‘They did not understand’ Lk.2.50
Neither Mary nor Joseph understood what the boy Jesus meant when he asked, “Why did you search for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house” Lk. 2:49. The opening words of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke is a question! The passing comment of St.Luke, “they did not understand what he meant”, is important to grasp the true greatness of Mary as well as that of St. Joseph. St. Luke adds, “ His mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Lk.2.51
In Mary’s heart, there was a big store of things she did not understand. She did not understand all the words of angel Gabriel. She did not fully grasp why the promised child had to be born in a stable. She did not understand why she had to flee with the child to Egypt soon after his birth. She did not understand fully the words of Simeon, “A sword shall pierce your own soul.” She did not understand the first ‘why’ of Jesus to her at the temple. She did not understand when later at Cana Jesus said,“ Woman, what concern is that to us and to you?” Mary did not understand when during Jesus’ public life Jesus asked, “Who is my mother and who are my brothers?” Mt. 12.48. Mary did not fully understand the events of Calvary.
There is a school of thought that says that Mary perfectly understood from the beginning all that was going to happen to Jesus. There is another school of thought that says that ‘they did not understand ‘ all that Jesus said and did. Luke seems to belong to the latter school of thought.
Faith is to believe in things that we don’t see. At Cana, we are told the disciples believed in Jesus after the miracle, but Mary believed in Jesus before the miracle. By telling Jesus, “They have no wine”, Mary was not just passing an information but asking for a miracle. How did she know Jesus could work a miracle for he had not worked a miracle until now, for St John says, ‘ this was the first of his signs.” Jn. 2.11
Faith is to believe without signs. Faith is to believe that God is larger than our minds. Faith is to give a place in our hearts for things we don’t understand. There are things that the heart knows that the mind doesn’t understand. Faith is to make a big store in our hearts for things we don’t understand. Mary teaches us the truth that we can hold on to God’s promises even when we don’t understand.
“Blessed are you who believed.” Lk.1.45. Elizabeth was the first to recognize the true greatness of Mary. Thirty years later Jesus would reaffirm what Elizabeth had said, “Blessed are those who hear the word and keep it”. Again Jesus would praise her faith when he said, “Whoever does the will of my Father is my brother and sister and mother.” The ability to believe, the ability to hear the word, is the greatest gift that Mary received. In the estimate of both Elizabeth and Jesus, two persons very close to her, her greatness was her ability to hear the word and keep it. There is a proverb that says, “ What you are, speak so loud, I cannot hear what you say!”. The life of Mary speaks so loud there is no need for her to say many words. The only sermons she has preached have just five words, “Do whatever he tells you”. These words to the servants at Cana are the shortest of sermons, the best of sermons. What she preached is what she has lived from her Annunciation to her Assumption.
Mary walked the pilgrimage of faith. Just as Abraham walked up the mountain of Moriah with Isaac by his side and the wood for sacrifice on his shoulders yet believe that God is faithful to his promises. In the same way, Mary would walk up another mountain with her Son by her side and the wood for sacrifice on his shoulders, and like Abraham, Mary too believed that God would bring about a fulfillment of his promises. By their extraordinary ability to believe against all odds and counter signs, Abraham became the Father of Faith and Mary, the Mother of Faith.
The true greatness of Mary is her faith. Her life was like ours. She faced the same sort of oppressive, hopeless, insoluble situations in which we often find ourselves placed. Life seems so full of contradictions and false promises. The bright happy world we were promised, is full of hunger and sickness, violence and war, pollution and corruption, false guarantees and sufferings. Confronted with this dichotomy and falsehood we cannot let go of the only hope we have – our faith.
Like Abraham, we need to walk where there isn’t any path. Like Peter, we need to dare and step on the raging waves and walk where there isn’t any road. Like Mary of Nazareth, we need to see where there isn’t any light and hold on to the promise of a new dawn.
- Fr T.V.George sdb
