A Mary Heart
Mary did you know that your baby boy
would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy
would 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 kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God
Mary did you know? (x6)
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, 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
would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven’s perfect lamb?
That sleeping child you’re holding is the great I Am
Mary did you know? (x6)
Oh Mary did you know?
– Songwriters: Buddy Greene/Mark Lowry
So it’s December. Here we are again at that time of year when songs revolving around our Savior’s birth can be heard over the air waves, nativity scenes adorn many a doorstep, and candles are lit in honor of that humble yet holy night among the stables. At this time of year, sermons will be given about how “Jesus is the reason for the Season”. Other sermons will be given about how “Jesus is not the reason for the Season”. Still, some sermons will be given about how “Jesus is the reason for every Season”…and the list goes on. Google searches entitled “Was Jesus really born on December 25th?” will skyrocket this month, and there will be as many differing answers as there are stars in the heavens.
Time and space will not permit an in-depth look at this topic today, but let me suffice it to say this: for those who hold the belief that Jesus was not born in December, please remember to use this prime opportunity to talk about Christ while He is fresh on people’s minds (rather than squelch their passion in futile debate). For those of you who hold the belief that Jesus was born in December, please don’t forsake to honor Him all year round as well…He deserves so much more than a mere 25 days of remembrance.
Without further ado, this is not another lesson about Jesus’ birth day. It is, however, a lesson about Jesus’ birth mother – Mary.
Mary of Nazareth…who was she? To the ancient passerby, a pregnant traveler with an ordinary baby in her womb. To the practicing Catholic, a mediator between man and God. To the Atheist, a teenage girl of old who had a dirty secret and a big imagination. In truth, she was none of those things. She was an ordinary woman, but she carried no ordinary child. She assisted in bringing God to man (through pregnancy), but she does not assist in bringing man to God (through prayer). She had a big secret, but it was not the result of sin…
Mary was handpicked by God to be the vessel carrying the Savior into the world. Why? Was she some kind of superhuman? Was she sinless, perhaps? Or was it healthiness of body that made her fit for this role…a perfect reproductive system? None of these things are inferred by God’s word. Instead, I would propose that what made Mary fit for her role was, in a word…her heart. See, only an individual with A Mary Heart is qualified to fill the job position of Christ-bearer. And are we not all to bear Christ in our bodies, as temples of the living God? (2 Corinthians 4:10, 1 Corinthians 3:16) Therefore, the question I would like each of us to ask of ourselves this day is: “do I have a Mary heart?”
Come see for yourself! There are three essential qualities that distinguish A Mary Heart. Firstly, A Mary Heart is…
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine… – Proverbs 17:22a
The Bible tells us that a merry heart does good like a medicine, but did you know that a Mary heart does the same thing? Ironically, when we put on a heart like Mary, our hearts in turn will become merry.
A Mary Heart is a heart that defers. To defer means to submit one’s will to the will of another.
Who remembers the pitiful feeling of being sick as a child? On such occasions, you likely turned to your parents for comfort – yet immediately regretted it once a medicine-laden spoon made its way toward your mouth. If you were anything like me, that spoonful of bitter tonic was the bane of your existence. It would appear (in the moment) that eternal sickness would be better than ingesting one drop of that foul tasting medicine! Your parents perhaps said, “it doesn’t taste good, but it’s good for you”…yeah right, you may have thought, mean old Dad and Mom just want to see me suffer! However, once the bitter taste faded from your tongue and the sweetness of relief set in, all thoughts of distaste turned to gratitude. The benefit of the relieving outcome ended up outweighing the cost of the temporal discomfort. At the end of the day, your parents knew something you didn’t: medicine does good.
Practicing deference is a lot like taking medicine. Deferring our will to the will of another can be hard to do. Because of our selfish pride, deference is hard to swallow and leaves us with a bad taste in our mouth. Yet it does us good! The Christian life calls us to defer to God and those He has put in authority over us. The Lord, being the loving parent that He is, knows that a healthy spoonful of deference is just what the doctor ordered for relieving us of our sin-sickness. Instead of fighting our Father, we should realize that He knows best. Just like medicine, deference can seem foul in the moment. Yet an obedient, deferential life works the wonders of a healthy tonic. It will bring much needed relief to us – if only we will forsake our stubbornness and send it down the hatch!
