In 1666, Puritan pastor Thomas Watson lamented, “Many parents are careful to lay up portions for their children, but they do not lay up prayers for them.” He was pastorally burdened for parents who focus on the temporal rather than the eternal. I want to suggest that this was not the case with Mary’s parents.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a teenager with the spiritual maturity of an old saint. She was a model Christian. Her response—“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38)—set the pattern for every true follower of Jesus. When Mary interacts with her older relative, Elizabeth, we overhear two devoted women speaking of the things of God. Though perhaps 40–50 years Elizabeth’s junior, Mary was clearly her spiritual peer. In more ways than one, Mary was blessed among women (1:42). She spiritually flourished. Why?

Unequivocally, the answer is that she did so by the grace of God. But is it too much to suggest that her parents were a God-given means of grace, thus preparing her for the most stupendous gracious assignment in all of history? I don’t think so.

We have minimal biographical information concerning Mary. We know she was from an insignificant town (Nazareth) about 150 kilometres northwest of Jerusalem. We know she was engaged to Joseph, a man who was righteous; a man of godly character (Matthew 1:18-25). And she was clearly poor (see her testimony in Luke 1:48, 53; Luke 2:22–24 [and cf. Leviticus 12:8]). Kent Hughes summarises that Mary was “a nobody in a nothing town in the middle of nowhere.” But she would not remain a provincial “nobody,” for she would become the universally honoured mother of Jesus. I wonder if perhaps her parents prepared her for this, not by laying up portions for Mary but rather by laying up many prayers for her. I am assuming that Mary’s parents took seriously their calling to raise a godly seed.

While acknowledging that what follows is an argument from silence, nevertheless it contains sound counsel.

From her Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55), it is clear Mary was a woman of the word. Having been marinated with Scripture, she sang a theologically profound, spiritually humble hymn of praise. It seems that her parents had taken seriously their responsibility, grounded in Deuteronomy 6:1–25, to teach God’s word to their child. In doing so, her parents would have faithfully pointed her to Yahweh and to his law in every aspect of life. Probably in their everyday talk, they pointed her to holy and glorious God with whom they and she were in a covenant relationship. In accordance with parental responsibility, and from the way Jesus was raised (Luke 4:16), I assume that regular synagogue attendance was practised in their home.

This parental faithfulness is further highlighted by Mary’s betrothal (engagement) to Joseph. Unlike many in our day, young people did not make independent decisions about whom they would marry. Parents were very involved in establishing a marital union. Since Joseph was a “just” (righteous) man (Matthew 1:19), we can assume the same about Mary, and that her parents had arranged this godly marriage. Godly parents are concerned about the spiritual future of their children.

Mary’s parents were apparently an exception to Thomas Watson’s lamentable observation. I assume they raised her to be a lover of God; that they raised her to be amazed by God’s grace; that they raised her to be submissive to his will. If I am correct, she was raised with an eternal perspective. Every child in a Christian home should be so raised.

Don Carson aptly defines “worldliness” (1 John 2:15–17) as being attached to “that which is fallen and fading.” All too often, we who profess Christ are guilty of trading that which will last for that which will pass away. Perhaps particularly at Christmas? If so, please heed this pastoral exhortation: In a season of piling up portions, evaluate whether you are piling up prayers, intentional biblical instruction, and godly values for your children. Let us commit to filling our children with that which points them to God’s favour (Luke 1:28,30).

In her magnificent Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55) Mary sang, “[God] has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.” Philip Ryken writes, “If we are too proud to admit that we need God the way a beggar needs bread, God will send us away empty.” When it comes to parenting, raise your children to be hungry for God; guard against spoiling their appetite with the fading fillers of this world.

The God whom Mary magnified is the God who satisfies. She had a big God outlook. Her vision of God was one of greatness, glory, majesty, and all-sufficiency. In other words, she viewed God as all-satisfying. I suspect that her parents raised her to see and to sing a first century version of, “God, How Great Thou Art.” We need to do the same.

If, at the end of the day, we simply leave our children a heritage of a great education, holiday memories, weekends away, years of sporting activities, vocational success, social status, and perhaps a nice inheritance, yet we fail to disciple them to love God in Christ then, at the final judgement, God will send them away empty—eternally. We need to consider this sobering truth in what is too often aptly characterised as “the silly season.”

It is true that Mary stood as a responsible person before a holy God. God held her to account for her response to his gracious call. And perhaps this is why her parents in the text don’t even receive an honourable mention. Yet they were doubtless in the “audience” with front row seats, observing their godly daughter. Perhaps they wrestled with doubts about all that transpired. Perhaps their faith was not as strong as hers. Yet it would not be unreasonable to assume that they whispered thanks to God for his grace in raising such a child. May we go and do likewise.

Doug