Something for the Road

Luke 2:19 HCSB

But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.

Handling the Promises of God

One commentary says she simply reflected on this momentous event.

Don’t miss the fact that verse 18 says they all who heard it “wondered”. This let’s us in on something significant. There were more people than Mary and Joseph at the birth of Jesus.

they wondered. This word is used many times in the New Testament to express astonishment, surprise, amazement, and marvel. It is actually used just a few verses later in the chapter when they heard what the Old Man Simeon said about Jesus in the Temple.

Mary did two things.

Treasuring the Promises

Pondering the Promises

These words are significant. And I think they go deeper than simply reflection on Mary’s part. I truly believe these are words of preparation and fortification.

The word for treasured or kept only occurs three times in the Bible. it means to preserve, protect, and defend.

The Bible says that Herod had a fear of John the Baptist and therefore tried to keep him safe. Mark 6.20

And the Jesus said that new wine should be put in fresh wineskins to preserve them both.

Mary treasured… she protects. she preserved the words she heard from the shepherds.

By the way this word has a synonym that is used later in chapter 2.51

Luke 2:51 HCSB

Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart.

This passage has to do with Jesus teaching in the Temple at 12. When Mary and Joseph found him he said He was about His Father’s business. Mary kept these things in her heart. The only other time this word is used in the Bible is in Acts 15.29 when the gentile Christians were told to keep from sexual immorality and foods prepared for idol worship.

When you add all this together, you see that Mary was gathering up the words and sayings about her Son, as if to fall back on them at a later time.

As a matter of fact the form of the verb here means she kept keeping… she kept treasuring. These truths were food to her. She would go over and over what Gabriel had said. What the angel had told Joseph. What the shepherds had said. What Jesus would say to her and Joseph at 12 years of age.

Now the second word is

Ponder

Fun fact. This word occurs 6 times (Sumballo) and is translated 6 different ways.

But they all have some thought of conferring or encountering or meeting up with. Mary pondered these facts… she conferred with the truth of what she heard… she met with these truths.

Just like stinking thinking can hinder your walk with the Lord and others, pondering on the truth can help you stay focused.

This brings us to the why

Harnessing the Promises of God

Recalling the promise keeps our hope alive

There is not a single one of us who could not use a regular dose of encouragement that is found only as we keep on keeping God’s word in our hearts. Obeying the truth contained. Claiming the promises. Walking in the light of the Word of God.

Revisiting the promise puts our disappointments in proper perspective

There is not a single one of us who will not face heartache. Some times it will seem unbearable. So we hide God’s Word in our hearts NOW. We need to never doubt in the dark what God taught us in the light.

Mary would watch her son die a brutal death. She would have to trust God was true… This is faith. Faith is formed, deepened, and strengthened by treasuring and pondering on God’s Word.