Now what does all this have to do with Mary, the mother of Jesus? Allow me to point out what a powerful example of deference she was…
We are all familiar with Luke’s introductory account of Mary found in Luke chapter one: Gabriel travels to Nazareth, visits Mary, and apprises her of the upcoming role she has as mother of the Messiah. As only an engaged woman, she was shocked at such an announcement…sinning by fornication was not on her radar, and the wedding was not for some time! When Gabriel assured her that she would conceive by miraculous measures and that it was indeed God’s will, listen to what she said:
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. – Luke 1:38a
This has to go down in history as one of the most inspiring sentences ever spoken. It is evident from her words that Mary had a deferring heart! The Lord’s will was her medicine, and she didn’t ask for a list of ingredients. She didn’t ask to sample a drop first to see how it tasted. She didn’t ask if she could spit it out if the flavor didn’t sit well with her. Rather, her attitude was one that deferred: Father said this tonic is good for me? I know He always wants what’s best for my life. What are you waiting for? Hand over that spoon! I’m ready to drink every last drop…I know great things are coming for me once I do. Medicine does good.
Now, none of us are going to be visited by an angel in this dispensation. In this day and age, God’s will is revealed to us in the Bible. Even so, this does not negate our responsibility to answer to God’s will in the same manner that Mary did. Regardless of the means by which we are apprised of God’s will, we all have to decide whether we will speedily defer to Him, or do things our own way…
Ask yourself: When I read the bible and the Lord’s will is revealed to me, do I try to fight His design for my life? Or will I be like Mary, and say “God wants [xyz] from me? Alright, sign me up! I may not know all that such a choice will entail, but I know obeying Him will always do me good just like medicine”
Having a heart that defers is having a heart like Mary – and a Mary heart is a merry heart!
A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance… – Proverbs 15:13a
The Bible tells us that a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but did you know that A Mary Heart does the same thing? Remember, when we put on a heart like Mary, our hearts in turn will become merry.
A Mary Heart is a heart that delights. To delight in something is to take great pleasure therein.
There is a misconception in our world that happiness is everything. “Do what makes you happy”…I have heard this expression countless times. The problem with over-emphasizing happiness is the fact that happiness is little more than a feeling…a fickle thing that comes and goes with whatever outside circumstance we find ourselves in at the moment. We feel happy when people are kind to us, and unhappy when they are unkind. We feel happy when we have a full bank account, but unhappy when the numbers decline. We feel happy when the weather is to our liking, and unhappy when it is too hot or too cold. Frankly, chasing happiness is exhausting…the moment you catch up with it, there it floats away again when circumstances change. Happiness is unsubstantial. You can’t count on it to stick around beyond the present moment; far less tomorrow, next week, next month or next year! I do not at all recommend chasing happiness, but I absolutely recommend seeking joy. Joy is not dependent upon outside sources, but comes from within. The joy of the Lord within us is durable, lasting, and has eternal merit. Joy has the power to cheer your countenance from the inside out…it is truly delightful.
Mary gives us a potent example of what it means to have true inner joy. One instance that gives us a peek into this joy was on the night of her Son’s birth. We all know the circumstance surrounding Jesus’ birth – the long, uncomfortable ride in the days preceding it; the lack of space at the inn upon arriving in Bethlehem; the unorthodox delivery in the midst of reeking livestock. The whole scenario would make most women’s heads spin. Yet I hardly believe it coincidental that there is no record given of Mary hurling complaints towards God, shrieking at her husband in frustration, or griping to the townspeople about her sorry lot. It would appear that the state of her heart kept any such actions in check. Truth be told, there are no recorded words of Mary on the night of Jesus’ birth to make an extraordinary case for what she did or did not say or do. However, listen to what is said about Mary on that evening:
…Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. – Luke 2:19b
An angry, discontented, woe-is-me individual is not one who ponders the ways of the Lord in their heart. When happiness is disturbed because of unfavorable circumstances, such people are volatile and irrational, unable to think of anyone but themselves. I don’t believe we see any such attitude in Mary. On the contrary, we see her inner joy…we see a woman delighting in the Lord regardless of the environment in which she found herself. We even see another instance of this later on in Luke chapter two. In Jesus’ twelfth year, He and His family were in Jerusalem and He stayed behind talking with learned men as His group went on without Him (you know the account…). When His location was discovered, and He explained to His parents that Him doing Lordly things was something they were going to have to grow accustomed to…what did it say of His mother?
