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Mary

Do We Really Know What We Think We Know?

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Our View of Things is Pretty Small

We get pretty comfortable in our own perspectives. Even when we see amazing miracles we tend to not give them their full worth.

In Luke 2:25-35 Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be consecrated as per the Law of Moses.

Simeon was a good man who loved God. God’s Spirit had come to him and told him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.

When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, the Spirit told Simeon to go into the temple. Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God,

29 “Lord, I am your servant,
    and now I can die in peace,
because you have kept
    your promise to me.
30 With my own eyes I have seen
what you have done
    to save your people,
31 and foreign nations
    will also see this.
32 Your mighty power is a light
    for all nations,
and it will bring honor
    to your people Israel.”

33 Jesus’ parents were surprised at what Simeon had said.

How is it that what Simeon said surprised them? Hadn’t they both been visited by angels? Didn’t they experience Mary giving birth to God?

We think we know so much, until we realize we don’t. If we believe the Bible we shouldn’t be surprised…yet we are.

Mary knew she was giving birth to the baby Jesus. So why was she surprised by what Simeon said?

Part of our discussion in Sunday School was about the song, Mary Did You Know? I don’t think there is any doubt that Mary knew. Yet she was surprised by Simeon.

I think we tend to limit our perspectives and understanding.

I think this is what the song is saying. Yes she knew that she was giving birth to Jesus, but at His birth she didn’t know what was coming.

I think this is the point of the song –

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has come to make you new?

This child that you’ve delivered

Will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will calm a storm with His hand?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has walked where angels trod?

When you kissed your little baby

You’ve kissed the face of God

The blind will see, the deaf will hear

And the dead will live again

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak

The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy

Is Heaven’s perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you’re holding

Is the great ‘I Am’

We think we know so much, yet we are constantly being surprised. We need to be open to the surprises and not limit what God can and will do.

Here’s an interview with the two men who wrote Mary Did You Know?

Instructions Lead to a Better Outcome

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Three Marys and a Martha

The Bible is full of strong, brave, wise women. These include names like Esther, Ruth, Mary, Martha, and Hannah.

Women were typically looked down upon by society in the first century.

In the Jewish world in the 1st century, women were little more than servants. Many Jewish men prayed each morning, “God, I thank you that I am not a Gentile, slave, or a woman.”

In Greek society, the woman’s situation was even worse. Because concubines were common, a wife’s role was simply to bear legitimate children and to keep house.

In Roman society, things were worse still. Marriage was little more than legalized prostitution. Many women did not want to have children because it ruined their bodies.

Reflecting on these three situations shows that women were treated terribly. Men used their social privilege for their own advantage.

Jesus treated women differently.

This is one reasons He received so much push back. He was doing things differently than what was normal at the time.

Look at how the people treated the woman who poured the perfume on Jesus. Jesus told them to leave her alone. What she did was a good thing.

Let’s look at three Mary’s and a Martha.

The first Mary is Jesus’ mother. Consider for a moment what Mary would have endured in that time. She became pregnant before she was married. This would have caused her life to be turned upside down. Even so, she was faithful to the instructions she received from the angel.

Next is Mary Magdalene. She was one of many women who were following Jesus. She had been healed and had seven demons removed. Can you imagine how she was treated, being processed by evil spirits? Jesus changed her life, and she was following Him. These women were sharing the instructions of Jesus.

Lastly is Mary and Martha. These two women are an example of how important it is to focus on the right thing. Martha was caught up in being a good host. Being a good host isn’t bad if it doesn’t become our focus. Mary was focused on Jesus.

Instructions

Like Martha, we’re all presented with instructions.

We’re all aware of situations where someone is attempting to put together a Christmas gift and neglects to read the instructions. More times than not, this doesn’t turn out well.

Why is it that we think we know better? We don’t need any instructions. We’ve can figure this out on our own.

As we were talking about this in Sunday School, I realized something: this is just like people who know about the Bible and don’t read it. We think we have life all figured out and don’t need anybody or anything telling us how to live.

Just like the Christmas present that falls apart, the same thing will happen to our lives.

The Bible is the instructions for building our lives the way they were made to be built.

It’s up to each of us to read those instructions.