Reflecting on the Hope of Mary (Luke 2:8-20)
by Kayla Nachtigal
Google Maps tells me that the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem would take 1 hour and 54 minutes… on modern roads by car. The journey on foot (or donkey) says “33 hours!” In my recent experience of pregnancy, most days I hardly had the stamina to drive to the grocery store! I cannot fathom the weariness that Mary would have been feeling as she arrived in Bethlehem, especially with the agony of labor and delivery looming ahead of her. Pregnancy sure brought out the selfish (entitlement/complaints/grumpy) side of me. How did Mary endure it?! I think it was her HOPE. She believed what the angel had foretold and had confidence that God would see her through! What she must have felt when she finally held that precious promised one in her arms! I can just imagine the whirlwind of emotions—fear, confusion, doubt, pain, and exhaustion, followed by relief, excitement, thankfulness, peace, and joy, undoubtedly praising God for sustaining her through such stressful days!
Finally, peacefully resting and savoring the sweetness of that baby boy (that is, between the fussing, feeding, and first-century diaper changes!), the quiet stable was disturbed by a band of excited shepherds! Can you imagine a group of stinky strangers intruding in your hospital room hours after giving birth? I know I wouldn’t have responded very graciously! But Mary didn’t kick them out. She recognized that this baby and these intimate moments were God’s gift for all, not exclusively just for her.
Verse 18 says “all who heard [what the shepherds reported] wondered…” But Mary’s response was different; she “treasured… and pondered”. She didn’t need to wonder. She had a certainty and confidence in WHO this baby was. She did however, pause to marvel at the beauty of what God was doing. Take a minute today to savor the gift of baby Jesus through Mary’s eyes.
And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
Additional Resources
Read the Hope if found in Jesus devotional
Listen Jesus, Joy of the Highest Heaven by Keith & Kristyn Getty
Nativity Color Page
