(Picture and Dedication at End)
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. John 19:25-27
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home. John 19:25-27
While Jesus was nailed to the
cross, it is reasonable to say that He was having His worst possible
day on this earth. He had been falsely
accused, disrespected in numerous ways, physically tortured, then nailed to a cross to suffer in the
most horrendous way – a way that few now days can fully fathom. Mel Gibson’s movie, “The Passion of The Christ”
could not fully portray the suffering, but did depict it in such a graphic way,
that I admit that I have not been able to watch the complete movie. Christ willingly endured all the things that
I have been too wimpy to watch because of His tremendous love for us. But even during the agony of hanging on the
cross, He was mindful to ensure the care of His mother. ‘Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!”’ With the weight of the world on His
shoulders, Jesus took time to see to the needs of His mom. What a lesson to us!
In all
reality, we know that some moms are easier to behold than others. There are mothers like mine, who for the
majority of her life was (and still is) dedicated to caring for others – she
was a housewife, mother of 4, went back to school at the age of 40, and worked
outside the home – superwoman! There are
some mothers who were absent, some were negligent, some were abusive, and some
just had no clue what to do with a child.
If your mother was less than super, for your sake forgive
her - whether she is living or has passed on. Take those hurts and
disappointments to the feet of Jesus, and leave them there. Don’t let the peace and joy in your life be hindered
by the actions of anyone else – even if it was your mom. That is not the life Christ sacrificed
Himself to give you.
We are to
honor and care for mothers that are still with us. But understand
that caring for someone can take many forms.
Caring looks different in different situations because we don’t all have
the same needs. What makes you feel
cared for may not be the thing that makes your mom feel cared for. That’s why we need to do as Jesus said behold - look at, observe, regard, and
give attention to your mother. Take the
time to find out your mom’s love language.
And speak that language to her the rest of her days. It will bless you both.
This post is dedicated to my
mom, Lucille Williams, who in January 2015 turned 90 years young! I thank God for my mother. I am grateful for her determination to raise
me in the admonition of the Lord, teach me respect & responsibility, and to
be a contributing member of society.
No comments:
Post a Comment