Written by Scott Fiddler
The Word
34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— 35 and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:34-35
Commentary
When an angel first appeared to Mary, he told her she was blessed, had found favor with the Lord, and that the Lord was with her (Luke 1:28, 30). Then, here, Simeon, inspired by the Holy Spirit blessed Mary as well, but added “and a sword will pierce even your own soul” (Luke 2:35). It was fair warning to Mary that blessedness and suffering were not mutually exclusive.
Indeed, we are almost certain that Mary’s husband, Joseph, died before Jesus started his earthly ministry. Mary was not only prematurely widowed, she went through a time when she thought her son, Jesus, had gone crazy. See Mark 3:21, 31. Then, she had to witness her son be crucified. Apparently, being blessed and favored of God is something different than we have imagined in 21st century Christianity.
There are two traditions about what happened to Mary after Jesus’ death and resurrection. One holds that she stayed on in Jerusalem and died there in 41 A.D., and the other holds that she accompanied the apostle John to Ephesus, where she later died. Assuming that at least one of these traditions is true, Mary lived long enough to see not just Jesus’ resurrection, but the establishment of the church in Jerusalem, the conversion of Paul, and the beginning of the spread of gospel throughout the world.
I suspect that then, despite all the suffering, the loss of her husband, and witnessing the crucifixion of her son, Mary would have looked back on how God had used her as such an integral part in His kingdom on earth and would have said, “I have truly been blessed and favored of God.”
Application
Clearly, being blessed and favored of God means something other than merely having a life of personal peace and affluence.
Prayer
Lord, make me useful to You in your plan for reconciling the world to yourself. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
City Life Starter 
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