Cloudy, rainy, no real sun – hidden behind the clouds.

As I look out I am reminded of one of my Real Estate Clients.  She owned a home in Rowena.  It is a small community between The Dalles and Hood River, it sits on the south side of the Gorge directly up against the tall north facing ‘wall.’

In the summer time there is plenty of sun, but in the winter, the sun hangs low and the house does not receive any sun.  Some of her property got it, but very little.

She was telling me how she had been there long enough she could measure where the sun hit a power pole at the north side of the property and could tell the time of year as the shadows wouldn’t go very low on it.

I could say the same thing about Carla’s property up here.  The sun in the summer baths the garden from early morning until late in the evening.  However as winter approaches less and less of the sun’s rays hit the garden and only the south side of the house.

Carla doesn’t handle this kind of weather well.  She really does need sunlight or she gets a little depressed.  To counteract that she has one of those lights that mimic the sun’s rays and she sits under it while doing handwork and watching television.  It does help her, immensely.

I was listening to the Pentatonix’s rendition of the song written by Mark Lowry, “Mary did you know.”  If you haven’t heard the song you can find it on you tube or go to my timeline on Facebook.

Basically it asks Mary if she knew who Jesus really was and if she knew He would perform miracles and salvation for the world.

Which led me today’s meditations.

I am just quoting a few of the scriptures, after re-reading the two chapters of Luke.

We know the story. 

As I read these verses I tried to place myself in Mary’s mind, not an easy task for someone that is in her early teens and a virgin in Roman occupied Israel at what we would consider 0000 AD.

Several times Luke mentions that Mary kept these things in her heart. 

She obviously did know something, that she had been chosen by God and that she would give birth to a son and He would be a great Savior.  But did she really understand?

How could she, this, obviously, had never been done before and there was no precedence.  But the one thing, I think is clear, she knew that God was using her to produce a child who would be extraordinary.

Luke 1:34-35 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

46-47 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

⁴⁷ And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

54-55 He hath helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

⁵⁵ As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

She speaks of Him in the presence speaking to the Patriarchs of the past in THEIR PRESENCE.  She knew that this was God, yet, the enormity of it all had to be disconcerting as she heard others confirm what the angel had told her.  But rather than shouting from the roof tops that she was ‘the mother of God’ she kept these things in her heart thinking on them and what they meant.

Luke 2:19  But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

25-26  And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

²⁶ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

And he saw the Christ in the 8 day old Jesus.

30-33 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,

³¹ Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;

³² A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

³³ And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.

He grows into a young adolescent.  Mary and Joseph know who He is, yet still do not fully understand Him.  He reminds them that He is on earth to do what God wants Him to do and that it will take precedence over everything else.

49-51  And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

⁵⁰ And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.

⁵¹ And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

and was subject unto them

He was the Son of God, but He was humble enough to obey them as His parents.  Jesus submitted to the authority that God the Father had placed Him under.  Something for us to remember.

John records Jesus’ the first recorded miracle, the turning of the water into wine.  

Mary knows it is His time, but Jesus doesn’t appear to know.  Yet, He did do what Mary asked Him to do.

She had observed her son growing into an adult, helping her husband, studying and learning about the fragility of the human spirit and the temptations that abound around them.

At what point do we really know that she finally understood He really was the Christ and really was the Savior of all mankind we are not certain. 

But she did understand He had a mission and it was time for Him to begin it.

John 2:3-5 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

⁴ Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

⁵ His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

One of the lines in the song is “Mary did you know .... when you kiss your little baby you kiss the face of God?”

Think of that.  She kissed the face of God!!!!

Wow!

The question for us to ask ourselves is “Do WE know?”

Later, Art :-)