Women of the Word

Keeping Treasures of the Heart: The Example of Mary

As the holiday hubbub begins us it’s easy to forget that the familiar Christmas story was breaking news to Mary. She didn’t expect an angel to show up at her door anymore than we would today. And, talk about an unwelcome pregnancy! Who would believe this story? Can you imagine a modern teenager telling her friends and parents, “I’m still a virgin. God got me pregnant.”

In the first chapter of Luke we learn that Mary was initially confused by the angel’s big news. She asks, “How can this be? I’ve never been with a man?” However, when she hears the detailed explanation of the Holy Spirit’s involvement and is reminded, “with God nothing is impossible,” she responds, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.”

What enabled a simple peasant girl to exhibit such faith? The answer is easy. She understood the basic nature of God. When Mary goes to visit to her cousin Elizabeth, a much older woman who is also surprisingly pregnant she is able to readily recount the Lord’s attributes and count off a list of His blessings. Verses 46-55 are often called Mary’s Song:

And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with His arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
And exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich He has sent away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

In Latin this prayer is known as the Magnificat for the word magnify. We’ve all used magnifying glasses or mirrors. They help us see details we might otherwise miss. Note, right after Mary “magnifies” or in some translations “glorifies” the Lord, the next sentence says she “rejoiced.”

Finding joy in difficulty served her well. Day by dusty day for more than 30 years, Mary lived with the shame of an “out-of-wedlock” child. Her culture was far less tolerant than our own. What kept her going? The encounter with the angel? The promise that her son would save his people? Certainly they underscored her view of eternity. But Mary also knew her Father and believed Him.

Shortly after Jesus’ birth, Mary encountered an old prophet named Simeon. He told her that her own soul would be pierced “through as with a sword.” Surely, there were times when her gossiping neighbors might have seemed like the spear throwers. In dealing with her personal scandal, Mary had to make a mental choice. She could dwell on the unseen glory promised by God, or the tangible, in-your-face pain that was part of her daily existence. Her decision boiled down to living in the earthly moment or focusing on the things to come.

Because God is unchanging, all the things about Him that appealed to Mary, still exist. We can choose to be just like her living in a heavenly reality when life on earth seems like hell. Whether we are frustrated with the petty annoyances each day brings—plugged plumbing, grumpy people, mounting bills—or facing horrific circumstances that result in death and destruction, we can praise God for who He is. It is the ultimate positive thinking and it is powerful.

1. What do you know about God’s attributes? Read his own definition in Exodus 34:6.
2. Consider times when God has been gracious, compassionate, merciful, patient and loving to you.
3. If you have not already done so begin keeping a praise journal. List the many blessings in your life.
4. Think of times God has kept His promises to you. Include them in your praise journal.

CRAFTY IDEA: Consider making a Blessings Book for friends or family members this Christmas. Include all the things about them you appreciate. Decorate as you see fit. Then, encourage them to continue to add other examples of God’s goodness—in their lives and the world we all share.

Adapted from Praying Your Way Through the Scariest Day by Colleen Maile.

« Back