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.”
When I think of a mother and her role, it is something that I treasure. I treasure mothers because my mom, Charlene, was taken from this life early, when I was 14. I remember her heart to empathize and understand my joys and my heartaches, my victories and my failures. She was a real person, who was born into and had fallen in a life of sin, repented, and decided to follow God with her whole heart. I miss her, but I have the joy of knowing she wholeheartedly followed Jesus and I will see her again in heaven. I also have the joy of watching my wife, Cherish, be a wonderful mother to our five children. She loves them and prays over them and thinks about how to bless them often. I am glad my kids have a good model to follow in their mother.
Mary, for all of her other skills and personality traits, was first and foremost a mother. And she was not only a mother, but the mother of God’s Son. I don’t think she thought this elevated her above others, but she was humbly honored. And she was also accepting a journey that was full of heartache, pain, and shame. Jesus was to become the SAVING SACRIFICE of mankind.
I believe this is the sword Simeon refers to — the heartache of a mother who has to watch her son be tortured, beaten, mocked, falsely accused, and finally crucified. She had to be prepared mentally, emotionally, spiritually for this battle. And Simeon warned her of this and called her to plan for it.
What roles has God called me to that will be challenging and hard? Am I prepared to take on these hardships with the strength and power of God’s Spirit and the support of his church?
Lord, teach me to listen to the cautions to prepare for battle, as Simeon cautioned Mary. May I be spiritually battle-hardened. Teach me to give your grace and mercy in return for the hate of this world.
