Once upon a time, long ago in a land far away, an innocent man was betrayed by a friend. Wrongly convicted of a crime he did not commit, he faced an illegal trial and was sentenced to death.

The man’s heartbroken widowed mother attended her son’s execution.

During the condemned man’s final moments, he looked at his mother. Understanding the gravity of his death upon her, he spoke to a cousin standing beside his mother. The dying man asked his cousin to take care of the grieving woman.

The cousin willingly agreed. Taking his aunt into his home, he treated her as his own mother.

Despite the unimaginable torture Jesus endured during his crucifixion, he was concerned for his widowed mother, Mary. In his final moments, Jesus made preparation for her care. He entrusted Mary to John, one of Jesus’ closest disciples the son of Salome, Mary’s sister.

I believe many thoughts probably flooded Mary’s mind as she witnessed Jesus’ excruciating death. Perhaps among those thoughts were the words said over her eight-day-old baby boy in the temple thirty-three years earlier by the aged Simeon.

I have seen God’s salvation, which God prepared for all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of God’s people Israel! This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul, Mary. (Luke 2:30-35)

Do you think it possible Mary didn’t always understand the reasons Jesus did what he did, or the way he went about his ministry?

From my experiences, I’ve found misunderstandings have a way of causing confusion which can escalate and separates people. If there were any misunderstandings between Mary and Jesus, it doesn’t appear those misunderstandings affected their loving relationship.

There might be times our children don’t understand the reasons we do what we do. There might be times we don’t understand the reasons our children do what they do.

This lack of understanding can result in misunderstanding. Fertile ground for confusion and estrangement. Fertile ground for loving relationships to diminish.

As the day set aside here in the States to remember the women in our lives who nurtured and loved us approaches on May 12, perhaps instead of letting our differences separate and divide us from people we love, even in the worst of times, we’d be wise to  consider Jesus and Mary’s example.

Perhaps we should make sure we allow love to rise above any misunderstanding that threatens to separate us from those closest to us.

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Standing near his cross were Jesus’ mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the follower he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the follower, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, the follower took her to live in his home. John 19:25-27 (NCV)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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