Read: Luke 2:15-20; 46-52
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
[…]
After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 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.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
Ponder:
Sometimes God does something so big, so special, so magnificent, so miraculous that it overwhelms us. Mary finds herself in one of those moments in Luke 2. She is at the beginning of her journey of learning many amazing things about her son, Jesus. At His birth, she is told by a rag-tag bunch of shepherds about a heavenly sign and heavenly proclamation affirming that this boy is the Messiah, Lord, Savior of Israel. Later, in Luke 2:51, we read a similar statement that Mary again ponders these things in her heart.
By verse 51, Jesus is at the age of spiritual responsibility as a male (twelve). Jesus has just told his mother that he is about “his father’s business,” and it has nothing to do with Joseph. She retains these things in her memory, searching for their meaning as her son gradually matures. Luke, inspired by the Holy Spirit, shows us a woman, a mother, who wisely seeks to interpret what God is doing in and through Jesus. I believe Mary was is a woman who recognized God’s actions and words and desired to understand them personally, as well as their implications for those she loves.
God is still so big and so special and so magnificent and so miraculous. How He works in our life can be so overwhelming sometimes. Scripture can be like that too. We read the stories of old like the virgin birth, and we are overwhelmed because they seem so big and challenging to understand. As we seek to learn and understand what God is doing, as we seek meaning, as we think through the implications that His Word has on our life, we must be a people who “treasure up all these things, pondering them in our heart.” We must be a people who meditate upon God’s Word thoughtfully, prayerfully, carefully.
When we spend time each day not just reading His Word but chewing on it, we become less distracted and more focused on God and His ways. Meditation on Scripture also helps us understand God’s ways better. When we read Scripture and ask questions like “Why is this passage important?”, “ What do I need to know?”, “What does it say about God?”, “What does it say about me?”, “How does this reading point to Jesus?” we begin to understand a little better the will of God. Some truths do not present themselves in the first reading. Some not even in the second or third. Oftentimes the understanding and application of Scripture comes after multiple readings and a lengthy time of pondering, thinking, searching and praying.
Practice:
Let me offer 6 suggestions in reading and studying Scripture.
- Do a basic background study on the book. Who is the author? Why was it written? Learn the historical background, dates, key people and so on.
- Start with the first chapter and write out each verse or section of verses in your own words. This will help you understand each verse in wording that makes more sense to you.
- Write down some questions you have about the passage, or unfamiliar or confusing terms that you come across.
- Make a note of any similar or related passages that come to mind while you’re reading, paraphrasing, and asking questions about the passage. Consult a concordance, other study guides, or footnotes to collect related passages you may not have thought of.
- If an observation occurs to you that relates to any part of the passage or its background, write it down.
- Personally apply it. Write down what you’re going to do about what the passage says, then seek to live it out each day.
