Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Luke 2:19

We live, really live, when our lives are “illumined by the steady radiance, renewed daily, of a wonder, the source of which is beyond all reason.” —Dag Hammarskjold (UN Secretary-General, 1953-1961)

Luke’s gospel sets the stage of wonder. Just as your favorite doctor researches your symptoms, Luke asked the questions, probed the problems, verified the eyewitness accounts of those who travelled with Jesus. Dr. Luke wondered (verb)—“was curious” in his search for truth.

Somewhere along the line Luke’s wondering (verb) would have transitioned to a state of wonder*, the noun: “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable.”

Can you not imagine him scratching his head over the story of this woman Elizabeth, barren, well beyond her child-bearing years (1:7), now with child (1:24)? How could it be? And Mary, a virgin—never with a man, yet pregnant (2:4)? There was nothing remotely reasonable about either of these pregnancies and the children they would produce.

As you well know, nine months after the angel Gabriel visited Mary the time came for the birth of her baby, “the Son of the Most High” (1:31-32). Guess what—the expectant couple were right where they needed to be, in Bethlehem. God had told Micah 740 years before: “out of you (Bethlehem) will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (Micah 5:20).

The shepherds were certainly filled with wonder. First there was that angel “with good news of great joy” (2:10). Then the chorus of the heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (2:13-14). And Mary, in that stable, hearing their story pondered all these things in her heart. 

As we celebrated the birth of the Messiah a few weeks ago, I got to contemplating the state of my wonder (noun). How often have I treasured up the events of that glorious first Christmas morning? When was the last time I pondered, really pondered the Christ child in my heart?

Nancy P

*Oxford Dictionary online

All Scripture quotations are from the NIV Translation 1973, 1978, 1984, unless otherwise noted.