Epiphany Day 1 Mary Did You Know
Day one of our Epiphany journey I want to start looking at life with Jesus. Did Mary have ANY idea what she was signing up for when she said “let it be to me according to Your word”? (Luke 1:38b).
When the shepherds visited Mary and told of the amazing message they had received, “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). When they presented Jesus in the temple and prophecy was spoken over him, “His father and mother marveled at what was said about Him” (Luke 2:33). After finding Him in the temple teaching with wisdom while still at a young age, His answer was; “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). And to His answer “His mother treasured up all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51b).
Mary was building a memory box as Jesus grew. All these were wonderful memories that any mother would have treasured. But that wasn’t the end of the memories she would carry.
When Jesus was out sharing God’s love for the people his mother and brothers came to take Him home because they thought He was crazy. He refused to go with them and continued to be about the Father’s work. When Jesus came to His hometown of Nazareth to teach the people did not accept Him because they thought He had gotten ‘too big for His britches’. When Jesus disregarded His own physical needs for the needs of others, I doubt His mother smiled then. When Jesus was taken by the Roman soldiers and scourged with the whip, she didn’t treasure that moment. When He was marched to the cross and hung there for six hours in pain, her heart wasn’t filled with joy or pride.
But this was not the end of the memory making moments for Mary. She was one of the women present who went to anoint His body after death. They met with the angel who told them He had risen from the dead. And I have NO DOUBT that Jesus visited His mother at least once after His resurrection.
All these thing filled Mary’s heart as Jesus grew. IF she had known beforehand what the cost would be to her Son, would she still have said yes?
I suppose every parent faces something like this. None of us know how our child’s life will eventually turn out. Some are even denied that knowing by a tragedy that snatches the child while still young. There are those who state they wish they never had a child but I wonder how truthful they are being. How much poorer my life would be without my children AND grandchildren. No matter how many heartaches I faced in their lives, I treasure them with ALL MY HEART.
Thank You Father for my children! My life would be so empty without them. I pray for all the parents today who are missing their children for one reason or another. I also pray for those who deeply desire to be parents but their bodies or circumstances prevent it. Comfort these hearts on this day. Shower Your love on them in other ways.
YES. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
