Reading the Christmas story in Luke 2:1-20, this year I was struck by the phrase in v:19 that reveals Mary “pondered” the events surrounding Jesus’ birth in her heart.
Theologians have speculated what that means. The Christmas time song “Mary, Did You Know?” underscores the situation.
My opinion is that Mary did not know that her baby would grow up and heal the sick, calm the sea, die on a cross or build what we now know of as the Church. If I am right, it would seem that Mary was a part of something much bigger than she realized. There is no evidence that she rebelled or was disappointed in how things turned out having to deliver her baby in an animal stable. I’m impressed with her model to follow God even though she had very little idea where He was leading her.
In Celebrate Recovery, we frequently talk to one another about giving up control. In fact, some of us participate weekly in Celebrate Recovery just so we will learn how to stop being “control freaks.” One major aspect of God’s call to live by faith is to accept an approach to life whereby one realizes he/she will not be in control of many outcomes. If we want to stay in control of all the circumstances that surround us, our world will be rather small. It will only be as big as we are. Mary relinquished control of her future to the will of God. She decided to go where He led even though much of it was beyond her experience and expectations. That’s a big reason why the world has forevermore honored her. Since I want to be a part of something bigger than me, I guess I won’t always know how things will work out. I’ll be better off to believe in God than to reduce my world to what I can control.
