WHAT DOES IT MEAN when someone says they’re “ready” to become parents? It certainly doesn’t mean that they’re 100% prepared to handle every possible problem or crisis; anyone who believes that is fooling themselves. It would be like reading a book about swimming, then diving into the deep end of the pool expecting to swim like an Olympian.

But having and raising kids is a bit like swimming—in the ocean. When deciding whether and when to have children, you may see the vastness of the water but not where it ends, and at some point, you simply wade in. On calm days, it can be fun to simply splash about in the shallows. But then you have to swim out into deeper waters. There are days, even seasons, in which you feel far from shore, the seas are rough, and it’s all you can do to stay afloat.

I’ve taught parenting classes. Yet I was still surprised at the surging waves of emotion that sometimes came with being a dad. Before having kids, I didn’t know that it was possible to feel that kind of loving protectiveness toward someone. Nor did I know that I could get that mad, or say such stupid things, or worry so much about the future. And in some ways, no matter how old your kids get, you never really stop being a parent, even when they have kids of their own.

If you’ve been there—if you are there!—you know what I’m saying.

So… what about Mary, the mother of Jesus? Luke portrays her as faithful and devout, willing to submit herself to the will of God. But that doesn’t exempt her from the very real practical and emotional challenges of being a mom.

Being a mother is hard enough in normal circumstances, worrying about whether your kids will make friends (or make the right friends), succeed in life, and be happy. But being the mother of the Messiah? You know who your son truly is; you marvel at his wisdom and power, and bask in the warm glow of those who believe. But many don’t believe, indeed, refuse to believe. You hear the frightening stories and rumors. You watch your son face rejection, slander, persecution, and eventually, a completely unjustified execution by the state.

If the only thing you’re worried about is whether your kid will get an A in math, be thankful.

. . .

JOSEPH AND MARY came to the Jerusalem temple to present Jesus and to complete Mary’s purification ritual. There they met a man named Simeon, who took the baby in his arms and blessed God for keeping his promise; through the Holy Spirit, God had told Simeon that he would have the privilege of seeing the Messiah with his own two eyes before he died. Not only would this child fulfill the hopes of faithful Israelites, but he would be a light to the Gentiles as well, fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah.

The couple had already witnessed many marvels. As Luke tells it, Simeon’s words added to the list: “The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him” (Luke 2:33, NIV). But then the tone shifts as Simeon turns directly to Mary with a prophecy about Jesus’ future:

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.” (vss. 34-35)

The angel who appeared to the shepherds had brought “good news of great joy” (vs. 10), and after they had seen the baby, they went back to their flocks glorifying God. And Simeon rejoiced—one imagines loudly—to have seen the baby as well.

It would be nice to think that all Israelites would receive the news with the same joy. But it was not to be. The ministry of Jesus would be divisive, and opposition would come from within Israel herself. Some Israelites would rise and others would fall, suggesting how some would believe and others would not.

We’ve seen how Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds all received signs that cemented their faith, and there are others in the gospels who followed Jesus because of the signs he performed. But such signs typically became the flashpoint for conflict. People demanded miracles of Jesus, putting him to the test—but that was no guarantee of belief, and he knew it. Some went as far as to say that if Jesus could drive out demons, it was by the power of the devil himself (Luke 11:15). People may have wanted to think of themselves as pious and faithful, but to borrow from Simeon’s words, the way they responded to Jesus revealed the thoughts in their hearts.

Again, the New International Version changes up the order of Luke’s words. When Simeon prophesied that this child would be “a sign that will be spoken against,” he immediately followed that with a warning to Mary that a sword would pierce her soul. The word Luke uses here describes a long and heavy two-handed sword, so I think the word “pierce” may lack the proper force; rather, Simeon seems to be saying that what would happen to Jesus would cleave her soul in two.

There are different possible ways to read the imagery here, but I think it best to read it as a mother would: despite her humble submission to God’s purposes, despite her faithfulness as a willing servant, Mary will experience heart-rending anguish at what happens to Jesus. For Simeon to warn her in advance, I think, is an act of prophetic compassion.

And for Theophilus, reading Luke’s story, Simeon’s words foreshadow the trouble that is yet to come. The one who was born to be a light for revelation will face the darkness of sinful humanity, and for a time, it will seem like the darkness has won.

Mary, did you know?