Merry Christmas, Little Penguin
One night three Christmases ago, when my Finnegan was just three himself, I was helping him get ready for bed. As I held open the neck of his green-and-white-striped pajamas, Finn put his blonde head through and pushed both arms into the long sleeves. With only a tiny penguin head, wearing a scarf and snow cap, on his upper left chest, I said, “I like your little penguin.”
Finn smiled and replied, “Yeah, ‘cuz penguins live in trees.”
“Huh?” I questioned him, not quite sure I heard correctly.
“’Cuz penguins live in trees,” Finn repeated.
I chuckled, “No, they don’t.”
Finn’s face dropped, “Oh.” Looking slightly disappointed and a bit perplexed, he asked, “What’s he doing up there then?”
Finnegan’s pajamas were cute and good. They served their purpose. But he didn’t understand them; the picture didn’t make sense. That lone penguin face on his chest seemed a bit peculiar; that is, of course, unless it lived in a tree.
I often think a lot about Mary at Christmastime. What about all the things she didn’t understand? Mary trusted God was good. She knew giving birth to Jesus was an honor and, certainly, purposeful. But that doesn’t mean the picture invariably made sense to her. The gospel accounts depict Mary as an incredibly willing and humble servant. No doubt, she was. Yet, even the humblest among us are still human, and being the mother of a perfect Son did not make Mary perfect.
So, what was Mary thinking? What were her internal struggles? Her temptations? What thoughts ran through her head as Jesus did somersaults in her womb, kicking her ribs and pressing down on her bladder, meanwhile rumors continued to spread about her pregnancy and engagement to Joseph? Did she ever second guess what her obedience was costing her? What worries burdened her as she traveled to Bethlehem, suspecting she could go into labor any day? And what questions did she have for God when her young family of three had to flee their home into Egypt to protect Jesus from King Herod? Did she ever wonder how God’s good plan could include so much frustration and heartache?
We know from Luke 1 that the angel Gabriel told Mary several things. “The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you…Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end’” (Luke 1:28, 30-33).
Mary knew, therefore, that she was chosen by God to carry His Son, that God was with her and she should not fear, that she would have a baby named Jesus, and that He would be the King of an everlasting kingdom. Mary only asked one simple question about how this would all be possible, and after Gabriel explained that the Holy Spirit would be responsible for her conception, Mary graciously replied, “‘I am the Lord’s servant…May your word to me be fulfilled.’ Then the angel left her” (Luke 1:38).
Wait! Gabriel, come back! I have a million more questions!
The Bible doesn’t record Mary saying this. But it’s what I would have been thinking…or begging…or shouting! And maybe Mary did pray and ask more questions after Gabriel left. She had to have, right? We don’t know exactly, because the text doesn’t specify what happened in the moments following Gabriel’s departure. What we do know is, shortly thereafter, Mary is filled with joy by the presence of the Lord within her, and she glorifies God (Luke 1:46-55).
Again, Mary obviously trusted God’s plan and humbly accepted His calling on her life. But she surely didn’t understand it, not fully anyway. There must have been a sea of unknowns. Perhaps Mary didn’t understand the past and all the things in her life that led her to being chosen to birth the Savior of the world, and perhaps she didn’t truly comprehend what was to come in the future. Even with Gabriel speaking to her and the angel who spoke to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20) and all the prophets that had spoken hundreds of years before – all pointing to Jesus and His birth, to the only Son of God dying for our sins on a Roman cross. The plan had been told throughout prophesy, not explicitly stated. Not entirely explained. So how could Mary have known? How could she not have questions upon questions? How can she be so seemingly calm, content, and trusting?
Jesus was with Mary. Every. Day.
In the midst of uncertainty, hardship, and a wonderful, invaluable plan, Mary was given this incredible gift – Jesus. She knew Immanuel – God with us (Matthew 1:23). Jesus was always with Mary. He was her son, after all. Jesus was there, literally, inside her womb. And He was there as she raised her other children born after him. He was there through the good and bad of her marriage with Joseph and all the ups and downs of parenting. Mary lived with Jesus. She kept her eyes on Jesus. (She had to; she was the mother of a boy.) His flesh was always nearby. His spirit, inescapable. His presence was an ongoing, day-in and day-out gift from above.
So, I’m reminded this Christmas that whatever Mary was thinking or struggled with, whatever she didn’t fully understand or whichever pieces of her story seemed a bit peculiar and out of place – just like anything you and I are wondering, too, about our lives, our situations, or our relationships – none of it is the most important thing. None of it deserves our undivided attention. The most important part of the story will always remain that Jesus is with us. The most important One is Immanuel – God with us. He is who we focus on, for He is the reason we have a peace that surpasses all understanding. He is our thrill of hope. The weary world – my weary heart, your weary heart – rejoices!
