"[The angel] came to Mary and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be." [Luke 1:28-29]
When the angel paid Mary a visit, the Scripture tells us she was "much perplexed" from the get-go. The Greek diatarassō can also be translated "thoroughly disturbed," "greatly upset," "deeply confused," "agitated," or "alarmed." It's a phrase used only once in the entire Bible.
Clearly, Mary is wrestling with God's revelation as no one before her ever had--and no one after her ever will. Her experience--and her response--are singular. That makes sense, doesn't it?
However, Scripture also tells us that Mary "pondered"--and "pondering" is NOT unique to Mary at all.
Like the disciples arguing over who is "greatest" in the Kingdom (Mark 9:33); the scribes when Jesus forgives the paralytic's sins (Mark 2:6-8); or me, anytime my husband asks where I'd like to go for dinner, Mary is engaged in serious deliberation with herself. Her mind is swirling with possibilities and potential explanations and plausible reasons that might help her make sense of what she's just seen and heard.
Maybe Mary had always been something of a "ponderer," or maybe this was her first big episode. Either way, as the mother of the Son of God, she has a lifetime of serious pondering ahead of her.*
Mary, Queen of Pondering: blessed are you among women, even when life doesn't make sense.
------
Christmas Eve is a time to retell an old, beloved story, to rejoice in the hope of Immanuel, and to celebrate Good News of Great Joy for All People.
It's also a time to do some faithful pondering of our own.
Spend a little time (or a lot) pondering any aspect of the Christmas story. One example: consider the mystery that, of all the ways God could have chosen to reveal Himself, he picked one that cries and needs to burp and can’t control his bowels and might freeze to death if it weren’t for those swaddling clothes.
What sort of God is this, and what sort of plan, and what sort of world? Or maybe the better question is: if the Christmas story is the best possible answer, then what was the question?
These are questions I make space for each Christmas. They keep me engaged in and curious about a story I know by heart. Pondering the story doesn't make it less believable to me, or lessen its impact on me. In fact, it does the opposite. The more I ponder the miracle and mystery and surprise of it all, the more grateful I am for God's amazing gift of Jesus.
Mary pondered: why not join her?
* A few times that we are either told "Mary pondered" or when I am pretty sure any mother would: Luke 2:19, 2:34-35, 2:48-51, John 2:3-5, Mark 3:20-21, John 19:25-27, and Acts 1:14.
