The child's father and mother marveled: We can imagine their combination of joy and surprise to see how God had touched the hearts of others with an understanding of their Son. No matter how well you know Jesus, there is something special about seeing someone else come to know Him.
The falling and rising of many in Israel: This would be shown in the way that Peter repented, but Judas despaired and committed suicide; in that one thief blasphemed Jesus, the other believed in Him and joined Him in Heaven that day. Jesus is like a magnet that is attractive to some, but others are repelled from Him.
A sign which will be spoken against: Sign is literally “a target that people shoot at.” Jesus would be the target of great evil. Even today we can see this, all over the world, as Christians are often the target of those who hate Christ.
A sword will pierce through your own soul too: It was important for Mary to know that mothering the Messiah would not be all sweetness and light. It was both a great privilege and a great burden.
Possibly no other human agonized as much over Jesus’ rejection and suffering as His mother did. This was not only because of the natural love of a mother, but also because His rejection was her rejection. Wonderfully, His vindication was hers as well. David Guzik
As God works out his salvation of sinners, he leads us along unexpected paths that result in unexpected and sometimes agonizing pain. When it does, we can remember Mary. The darkest moment of her life, the sword that stabbed deepest into her soul, was the moment that God used most to bring salvation and joy to the world — and to her!
That’s how he works with us too. When the sword pierces, all it feels like is terrible pain. But later we discover that our deepest wounding often becomes the channel through which the most profound grace flows. Jon Bloom
No comments:
Post a Comment