Considering My Treasure
May 9th, 2010 Apostle’s Creed Series 04 Mother’s Day Luke 2:41-52
41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.
42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom.
43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it,
44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances,
45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him.
46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”
49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”
50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them.
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.[1]
Recently the government put tax dollars to work trying to answer one of the more difficult mysteries of our universe. What is the most beautiful word in the English language. So they surveyed 102 countries which didn’t speak English. That way respondents would pick the most beautiful word and not the word they like to say the most often.
Number two in the top ten was passion, followed by smile, love, eternity, fantastic, destiny, freedom, liberty and tranquility.
But number one on the list, the most beautiful word in the English language, according to people who do not speak our language, is the word Mother.
Father wasn’t even in the top 100. I got beat out by lollipop which rated number 42. Lollipops is more beautiful a word than Father? Twinkle was 23. Hiccup was 63 and whoops was 56.
Let me do a test right here. Is whoops really more beautiful than Father? Really? Regardless, mother was deemed the most beautiful word over all other English words.
And it’s a two way street. We love our mothers, and our mother’s treasure us.
Mary, the earthly mother of our Lord, treasured her little boy Jesus. It was her habit to treasure certain memories in her heart. All mothers do that.
Verse 51, And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. Moms notice the little things and wonder and consider and think about how that character trait will impact the child’s future. Mary dreamed about what her son would become and as He became a man she found great joy and pride in who He became.
Who wouldn’t be proud of a son who, verse 52, increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. In today’s world Mary would whip out her scrap book about Jesus.
Mary was so proud of her son. In John 2 Mary told the servants at the marriage feast to do whatever Jesus commanded. Every mom wants to be that confident in her child. Mary knew from experience that whatever Jesus did would result in a blessing.
That’s still true. Even when Jesus seems to go missing, when He doesn’t respond to our call, when He can’t be tracked or felt, as the Son he is doing the right thing. Ponder that for a minute. Jesus is working out the glory of God and a blessing for us.
To treasure means to ponder or consider. Literally it means tossing together. In today’s language we might say that Mary was tossing around in her heart these events trying to hit upon the right meaning.
What meaning do you assign to Jesus? What does your future look like because of Him? When you toss around His story in our heart and mind, what do we think? What conclusion do we come to?
Mary knew certain things about her future with Jesus in it. Simeon told her in Luke 2 that Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, . . . and a sword will pierce through your own soul also.
How many mothers can tell that story? The hopes and dreams do not all come true. Even the son of Mary was born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward. If she had dreams of Jesus settling down, getting married and living a quiet life, she was surely disappointed.
Mary had the great sadness of watching her son die under the condemnation of the religious and secular courts. Like many mothers she was heartbroken over the path her son’s life took.
But isn’t the meaning of Jesus life found in His death? His moments on the cross when He was suffering for our sin was the reason He was given to Mary to be born. When we toss around in our heart and mind the suffering of the Son of Mary we hit upon the real meaning, the key that makes the rest of His life make sense. Jesus died that we might live.
If you believe this then Jesus will become your greatest treasure. Every mother considers her children her treasure. But Jesus can be your treasure this morning. Guys, Jesus is our treasure. When we ponder His life, death, resurrection and ascension He becomes for us our treasure.
And I assure you that any mother who comes to church on Mother’s Day wishes this for her children. That we would find in Jesus our reason for life itself.
What about you this morning? Are you setting time aside in your life to use this book to consider the treasure you have in Jesus? Mary is one mother who would counsel you to do so. I bet you know another mother who would give you the same advise.
May God bless us all to listen to the counsel of our mother and find in Jesus our greatest treasure. Amen.
[1] The Holy Bible : English Standard Version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
