Behold Thy Son
Originally scheduled for May 10
Mary, the mother of Jesus, gets very little
press in the New Testament. Which is the reason for this is the
disagreement between Protestants and Catholics. In the controversy,
there have been some things overlooked about Mary that might give us
a deeper meaning of communion.
First, why did Jesus commit his mother to the
apostle John?
·
The Scripture informs us that
Christ’s brothers, whoever they might be, did not believe at this
point. Christ would want his mother in a home that was believing.
·
Of all the apostles it is likely that
John is one of the richest. You will recall that he and his family
owned a fishing business. Christ wanted his mother to be at least
comfortable as well as competent.
·
It is also likely that John is a
cousin of Jesus. He would then be assigning this task to one who was
a close blood relative, not just somebody in the group.
Perhaps even more puzzling is the question of
why Jesus waited until he was on the cross before he did this. There
are some possibilities:
·
It is faintly possible that Jesus is
some sort of a procrastinator. This seems rather difficult for such
an orderly and organized mind as Christ had.
·
Some might consider that this was an
afterthought; something that wasn’t really important but needed to
be done sometime.
·
Love those answers as you please, but
I think the truth is he did it then because that was the right time
to do it. Considering how often Mary must’ve felt frustrated with
Jesus (remember that incident in the Temple when Jesus was 12?) this
let her know of his love for her after all.
There are some implications here that we may
use in our contemplation of communion.
·
Think how Christ suffered knowing
that his mother was there. Crucifixion was intended to be as
humiliating as possible, it would be understandable if Mary avoided
that. When we contemplate his sufferings, remember that his
humiliation was being watched not only by his followers but by his
mother.
·
Next, we may also look at this as
Christ being obedient in the last detail. At his death on the cross
Christ sets for us the example of obedience in that he takes care of
his mother in accordance with the Law of Moses.
·
Finally, even in dying, Christ sets
for us the example we need in obedience to God’s command to “honor
your father and your mother.”
Our Lord’s suffering on the cross was not
merely physical. It included the emotional dimension of having your
friends and even your mother watch you die in a way designed to
produce the maximum pain in the maximum of humiliation. As you
partake this morning, think on these things.
(This meditation was designed with Mother's
Day at hand; feel free to modify to suit.)
