Pondering

Pondering

All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

Luke 2:18-19

He returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

Luke 2:51

Pretty soon it will be time to take down the Christmas lights and put away the decorations. January will be here, and this Christmas will be a memory. If we’re not careful, ordinary life can cause us to lose our sense of wonder over Jesus’ coming.

That might have happened on the first Christmas too. Though it seems like everyone would keep their eyes on a baby whose birth had been announced by a sky full of angels, evidently people lost interest. The shepherds had to go back to taking care of their sheep. The wise men went back to their own country. It seems as if most people set aside their hopes that this baby could make a difference in the world.

But Mary didn’t. She “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19, NIV). It was as if she said to herself, I won’t forget hearing the angel, having the Spirit come over me, seeing Jesus worshiped by the wise men. Evidently Mary didn’t understand everything about Jesus, but she wanted to, so she began a process of “connecting the dots” in her own mind, adding up the prophecies fulfilled by her son and all the miracles surrounding his birth. She thought through everything again and again while others lost interest.

Don’t let your life slip back into ordinary days with few thoughts of wonder over Jesus’ coming. Ponder him in your heart.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What has been your favorite part of celebrating Christmas this year?

What thoughts do you imagine went through Mary’s mind as she tried to make sense of all she’d experienced and witnessed?

What are some ways you can ponder Jesus when you find he is not in your thoughts throughout the day?