treasures in her heart

There's an incident in Jesus' early life that Luke recorded toward the end of Chapter 2. Jesus as a boy goes missing on the trip home from a ritual visit to the synagogue; eventually he's found back in the temple doing his Father's work, teaching people much older than himself. 

Luke finishes the story this way, in verses 51 and 52 "Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

This is the second time Luke has used these words about Mary, the ones that say she treasured things Jesus did and said in her heart. I think it's one of those moms will always get better than I do. As a dad I've often been proud of my kids; even these days I'm prone to brag a little when people ask me about them. But that word "treasured" means something more, I think.

I picture a little heart-box that keeps these things the mother can't bear to part with. I picture her opening the box, taking one out, turning it in her hands, remembering. And smiling. I see the things in the box are worn from years of fondling. In that box are baby things and toddler things and young man things. In that box are all of the wonders that made her amazed and joyful, that filled her heart to overflowing. These are the very best parts of her relationships with her children.

Those heart-treasures seem to me this morning to be the essence of motherhood. Other dads might be like me, in that life is about becoming, moving forward, growth, and so my relationships with my children have tended to be about helping them move through life. For moms, I think, often the moment is best part. Where I focus on the path, on completions, I think many moms would rather linger at the little overlooks and meadows and stream-crossings where their children stopped to play.

What did Mary treasure? "All these things." Jesus stayed, Jesus taught, he explained why, and then he returned home with his earthly father and obeyed. These things were treasures to Mary. This display of precociousness, this reminder that Jesus was God's child, this respect and love for Joseph, all went into Mary's heart-box.

It is amazing, if you think about it, and worth treasuring for all of us. Jesus loved his earthly dad and mom. Jesus, who was God, accepted being a boy who should listen to his parents. Jesus, who was on earth to save them, nonetheless honored them

There are so many lessons here, but this morning the thing that sticks with me is the warm feeling of this memory, capture for us by Luke and treasured by Mary, of Jesus being a good son simply because that's what he wanted to do. Out of love. What a Savior!