Mary the Mom
December 6, 2009(Here is an article I wrote recently for our MOPS newsletter…)
Although I’ve read it several times, the account of Jesus’ birth took on a whole new dimension when I became a mom. I know that the star of the story is and always will be Jesus, but now I can’t help but think a little bit about Mary. Mary the mom.
When I found out I was pregnant, I was stunned. And I was told by a little plastic stick. When Mary found out she was pregnant she was told by an angel. And she had never had sex. That takes “stunned” up a notch. My “How can this be?” was pretty obvious, but her “How can this be?” was a legitimate question. (Luke 1:34) As a mom I wonder, how did she do it?
When my firstborn arrived, I was somewhat disturbed about the less-than-thirty-minute car ride to the nearest hospital. Ok, so Mary took a donkey ride across the country right when she was due. How did the girl do it?
I was freaking out when the very knowledgeable doctors insisted that I needed a c-section for the safety of my baby. Mary delivered her baby by herself, in a stable, with no little heated basinet or clean blue and pink striped blanket or anything. Man, how did she do it?
Then she held her baby in her arms. You know the feeling. The Bible doesn’t mention any of it, but you know how she felt. The first time, the very first hold. The awe, the wonder, the baby smell. The instant love mixed with instant fear. The tinge of pride at what you just did for him and what you promise to provide for him. The joy, the relief. The dreams of what will be. The fierce sense of protectiveness.
This is where Mary really amazes me. Beyond the angel and the donkey and the dirty barn—maybe I could do all that if I had to. But Mary…Mary knew. She knew what was coming. She knew who her baby was and what he would have to do. She knew what he would endure. Maybe not in detail, but in general…she knew.
Every time she rubbed his smooth baby back as he cuddled in the nook of her neck, did she think of the Roman whips that would tear that precious flesh? Every time that little fist grasped her pinky, did she cringe at the thought of a nail piercing through it? Every time he took a step, did she grimace at the thought of the steps toward Calvary?
She knew. She knew she would see her son suffer and die. She was actually told that a sword would pierce her own soul. (Luke 2:35) She knew the agony to come. How on earth did she do it?
If I knew that one of my sons was going to scrape his knee I would insist on constant knee-pads. If I knew he was going to be bullied somewhere, I would keep him home. If I knew something unspeakable was going to happen to him, I would hand-cuff him to me for life. Point is, the mom in me would do anything to avoid my baby experiencing any sort of pain.
But she also knew the promise. That her baby would be the “salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:30-32) She knew that her Son was the Savior of the world. She knew that through Him sins would be forgiven, souls would be healed, people would be brought from death to life. She knew she needed Him. Needed him more than he needed her—even as an infant. She needed him as a woman who needs eternal peace with God.
Mary is a stronger woman than me. The mom in me would not be able to handle raising the Son of God. How did she do it? She focused on the promise and not on the pain. She went from stunned to strong to saved because her Baby changed her life. And He’s still changing lives today.
