why His parents would not know where He would be found is the voice of God asking why we seek the purpose of God everywhere but in the obvious place.
How is it that I should think to seek God first in nature instead of in His Word? Why should I think that I will discover the purpose of God most powerfully expressed in the words of a television preacher instead of in the midst of His people as they worship? Does God really reveal His will more powerfully through nature than through His Word? We think that we need to refresh our bodies through exhausting activity, assuring ourselves that because it is different than the routine we will be restored in our souls.
My first ministry was among American saints. It is difficult, if not impossible, to separate the mindset of Manifest Destiny from the advance of the Gospel among American Christians. I saw this more clearly when removed from that cultural influence after moving to Canada. There is interplay of politics and Gospel in American mission. Do not, however, think that Canadian church life is unaffected by culture. Our lack of aggressive evangelism is more cultural than Scriptural. The fact that we are “nice” keeps us from obedience to the demands of the Great Commission.
My words are less a statement of censure than they are an acknowledgement of the situation which exists. If we understand that we are first citizens of Heaven and only secondarily identified as inhabitants of this earth, whether as Americans, Canadians, or Europeans, we will have begun the transition leading to fulfilment of spiritual purpose. Don’t you know, if we are spiritual people, that we must be in the Father’s house? Don’t you know, if we are spiritual people, that we must seek to do the will of the Father?
Then, reflect on The Contrast of Spiritual Power. The events surrounding Jesus’ advent and His expression of seeking His Father’s will were treasured up in Mary’s heart. Just so, we should treasure up such events and such words in our own hearts as we seek His presence and His purpose in our own lives. When we are conscious of His presence with us and when His purpose is clearly revealed through us, we will at last discover the power which He has promised. Again, our discovery will not be that which we might anticipate at the casual level of fleshly thinking.
Paul, in the encyclical we know as Ephesians, writes believers concerning the power of Christ. Consider the Apostle’s words in the context of our message this day. Ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way [Ephesians 1:15-23].
Spiritual power such as Christ the Lord confers on those who live in His presence and who fulfil His purpose is not focused on the person. The flesh will not be exalted by the expression of that spiritual power. God’s power will be manifest in wisdom and revelation; the empowered believer will possess insight and understanding of God’s will. The believer will begin to grasp the will of God and especially the manner in which that will intersects the life of the saint.
When the Apostle uses the phrase that power is like, he is telling us something practical concerning spiritual power. Spiritual power is powerful to give life to the dead. The child of God empowered by the Spirit of God, will be enabled to bring the lost to faith in the Son of God. Through the empowered individual, souls will be won to faith in the Son of God and to the glory of God. I have said, and I now stand by the statement, the surest evidence that we are not empowered by the Spirit is the absence of dramatic conversions among our family, friends and colleagues.
Spiritual power is powerful to exalt Christ as Lord. The child of God, empowered by the Spirit of God, is equipped to worship in power, glorifying the Son of God. Frankly, if your worship makes you feel good you should question whether you have worshipped. When we have been in the presence of Christ, we will forget about our own desires and seek only to discover His will and to honour His desire. The empowered child of God will be enabled to crucify the flesh, to mortify the desires of the “self”. Again, the evidence that we know little of spiritual power is the fact that our desires are too often exalted at the expense of that which would glorify Christ as Lord.
We are entering the final days of this year. We stand on the cusp of a new millennium. Whether Christ should come shortly, or whether He should delay lies beyond our ken. We know with certainty that we are nearer His coming than ever before. We know that when He comes all work shall cease. We know that our days are short, whether He should come momentarily or whether He should delay. We know that any work we shall perform to the praise of His glory must be completed shortly. We may labour in our own strength and soon exhaust ourselves and at last cease our labours with the claim that we are burnt out. Alternatively, we may set ourselves to discover the spiritual presence of the Son of God and make every effort to implement the divine purpose. In doing this we will appropriate His great power with the result that our worship will be transformed and many souls will be born into the Kingdom of God.
My prayer is that the Spirit of the Living God, even the Spirit of Christ our Lord, will stir some among us, making us restless with life as it is. I pray that the Living God will create in some of us a spirit of discontent with what has been, that He may begin to create in us a yearning for what may be. I wonder if there are not some among us who in their heart would pray, “Lord, let me discover your presence. Show me the divine purpose that I may transcend the cultural bonds which have to this time restricted me. Let me discover your great power that through me may be ascribed to Christ the Lord glory and honour and praise. Let the power of Jesus be revealed in me so that many souls will be saved. Amen.”