Matthew 1:20 But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
(Cambridge dictionary) Ponder means to think carefully about something. Other words are reflect or agonize. It comes from Latin ponderare, which literally meant to weigh, and pondus, which means weight.
In the above verse we see Joseph contemplating or pondering or considering to put away Mary quietly since she his fiancée, was found pregnant. It is obvious that he must have been shocked about it and surely cannot accept Mary as his wife. But while he went round and round about it in his mind, the all-knowing Lord intervened on behalf of Mary by sending an angel to clarify of the situation so that no damage is caused to Mary’s future and life.
Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
We see a different kind of pondering here. Mary playing with her new born baby looking at the cute fingers and toes and tiny eyes like any new mother, the shepherds have come to see this new born baby, directed by the angel of the Lord, to see this Messiah, the Lord. They conveyed what the angel of the Lord had said and Mary thought, oh yes, the angel of the Lord said the same Luke 1:30-33. She decides to preserve, hold dearly those words, and meditate on them.
When Mary and her family were travelling back home after a trip to Jerusalem, they realize Jesus was not with them. They had lost him, like any mother she must have panicked, cried if mobiles were available a few calls could be made but that was not possible. They travel back looking for him for three traumatizing days, asking other fellow travellers if they had seen him and finally find Jesus learning and discussing with scholars in the Synagogue , His Father’s house. Mary must have forgotten that Jesus was different from other children since her question was, how could you do this to us? He answered that He must be on His Father’s business, why do you seek me mother? Have you forgotten what I came for? And, His mother remembered and pondered, kept, preserved all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51
Ps 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that You have done; I ponder the work of Your hands. King David wrote this psalm in which four verses communicates to God of the challenges he faces which was almost like being long dead, but he decides to meditate on all that God has done for him in the past. As a result of this in Psalm 144 God makes him sing a victory song.
Isaiah 43:18 “Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. The Lord of Israel one who makes way in the sea and a path in mighty waters is commanding to forget the past failures, lack, misfortunes, joblessness, debts, broken life.
Do not carry that heavy load in your mind but think of what I am capable of doing for you, I the one who can make a road in the wilderness and rivers in desert, I the Lord God of Israel, the Holy one, the Lord of Hosts.
Think of true things, My word in the Bible, pure and lovely things, things of good report, see what I have to say about your situation. Phil 4:8, 9 then the God of peace will be with you.
Sol.Lalitha Menon