Mary’s Journey
When the Christmas season comes around, I often think a lot about Mary and the journey she was called to live. Her story seems to show a woman who was brave, humble, and ready to follow God no matter what was placed in front of her. I decided to take time for a closer look at her life around the time of Jesus’ birth in Luke 1-2. I was so encouraged by what I found. She is certainly a woman that sets an example of loving God and following Him no matter the circumstances.
Mary was obedient in her journey.
Luke 1:38 (ESV) Mary says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Let it be. Those words are not always easy to say when we are asked to do something difficult, are they? As Mary heard the news of the conception of Jesus that was to come, she seemed a bit scared and uncertain of how this was going to happen. Yet, when the angel told her not to fear and that the Lord was with her, peace seems to overtake her heart and soul. Mary listened to the message from God, chose to believe and trust that God was going to use her, and decided to obey even in the unknown of what was to come.
Mary did the hard stuff. She faced the people that were difficult to face. She stayed faithful to her future marriage. She stayed faithful to God’s plan even when that road seemed unclear and scary. This young woman trusted that the journey God had chosen her for was going to work out and that He would be honored in each step that she took to follow Him.
She knew that her obedience would bring honor to God and would bring hope to the world…more hope than she probably realized.
Mary was worshipful in her journey.
In Luke 1:46-49 (ESV) Mary says,
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name…
Mary worshiped God with this song after she was encouraged and given confirmation from her cousin, Elizabeth. The words from her cousin seemed to ring in Mary’s heart and remind her that the angel had told her not to fear. Words of truth, kindness, and peace along with the honor that she was carrying the Savior of the world drew her to worship Him. But ultimately, the Son of God, her Savior was her focus. She turned all the glory to Him and remembered who this journey was meant for.
Mary was humble in her journey.
Luke 2:19 (ESV) says, “But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
Jesus was born. The baby was being taken care of even in the most humble of circumstances. The shepherds may have been there at this time, worshiping the King. And there was Mary, “treasur[ing] up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”
According to Merriam-Webster, to treasure means “to hold or keep as precious”. To ponder means “to weigh in the mind” or “to think or consider especially quietly, soberly, and deeply”. The moments, hours, and days after a baby is born are precious. I’ve experienced that myself three times. I wanted to take in every detail of those special moments. The smells. The sights. The kindness. The excitement. The care. The hope. The love. The perfection of those moments. Those were treasures that I wanted to keep and remember forever.
I can only imagine that Mary thought the same, yet in a much deeper way. The miraculous events that led to these moments were big, heavy, and so much to take in. She had the experience of an angel delivering the news to her. She had her relationship with Joseph and the love, trust, and commitment he showed her. She had the physical journey to Bethlehem to look back on. She had the experience of giving birth to her first child in a place that was not likely what she had hoped for. She may have wondered how she would mother this child, the Savior, the King.
We know that Mary was favored by God, that He was with her (Luke 1:28), and that she was chosen especially for this honor of being the mother of Jesus. I can’t help but believe that she was honoring God, as she “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart”. I imagine that she knew this was about Jesus, not her. This was about the journey of following and obeying Him, not about what she desired. I imagine that she was worshiping Jesus right along with the shepherds. I imagine that she was humbly making this about God, not about herself.
Mary was obedient in her journey, ready to follow God through any circumstance.
Mary was worshipful in her journey, looking to Him for hope and peace in the uncertainty.
Mary was humble in her journey, allowing Jesus to be honored through her life.
Where does Mary’s journey lead us?
It is really easy to put Mary on a pedestal. But we must remember, as I believe she did, that her journey was not about her. It was not about making her big. It was about making God big and leading others to know Him. It was about leading others to follow Jesus. And her journey does just that.
Mary’s journey encourages us to be obedient to God through any circumstance.
Mary’s journey leads us to worship God and look to Him for hope and peace when life feels uncertain.
Mary’s journey leads us to be humble, allowing Jesus to be honored in our lives.
Mary’s journey leads to Christ.
May our journey do the same.