Reflecting on Luke 2:15-20
"Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." (Luke 2:19)"This line stands out to me, because I can relate to it.
I am by nature a ponderer, a meaning and wisdom-seeker.
I do not simply take bible words in their plain sense.
I want to discern what it means to me, and what I should do with it.
Some spoke recently to me about three kinds of truth.
There is truth as fact, truth as meaning, and truth as wisdom.
Truth as fact is objective truth, what really is, what really happened.
Truth as meaning is how something impacts a group or person, what it means to them.
Truth as wisdom is how this directs our actions, how we live it out.
This statement about Mary treasuring and pondering is not just a fact.
There is something meaningful and wise that we can learn from it.
When Christians speak of truth, they often get stuck on the facts.
For them to believe the truth is to believe accurate objective facts.
… do we believe in the fact of the seven days of creation.
… do we believe in the literalness of the flood story?
… do we believe in the inerrancy of every word in the bible?
… did each gospel writer get every word and event 100% accurate?
Objective truths are relevant, and there is fact behind the bible.
But these things are not recorded to simply give us facts.
These things were written that we might trust Jesus, not just believe in Him.
We need to treasure and ponder their meaning and wisdom.
What does this mean, this baby born to an unmarried teen in a manger?
What can we learn from a messiah that is born in such humble circumstances.
What does all this say about God, and about what God prioritizes or values?
Truth does not just inform the mind, it speaks to the heart.
It challenges how we think, how we live, what we love, what we do.
Like Mary, I treasure and ponder Jesus in my heart and mind.
I focus on the gospels because I want to discern the depth of truth.
Not just to know what happened, but to know why, and what it means for me.
This approach to truth is not only important for reading the bible.
We should pay more attention to the meaning and wisdom of all of life.
Why is the world the way it is, and what can I learn from it?
Why am I experiencing certain things in my life?
What are circumstances beyond my control, and what is the result of my choices?
If we treasured meaning and wisdom more, I think we would value Jesus more.
The life and teaching of Jesus speaks to the meaning and wisdom of life.
Jesus comforts us, Jesus convicts us, and Jesus compels us.
As I ponder Jesus’s birth…
I am comforted by His humble, gracious love.
I am also convicted by His humble, gracious love… in contrast to mine.
I am compelled to find ways to imitate His humble, gracious love.
This is the treasure within the words, which we can dig for and find.
We can do this with every story in the bible.
To dig and to find the comforting, the convicting and the compelling.
To trust this deeper meaning, and to apply this wisdom to how we live.
If we treasured meaning and wisdom more, I think we would live better too.
We would recognize the unhealthy patterns and practices in our lives.
We would reflect on our choices and actions, why we were doing what we do.
We would rethink our priorities and values, what we were living for.
Our world is the way it is because of human priorities and choices.
The current meaning and wisdom of the world is NOT working.
Now as always we need to treasure and ponder the meaning and wisdom of Jesus.
Who is Jesus to you, what does Jesus mean to you, how does He change you?
How is Jesus a comfort to you in your current situation?
How is Jesus convicting you about how you are thinking or living?
What is Jesus compelling you to change, or to do?
We can join with Mary in treasuring and pondering Jesus.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, Your humble birth comforts, convicts and compels me. Help me to look beyond just the facts of this story, to appreciate their meaning and to apply their wisdom. You are inviting me into the manger with You, to know Your love for me and to show Your love for others.
The idea of three kinds of truths is thought provoking. It is as if the truth of meaning and the truth of wisdom are more ‘action’ oriented. You still need the truth as fact and in today’s world that may be the hardest.
As I read the devotions for today, I remember the wisdom of my parents raising me, putting Christ first, hereto the Lord has brought us and as a young child learning songs and hymns especially the song ‘Living for Jesus’. WWJD helps me in my daily living for I need o show His love for me in my activities of this day. Help me to be Your servant by my words and deeds, Lord.