Mary's Example

"But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

Ponder means "to consider something deeply and thoroughly; to meditate" and "to put together"

Jesus's Mother, Mary:

Mary was a Jewish virgin that God proclaimed would be the mother of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who is my Savior. There are two passages that refer to Mary and her thoughts. 

The first time is when the shepherds, which saw the heavenly hosts and were told by angels where the child would be, came and worshiped Jesus. (Luke 2:19) The second time was after Mary and Joseph lost Jesus and found him back in Jerusalem talking with the scholars and teachers of the law. (Luke 2:51)

I first noticed this phrase with Mary after my daughter was born. I realized it was the essential the private inward study of important things. For Mary, she was studying her son... who became her Savior. For me, it was beginning to study my children and discovering who they are.

Pondering on Jesus:

Mary learned about Jesus.... by studying those around Him, how He affected them, and how He responded to things. She was "putting together" a picture of who Jesus Christ was. As a result, she believed Jesus could solve the wedding problem. (John 2:1-10) This was His first miracle recorded in the Bible.

Pondering on God's Word:

For a Christian, it is the study of God's Word. We need to learn to meditate on scripture. As we ponder on it, we are "putting together" a gorgeous picture of GOD and His Son. We are discovering the complete story, from Genesis until Revelation. We are being taught about who we are and how we can change. We are discovering how to minister and serve others.

Proverbs 4:26 "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established."

Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

Follow Mary's Example:

As we enjoy this Christmas season and do mundane tasks like dishes, laundry, or homework, let us (like Mary) ponder who Jesus Christ is and let us meditate on His word, the Bible, as we put together the whole picture of Christ. :D