17-3-1 Mary’s Crisis of Faith

Idealism Ground Away

After the record of Mary’s song of praise, most of the other references to Mary reveal a lack of perception and understanding, to such an extent that the miserable higher critics doubt whether Mary’s song could really have been by her. We accept of course that she did really did feel and say and perceive these things; yet it seems that over time, this world ground away her teenage idealism. Motherhood, lack of cash, brooding on the past in a wrong way, becoming caught up inside herself, not sharing anything of herself and her experience with others emotionally…it all took its toll upon her spiritually. And so it can be with us; the idealism of early conversion is diluted, this world can grind our dreams away if we’re not careful. Consider all the other references to her: 

 

a. When The Shepherds Came

When the shepherds came to worship, Mary pondered within herself what it all meant, as if she was now rather lacking in comprehension (Lk. 2:19). [Consider in passing the fact that Luke describes his Gospel as a compilation of eyewitness accounts. Where did he get the material from about Mary pondering things in her heart [2:19,51]? Was it from interviewing her himself? Or was her inward meditation and frozenness evident to others who on this basis told Luke?].