But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

In the preface to his book, The Christ of Christmas, James Montgomery Boice wrote these words: “Over the years, it has been my privilege as a pastor preaching at the normal worship services of a local church to come repeatedly to the Christmas season and explore the Christmas story in a variety of ways. I confess that at times I have approached the task reluctantly, particularly in later years. I have wondered, having preached so many sermons on Luke 2, Matthew 2, and related ‘Christmas’ passages, if I was going to be able to find anything new or even interesting for a congregation that has known those texts from childhood. But I have never been disappointed. I have always found the texts to speak in fresh ways, first to me, and then also, I hope, to my congregation.”

Looking at familiar scripture, this lecture asks “What does it mean to Ponder, and what does it mean to Treasure Up?” What are the barriers to and benefits of such study? Let us not allow a sense of over-familiarity keep us from more deeply embracing the meaning of Christmas.