On one occasion, someone told Jesus that his mother and brothers were standing outside waiting to speak to him.
Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” (Matt. 12:46-50)
A superficial reading of this passage may cause us to feel that the response of Jesus was a little terse, not unlike his response to his mother at the wedding in Cana, where he asks, “Woman what does your concern have to do with me?”
As in Matthew’s account, his response was not as abrupt as it seemed. The word used for “woman” was a polite form of address – illustrated by one Bible translation that uses the expression “dear woman.”
And Mary was dear, and spoken highly of throughout the New Testament.
She was a woman worthy of high esteem – as praised by the angel Gabriel, who called her “highly favored one ... blessed are you among women.”
She respected her son and followed Him to the cross.
Can you imagine the grief that overtook her?
What kind of a mother could stay and watch her son being brutally tortured, carry his own cross and watch him hang on it?
Some of the most compassionate words spoken in the New Testament are from Jesus to his mother as he hung in agony on the cross. Referring to the disciple John, Jesus said, “Dear woman, here is your son.”
And from that time on, John took her into his home and cared for her.
Jesus loved, honoured and respected his mother, but He didn’t idolize her or deify her. To attribute anything more to Mary is doctrinal and theological heresy.
Mothers are, of course, fiercely protective of their children. In Campbell River a few years ago, someone mentioned that they heard that there was a family of wild house-cats living downtown on the rocks near the Quadra Island ferry terminal. So we decided to go down and check it out and sure enough, there were all these wild cats living in the craggy rock caves of this breakwater.
While we there, a girl about 10 years old decided to try and feed the cats and then picked up one of the kittens. In an instant, the mother cat reached out of her cave with a wild scream and clawed at the little girl, who abruptly dropped the kitten and went crying to her mother.
Yes, mother’s are fiercely protective, and not only in the animal kingdom.
My mom accompanied me on a job-hunt trip down island many years ago. When I was pulled over for speeding, she quickly came to my defense: “Now officer, it wasn’t really my son’s fault. I told him to go faster.”
Jesus pointed to the disciples and said, “Here are my mother and brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Even mothers need to make that separation and distinction and do whatever it takes to follow God and his will fully.
Les Warriner is pastor at Living Way Foursquare Church in Maple Ridge.
Two organizations come together
The Ridge Meadows South Asian Cultural Society has donated $5,000 to the Ridge Meadows Family Education and Support Centre.
“Our two organizations, along with the Maple Ridge library, have partnered to provide Diwali celebrations for the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows communities for the past three years and share a commitment and vision to promote multicultural activities and an appreciation for diversity,” said Faye Luxemburg-Hyam, executive director of the education and support centre.
“ The funds that have been contributed to our organization will be used to develop multicultural programming and services that are not funded by government.”