…his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. – Luke 2:51
Bear in mind that this is over a decade jump from the first time we heard similar words of Mary. Her heart had remained as joyous and delightful as ever…this was a woman who craved the things of God. Do we ponder the things of God in all circumstances? Do we rely on joy to carry us through life, as opposed to fleeting happiness? Do our hearts maintain good cheer throughout the years?
Having a heart that delights is having a heart like Mary – and a Mary heart is a merry heart!
…he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. – Proverbs 15:15b
The Bible says that when you have a merry heart you have a continual feast, but did you know that a Mary heart does the same thing? Remember, when we put on a heart like Mary, our hearts in turn will become merry.
A Mary Heart is one that declares. To declare is to proclaim something in an emphatic manner.
I don’t talk about sports all that much. It’s not that I hate sports, or even find them foolish or a waste of time. Bottom line, I’m simply just not very interested in them. I don’t play sports, I don’t watch sports on television, and I don’t watch sports from the bleachers. Therefore you would hardly ever hear me carrying on a conversation about sports…I would have nothing to say on a matter I’m unfamiliar with and uninvolved in. You surely wouldn’t hear me declaring my ideas about sports (frankly, I don’t have any) – the passion is not in me.
Now whether someone like sports or not is neither here nor there. Yet such a concept can easily illustrate our heart towards God. Let’s turn the previous paragraph to a different light:
I don’t talk about God all that much. It’s not that I hate Him, or even find His ways foolish or a waste of time. Bottom line, I’m just not very interested in Him. I don’t pray to Him, I don’t fellowship with the church, I don’t read my Bible. Therefore you would hardly ever hear me carrying on a conversation about God…I would have nothing to say about Someone I’m unfamiliar with and uninvolved with. You surely wouldn’t hear me declaring my ideas about God (frankly, I don’t have any) – the passion is not in me.
Whether we’re talking about sports or the God of the Universe, it is a fact that people tend to talk about what they love. When people are passionate about God, it is as if a continual feast is pouring from their lips…an invitation to others to come and “chew on” spiritual matters. If we have little ability to carry on a spiritual conversation, it is an indication that our spirit is stunted and we have work to do! Let us look to Mary’s beautiful example of declaration, which is yet another proof of her beautiful heart…
And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever. – Luke 1:46-55
That girl had some serious passion! The words we just read were the overflow of a grateful heart…a heart that was compelled to share the goodness of the Lord with others. She spoke of what the Lord had done personally in her life, she spoke of His character and His ways, and she spoke of what He had done in the lives of His people before she was even born! Her declaration left a continuous, bountiful feast before her cousin Elisabeth, and the richness of the truths she spoke has extended even unto us in this modern age.
Are we passionate about the Lord? Are His praises ever on our lips? Do we enjoy engaging in spiritual discussion, or are we bored stiff at the very thought?
Having a heart that declares is having a heart like Mary – and a Mary heart is a merry heart!
In conclusion…
Mary, did you know?
As the classic song suggests, Mary likely didn’t know all that she was signing up for when she agreed to conceive, birth, and raise the Savior of the world. Likely, she didn’t think at first about how she would be judged as having fornicated with her groom-to-be when her growing midsection began to show. It probably didn’t cross her mind that she would one day be fleeing for her baby’s life at the hands of a cruel king. I bet she didn’t guess that her child would grow up to be mocked, ridiculed, and falsely accused. I guarantee she didn’t know that she would watch her cherished Son be tortured and murdered in front of her very eyes. All she knew was that the Lord asked her to perform His will…and she said yes. I want to have a heart like Mary…what about you?
A Mary Heart is a heart that defers, a heart that delights, and a heart that declares. Put on these virtues, and the words might equally be spoken to you that were spoken to the mother of our Lord:
Fear not, Mary [and your name here]: for thou hast found favour with God. – Luke 1:30
Every “Mary Heart” merits favor. Want to be a woman with a merry heart? Then you must begin to cultivate a heart like Mary.
For God’s Glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks
Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.