Mary's Son

Matthew 12:46-50

One of the tenderest moments in the life of Christ was when from the cross he looked at his mother and said, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother" (John 19:26,27).

But I want to step back and look at a different scene with Jesus and his mother. Jesus is teaching;he's surrounded by people all trying to hear him talk. His mother and his brothers are on the outside of the crowd trying to get through to him. I can imagine the brothers jostling the people in the crowd a little trying to get through explaining, "Hey, look we're his family...Let us in".

Somehow word get through to Jesus. "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you” (Matthew 12:47). Jesus responded, "'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' Pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother'” (Matthew 12:48,49).

I wonder how Mary felt just then? I wonder if his words struck a wound through her heart? Simon had warned Mary when Jesus was just a baby, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too" (Luke 2:34).

I don't know viscerally what it is like to be a mother, but what I can see there are many 'piercing' that come with motherhood. A child can (without knowing it) hurt a parent in ways that no other person could. Often this hurt cannot be avoided--the act of letting a child grow and mature away from oneself is inherently painful, yet what
parent would stop their child's growth just so they could not experience pain?

And so I imagine Mary hurting at his words and yet realizing the wisdom in them. Hadn't he said as a boy, "Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?"? (Luke 2:49). Didn't he remind her at the Cana wedding feast the priority of God's claim to his life? "Dear woman, why do you involve me?. . . My time has not yet come” (John 2:4).

He would always be a Savior before he was her son. She would ever have to share him with the universe. I think he must have hurt too for her. He who was love must have wished their relationship could come without pain. And yet, love rarely thrives in a an anesthetic world.

Jesus in his infinite wisdom chose his own mother--he chose a woman who would tenderly care for him as a child and who would struggle to understand her relationship to him as an adult, but would never stop supporting him and loving him.

She would stand with him in his last hour, and he would with all tenderness would give her care to the disciple who described himself as "the one whom Jesus loved". His most loved mother would be given to his beloved disciple.