I’ve been thinking about the notion of ‘home’ a lot this week, especially after listening to Pastor Paul’s Sunday message. Although Pastor Paul talked about the home that Jesus makes in each of us when we choose to love him as Lord and Saviour, as a mom I’ve been thinking about what kind of home Jesus grew up in. I know the pressure I feel to provide a healthy environment for my own kids, and I wonder, “Did Mary feel that pressure, too?” I’m sure my kids will change the world in their own way, but Jesus is next level.
One of the things that makes God’s selection of Mary so remarkable is the fact that she was average, and in fact poor. Jesus would not be raised in a home of extravagance but rather a home of basic provision. If you want proof, look to Luke 2:22-24: “And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord) and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons).” The significance is in what was offered because Mary and Joseph followed the law outlined in Leviticus. Purification after childbirth required women to offer a sheep for sacrifice, “But if she doesn’t have sufficient means for a sheep, she may take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering.” (Leviticus 12:8). The offering of turtledoves and pigeons reflects Mary and Joseph’s poverty.
So if Mary and Joseph couldn’t offer the King of Kings material comforts and a life of ease, what could they offer him to make them worthy of being chosen by God? I think only two qualifications were necessary: love and obedience. Mary’s love for Jesus is evident even before he is born as she runs to visit her cousin Elizabeth sharing the unlikely but good news of her pregnancy, and even more so when the shepherds visit in Luke 2 and “after seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them.” I see that Jesus was raised in a home of deep love when his parents search frantically for him in Jerusalem after he camps out at the temple, in Mary’s willingness to release him to live out the ministry and purpose for which he was created, and ultimately as she knelt at the base of the cross where he hang crucified. God knew that Mary would cherish Jesus from beginning to end.
Mary’s obedience to God is evident from our first encounter with her in Luke 2 as she responds to the angel Gabriel: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be done to me according to your word.” Eight days after Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph travel to Jerusalem for the circumcision and presentation of Jesus, and each year following they take their son to the Passover Festival. Jesus is raised in an orthodox home according to Jewish law and in obedience to God.
It didn’t matter to God that Mary and Joseph were poor, for what they lacked in material possessions was outweighed by but what they possessed in their hearts. And that’s all God needed from them; that’s all Jesus needed from them. And that’s all he needs from us as well. I find this to be both an encouragement and a conviction when I consider the home where I am raising my children. I ask myself where do I place my priorities? Where do I expend my energy in creating a home for my girls? How do I demonstrate my love for them? How do I show them what it means to be a faithful Christian and obedient to God? Am I releasing them into God’s hands and trusting in his plan for them? Am I cooperating with the work of God to prepare them for their own ministry in this world?
There was a time in my life when I thought providing for my kids meant more things, more opportunities, more comfort, more ease. There is nothing wrong with wanting good things for our kids, but we must remember that there is nothing better for our kids than a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. We create the best environment for that when we surround our children with love and models of faithful obedience. My prayer today is that my own heart would be that of Mary, full of love and obedience and willing to live out both.
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. What makes ‘home’ a safe place for our children’s spiritual growth?