The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Burdens

Luke 2:19

But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Sometimes the burdens we carry keep us from experiencing the most wonderful time of the year. Luke’s account of the first Christmas includes a statement about Mary, the mother of Jesus. After the shepherds' visit, the Bible reports that “Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.”

The New Living Translation helps us to understand this verse by providing some clarity,

“but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.”

Let me pose a question for you. Do you think that first Christmas was the most wonderful time of the year for Mary? First of all, she was a young teenage girl, unmarried, pregnant, and most certainly the focus of judgment and condemnation of others. That in and of itself was certainly burdensome. But I think there is something else for us to consider.

In Luke 1:31 - 33 the Bible says,

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Mary not only carried the burden of how this impacted her personally, but she also carried the burden of the angel’s message. The message was that Mary would give birth to and then raise the Son of God, the King of Israel, the hope of all mankind. No wonder Mary pondered these things in her heart.

By the way, this isn’t the only time the Bible tells us this about Mary. In Luke 2:41 - 51, we find Jesus, older now at the age of twelve in the temple at Jerusalem astonishing the temple teachers with His wisdom and understanding. Mary and Joseph were not aware of his whereabouts and once they realized He was back at the temple, they questioned Him. You will remember what Jesus told Mary and Joseph, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?” It is after this that once again the Bible tells us that “Mary treasured all these things in her heart.”

Can you imagine the burden of knowing you were raising the Son of God? Can you imagine the uncertainty of what all that meant? Can you imagine the curiosity of what the future might hold for Jesus? Clearly, Mary was humbled to give birth to the Son of God. Clearly, Mary knew that Jesus held a higher calling. In Luke 1:46 - 55, we find Mary’s song. It is a beautiful passage of Scripture and I encourage you to read it carefully.

But I also encourage you to remember what the angel told Joseph, that is that Jesus would bring salvation. But salvation at what cost? This would have most certainly been on the mind of Mary. And so, she treasured - considered deeply - what all this meant. She pondered, that is she often thought of these things. Mary carried wonderful news as well as a heavy burden.

That is not unlike some of us this year. We carry heavy burdens. We think deeply about things that we are curious about, concerned about, and challenged by. We hold on to deep burdens and it is those deep burdens that can keep us from enjoying the most wonderful time of the year.

I suspect today that someone reading this blog is carrying a heavy burden. I suspect that your mind might be consumed by the “what ifs” of life. And I suspect that someone might be overwhelmed with confusion and concern.

But it really is the most wonderful time of the year. Let me show you why from the pen of the Apostle Peter.

In I Peter 5:6 - 7, Peter tells us something about Jesus. The Bible says,

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.”

Peter wants us to know that our burdens, our concerns, and our anxieties are to be rolled off of our shoulders and onto the shoulders of Jesus, who deeply cares for us.

This really is the most wonderful time of the year. Jesus took on Mary’s burdens, Mary’s concerns, and Mary’s thoughts. And Jesus does the same for us. The old hymn says, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.”

As you ponder, consider, and perhaps even worry about what is ahead, remember that Jesus is waiting for you to cast all those things on Him.

He will carry them for you, for He cares for you.