I listened to Handel’s ‘Messiah’ this Christmas. This would
have to be the most spiritually charged and soul-stirring piece of music ever
written. A good choir could lift the roof of a building singing something so majestic
and powerful. Even though angelic host can do even better, I wondered as I listened how the Saviour would
feel listening to such songs of praise. I wondered if His heart would swell
within His chest, if He felt being ‘a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief’
for a season was worth it (Isaiah 53:3). I wondered how He felt reflecting back
on His difficult mortal, sacrificial life that He lived exclusively for others.
Reflecting on this made me weep
wondering how He could endure it all on His own but then I realized something
that gave me a fresh perspective: the success of His mission was aided by some
very noble spirits.
Consider first the most pure vessel chosen to be His
earthly mother. Tradition has it that Mary was only 15 years old when she had
Jesus. Such a responsibility for one so young seems overwhelming, nevertheless,
her spiritual maturity must have exceeded her mortal years. And Joseph, the
noble son of God who was chosen to rear the Saviour from infancy to adulthood;
who protected Him at every turn, taught Him the law, and schooled Him in a
profession and responsibilities of a righteous Hebrew man. And what of Peter
and the apostles who left behind everything to follow Him and went to their
deaths willingly to further the cause of Him whom they professed had ‘the words
of eternal life’ (John 6:68)? And John the Beloved…..what kind of love would it
have to be to want to remain on this earth for over 2,000 years doing
missionary work (D&C 7:1-3)? And what of friends who loved Him and offered
refuge from His sorrows such as Lazarus, Mary and Martha? These were the noble and great hand-picked supporters
who were converted to the cause of the truth long before the earth began. These
were the ones who made the Saviour’s mortal life bearable. I am certain that
when He reflects on His experience His heart swells with gratitude for the
committed, the valiant, the accepting fellow travellers on the greatest journey
ever undertaken.
What faith You had
In those who held You
by Your mortal hand;
How loyal to their charge
Were they who sustained You
When it all began.
How tender their heart
To see the Hope of Israel
And recognize The Great I am.
(Art: Child of Grace by Liz Lemon Swindle)
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