As she slept, Mary kept hearing the words of a Christmas carol they’d
sung in the Throne Room the night before, Christmas Eve.
“Mary, did you
know…”
She awoke and found
tears streaming down her face. “No,” she thought to herself, “I
didn’t know, but now I know and, wait, it’s Christmas! I have to
go find him and thank him!”
Mary slipped from
her bed, leaving a slumbering Joseph curled up under the soft quilt.
She quickly dressed and tip toed out of their bedroom. When she
reached the front door she carefully opened it, stepped outside and
pulled it shut as silently as possible. Then she turned to run toward
the Throne Room, and ran right into Yeshua.
Jeshua caught her up
in his arms and spun her around. “Ima, it’s Christmas!”
Mary laughed and
nestled her head under his chin. “I know, I know!”
“Where are you
going in such a hurry, Ima?”
“I had to find
you, I had to thank you.”
Yeshua pulled back
and looked into her eyes. “Ima, that’s why I’m here at your
door this morning. Because it’s Christmas and I had to thank you.”
“For what?” they
both blurted out at the same time.
Laughing, they
embraced again, and again Yeshua lifted Mary off her feet and swung
her around.
“Come,” Yeshua
tucked his mother’s arm inside his own and led her toward the
Throne Room, which he had arranged to be very near the beautiful
cottage he had prepared for her and his step-father, Joseph.
He grinned. “Ladies
first. Now tell me what woke you up so early that you had to run into
me and practically knock me off my feet to tell me.”
Mary shook her head
at his silliness and punched his arm playfully. Then she looked up to
his face.
“Seriously, I dreamed all night about the words of
the Christmas carols we sang last night around the Throne, and woke
up weeping over all you did for me.”
Mary wiped away a
tear and continued. “Of all the young girls in Nazareth, you chose
me. Before you sent Holy Spirit to abide in your people I heard his
whispers. When Gabriel came and scared me to death, I somehow knew
that he was from Yahweh, delivering a message from Yahweh himself.
When he said that nothing is impossible with God, Holy Spirit
confirmed in my heart that it was safe to say yes to God. And with
each challenge Joseph and I encountered on that painful trip to
Bethlehem in the last days of my pregnancy, Holy Spirit whispered
again and again. No rooms to let for the night, but God provided a
stable. No mother or mid-wife to assist me to deliver my firstborn
child, but Joseph was there, believing right alongside me that what
the angel had told me, and him, was true. Then the shepherds came -
somehow they knew you were here and had to see you. The magi came and
brought treasures and proclaimed you a king! Those treasures financed
our flight to Egypt to preserve your life when Herod tried to have
you murdered along with all the young babies. And I knew each time,
Holy Spirit whispered with each trial, “this is the right path,
Yahweh will provide. Do not be afraid.”
“I treasured
everything, every encounter, every trial, every provision in my
heart, and I still do. I am so blessed, so wealthy with all these
treasures filling up my heart. So, I had to run to you this morning,
my son, to thank you.”
“Oh, Ima”.
Yeshua pulled Mary into his arms and rocked her gently, as she had
once rocked him so many years ago.
“Now it’s my
turn.” Yeshua looked into his mother’s eyes and gently laid
rough, nail scarred hands on her cheeks.
“Ima,” Tears
sprung up in his eyes. “Thank you for bearing the shame of what
appeared to everyone as an illegitimate pregnancy. Yes, I know how
you suffered silently, knowing that you were still a virgin, but
somehow with child, while the townspeople whispered and many shunned
you for a sin you never committed.”
“Ah, yes, but you
gave me two who believed my story. My Joseph – you sent the angel
to tell him the truth about me, and he never left my side after that.
Oh how I leaned on his strength as we traveled to Bethlehem those
many miles. He never wavered as he stooped down to be a mid-wife for
me. He was the first to hold you in his arms, tears streaming down
his face, and call you by your name, Yeshua, for the very first
time.”
“And you gave me
my aunt, Elizabeth. Oh what an encouragement she was to me just as my
pregnancy was becoming too evident to disguise. How good of your
servant, Gabriel to tell me that my elderly aunt, Elizabeth, the one
who was called barren, that she had somehow conceived a child and
that she was already in her sixth month. I ran to Elizabeth, knowing
that she could well understand what I was feeling; she lived with the
shame of barrenness so many years, and I bore the shame of harlot.”
