Hearts Revealed

The baby Jesus was only 40 days old when Simeon saw the blessed Infant. Old Simeon held the Child and prophesied that with the life of Jesus, “the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35). Thoughts are the inner feelings which we can hide from other people. Our hearts the most secret hiding places. But there is nothing we can hide from God; and with the birth of Jesus, even the secrets of men’s hearts will be exposed.

Let us read Luke 1:26-29. In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel,”since I am a virgin?” (NIV)

Even before Jesus was conceived, the thoughts of people’s hearts started to be revealed. These verses reveal the thoughts of Mary as the angel Gabriel appeared to her. Mary was troubled as the angel greeted her with a very unique compliment. She was not at ease with such a compliment as being highly favored by the Lord. We can easily sense that she was truly a very humble and unassuming person.

Upon hearing that she would bear a son, she dared to ask, “How can this be since I am a virgin?” She was engaged to be married to Joseph, but as yet, she never had any sexual relations with any man. She posed her puzzled question to Gabriel, the mighty messenger of God. To question the powerful angel Gabriel is dangerous. Another person named Zechariah suffered for doing so. Zechariah was already very old when Gabriel revealed to him that he would have a son. He questioned Gabriel how he could possibly have a son in his old age. The angel Gabriel rebuked him by saying, “Because you do not believe one who stands in the presence of God, you will be dumb until all these things have happened” (Luke 1:8-20) Thus Zechariah could not speak until his son, John the Baptist, was born.

Mary asked Gabriel a similar question, “ How can I have a son when I have no relations with a man?” But Mary was not rebuked. Why? It is not wrong to question God when the inquirer is intent on finding out the truth for the purpose of obeying that truth. Mary asked with that kind of sincerity: when the truth is verified to be coming from God, she would surely obey. Gabriel would not rebuke her because of that. This shows us that Mary had a right relationship with God. A right relationship with God is brought about by habitually listening to what God says and obeying readily. Gabriel had described Mary as having “found favor with God”. Therefore, instead of rebuking Mary, Gabriel explained everything to her. She, in turn, submitted to God’s will (Luke 1:35-38). The news about Jesus’ conception revealed the thoughts in Mary’s faithful heart.

Let us read our next verses Matthew 1:18-25. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to pubic disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” — which neans, “God with us.” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus. (NIV)

Joseph was a just and righteous man. For him, what was right was right; what was wrong was wrong. But he was also extraordinarily considerate and kind as proven when he discovered that Mary, his fiance, was pregnant. The child was not his. The shocking discovery must have hurt Joseph. He could easily have retaliated by exposing Mary to charges of adultery. She would surely be found guilty and thus be stoned to death. But Joseph chose not to hurt Mary and ruin her reputation. We can see that Joseph’s thoughts were very merciful and kind because he did not want Mary to be made a public spectacle. He decided to quietly cancel their marriage plans by telling her privately. This revealed Joseph’s heart as very merciful even when in pain. God was likewise kind and considerate to Joseph. He sent the angel Gabriel to speak to Joseph in a dream to help him understand that all of this was the will of God.

Now we will see God’s heart being revealed. Joseph and Mary travelled to Galilee to register because of a Roman decree. Mary was already in her advanced stage of pregnancy and about to give birth. And they arrived in Bethlehem.....

Let us read our next verses Luke 2:6-7.While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Joseph and Mary were not prepared for what they encountered in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was jampacked with people who had come to register. The couple could find no place to stay in nor any place where Mary could give birth to her child. They only found a stable where the animals were kept. Jesus was born in that stable. And Mary tenderly and lovingly wrapped the Baby in swaddling clothes. Swaddling clothes were strips of cloth wrapped on babies in order to protect the fragile newborn infants. Here, God’s heart was revealed further. God came down in the form of the baby, in a humble and delicate condition, being wrapped in those swaddling clothes. He was placing Himself in human hands, as represented by the swaddling clothes. God’s faithful like Mary and Joseph will respond with love. They will render their total devotion to God with all their hearts, however difficult their lives might be.

When Jesus touches the life of anyone, that person’s life will never be the same again. The lives of Mary and Joseph were forever changed. Their hearts were indelibly marked by the arrival of the Baby described as “God with Us”. And their hearts’ love for God was revealed for all of heaven and earth to see. God had come down to be with us forever. He will expose all our hearts by His presence. That is a blessing, isn’t it?

Delivered during one of the Sunday Services of Hosanna !, PCED Hostel, UP Diliman. Quezon City.