“But I wasn’t
prepared for the greeting I received when I stepped through the
doorway into Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home. As soon as I greeted
my aunt, her eyes lit up and she clutched the sides of her large
abdomen. I thought she was going into labor, as did Zechariah and we
ran to her. But she began to weep and praise Yahweh. I remember
vividly the words she spoke over me that day as the Holy Spirit
filled her up. I later shared this encounter with Luke, who included
my story in his gospel.”
Mary began to recite
the scriptures Luke penned in Luke 1:42-45, and Yeshua, still gazing
into her eyes softly recited the verses with her, to her:
“Blessed
are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!
But
why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
As
soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my
womb leaped for joy.
Blessed
is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to
her!” Luke 1:42-45
“Yes,
Ima, blessed are you who believed every word Yahweh spoke, believed
when you could not see. Thank you for preparing the way before me,
for believing in me before you conceived me. Truly blessed is she who
believed without seeing that the Lord would fulfill all that he
promised.”
Mary
rested her head on her son’s shoulder. “Fulfill is surely a
pregnant word, my son. Not only was the promise fulfilled, but I am
fulfilled, completely satisfied and filled up with all that Yahweh
has done for me.”
“Wait,
Ima. I’m not done thanking you yet.” Yeshua stepped up onto his
Throne, and took his mother onto his lap, cradling her under his
chin.”
Mary
sighed, then laughed. “Full circle!” she cried. “The one who
held you is now held by you.”
Yeshua
continued. “Ima, thank you for enduring that trek to Bethlehem. I
know it was hard, bouncing along on the donkey. Abba Joseph tried so
diligently to look after you, but he could not begin to feel the pain
you were experiencing with every jolt of the bumpy path.”
“And
the utter weariness you felt, as your labor began, and every inn
turned you and Joseph away. There was no shelter in sight.”
“Then
after enduring so much, you learned that you would give birth in a
stable!”
“Ah,
but Joseph was my comfort, constantly reminding me and himself that
this was an assignment from Yahweh, and that he would enable both of
us to complete it. He helped me lie down on some fresh hay along the
wall of the stable so I could push back on it as the labor pains
increased. Then he emptied the manger and refilled it with fresh,
sweet smelling hay and lay the swaddling clothes on top. I cried as I
watched him prepare for you.”
“And
then with one final push, you were born, and I heard your voice for
the first time, crying out. Joseph cleaned you up with some water
near the stall and swaddled you tightly to comfort you. Then he laid
you in my arms and I gazed into the eyes of my Lord and Savior and
every pain, every discomfort, every fear, every derogatory word spoke
over me fell to the ground. It was worth it! You were worth it! You
were so worth it!” Mary’s body shook with sobs as she leaned
against her son.
“But
the trials were far from over.” Yeshua softly whispered. “Do you
remember the words that old Simeon spoke over you?”
Mary
nodded, remembering the wonderful and awful words the old prophet had
uttered.
Yeshua
recited the words penned by Luke:
“Now
there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and
devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit
that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the
parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of
the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God,
saying:
“Sovereign
Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in
peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have
prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to
the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
The
child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then
Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is
destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be
a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many
hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Luke 2:25-35
“Yes,
Ima, you may not have understood what Simeon meant at the time, about
a sword piercing your soul, but as you stood beneath me at the cross,
witnessing a mother’s worst nightmare, watching her son die, you
surely knew then.”
Once
again Ima’s body heaved with sobbing as Yeshua’s arms tightened
around her. Once her sobs subsided, Yeshua spoke again.
“Ima,
I knew you were there, witnessing what no mother should ever have to
see. But I thank you from the bottom of my heart that you stayed
until I breathed my last. It was as if you who had birthed me into
this world, were now birthing me into the next world.”
“And
yet,” Ima reminded him. “Even as you shuddered in pain, you
thought of me, instructing your dearest friend, John to take me as
his own mother.”
“Yes,
Ima. But I want you to know that I heard your every sob, felt every
shudder that rippled through your body as you stood with me. Your
tears like liquid prayers came right into the Throne Room and, much
like Joseph’s words of encouragement as he coached you through my
first birth, helped me to transition out of this world upon my
death.”
Mother
and Son quietly held each other and wept. As they opened their eyes,
they found that the saints had silently gathered around the Throne
and were worshiping the Lamb who was slain for them, and marveling
over the blessed one, she
who had believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!
Mary
slipped from her son’s lap onto the floor and joined the ones on
their knees surrounding the Throne. Then together they rose and cried
out as one, “Merry Christmas, Jesus!”
