The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Jesus’ life growing up and his interactions with his mother, Mary. But two stories demonstrate the love of Jesus for Mary: the wedding at Cana and the last words of Jesus to Mary at Calvary. There is much to learn from these accounts. They stand as an example for us in caring for our moms.
Scripture also reveals a few tense moments in their relationship. There was Jesus, the troublesome (at least in his parents’ minds) 12-year-old. Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem after the Passover, and after traveling for some time, they discovered Jesus was nowhere to be found. If you’ve ever had a child wander away at a crowded beach, you can sympathize with the panic Mary must have felt to discover Jesus missing.
Mary pinned the blame on Jesus, “Son why have you treated us so?” (Luke 2:48). Some point to Mary’s distress as proof that Jesus didn’t live a perfect life. But Jesus doesn’t apologize. He tells his mom, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) Luke goes on to tell us Jesus went with his parents and “was submissive to them.” Luke adds that Mary “treasured up all these things in her heart.” Imagine her reflecting on the events of the day later as she traveled. Her 12-year-old son sat teaching the Rabbis! How crazy is that? Mary didn’t leave Jerusalem frustrated. Mary left the city touched by the day’s events and treasured these things – the love of Jesus toward his mom, his respect toward Mary and Joseph, and, yes, Jesus’ commitment to God above his mother. That was just as it should be.
Fast forward to the wedding at Cana. Jesus is now a grown man at the inauguration of his ministry. He’s got at least a few disciples at this point. It is interesting that Joseph is no longer in the story and may have passed away. Life for Jesus includes his mom. She is an active part of his life. When Jesus and his disciples receive an invitation to the wedding, they reply, “Yes.” While they have a mission ahead of them, Jesus prioritized going to the wedding to bless his mom.
Mary is more than a guest. She serves behind the scenes and is among the first to discover the wine has run dry. What does Mary do? She goes to Jesus, confident Jesus will help. Even after Jesus offers an objection, “My hour has not yet come,” Mary is confident Jesus will take care of her. He will solve the problem for her. He always does. There is a history of honor behind Mary’s confident statement to the servants. “Do whatever he tells you,” she says.
Jesus sets the standard. Our care for our mothers should instill confidence knowing they can depend on us. Pastors, would your mom say in her hour of need, “He’s got this,” regarding your answer to her problems?
Jesus obeyed the commandment perfectly. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12). Though Jesus knew his life would be cut short at the cross, he never missed an opportunity to honor his mom, who followed his ministry closely.
The cross provides the most touching scene in the life of Christ and his love for his mom. Mary followed Jesus up the hill that day to Golgotha. There as he struggled to catch his breath, he called out to John to care for his mother after his death.
“but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:25–27)
John didn’t require further explanation. While the account doesn’t give the back story, there are details we can extrapolate. Jesus loved his mom and welcomed her involvement in his ministry even to the end. Jesus planned for this eventuality. He knew he was going to the cross to die (Matthew 17:22-23). While Jesus would rise again, he was also aware that he would soon ascend and leave behind his mom in need of care. We can be sure Jesus talked with John beforehand to plan for this day.
Pastors, we can learn a few things from Jesus’ example that we can apply in honoring our moms.
While not everyone can take their mom in (Jesus wasn’t able to do that), all of us are responsible for ensuring our mothers receive care through their last years.
Honoring our parents, particularly our moms, is a command that doesn’t end when we leave for college or go our separate way after marriage. Follow the example of Jesus, who had much to accomplish in the three years of ministry leading up to his death. Still, he honored his mother, welcomed her involvement in his life, cared for her needs, and provided for her old age, even though he could not take care of her on his own.
Work to instill confidence in your mom that you will care for her needs and help her with her problems. What an honor it is if your mom, in the face of difficulty, can go to those around you and have the confidence to say, “Do whatever he tells you,” knowing you’ll make decisions for her best.
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1. Finding Jesus in the Temple
Scripture also reveals a few tense moments in their relationship. There was Jesus, the troublesome (at least in his parents’ minds) 12-year-old. Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem after the Passover, and after traveling for some time, they discovered Jesus was nowhere to be found. If you’ve ever had a child wander away at a crowded beach, you can sympathize with the panic Mary must have felt to discover Jesus missing.
Mary pinned the blame on Jesus, “Son why have you treated us so?” (Luke 2:48). Some point to Mary’s distress as proof that Jesus didn’t live a perfect life. But Jesus doesn’t apologize. He tells his mom, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49) Luke goes on to tell us Jesus went with his parents and “was submissive to them.” Luke adds that Mary “treasured up all these things in her heart.” Imagine her reflecting on the events of the day later as she traveled. Her 12-year-old son sat teaching the Rabbis! How crazy is that? Mary didn’t leave Jerusalem frustrated. Mary left the city touched by the day’s events and treasured these things – the love of Jesus toward his mom, his respect toward Mary and Joseph, and, yes, Jesus’ commitment to God above his mother. That was just as it should be.
2. The wedding at Cana
Fast forward to the wedding at Cana. Jesus is now a grown man at the inauguration of his ministry. He’s got at least a few disciples at this point. It is interesting that Joseph is no longer in the story and may have passed away. Life for Jesus includes his mom. She is an active part of his life. When Jesus and his disciples receive an invitation to the wedding, they reply, “Yes.” While they have a mission ahead of them, Jesus prioritized going to the wedding to bless his mom.
Mary is more than a guest. She serves behind the scenes and is among the first to discover the wine has run dry. What does Mary do? She goes to Jesus, confident Jesus will help. Even after Jesus offers an objection, “My hour has not yet come,” Mary is confident Jesus will take care of her. He will solve the problem for her. He always does. There is a history of honor behind Mary’s confident statement to the servants. “Do whatever he tells you,” she says.
Jesus sets the standard. Our care for our mothers should instill confidence knowing they can depend on us. Pastors, would your mom say in her hour of need, “He’s got this,” regarding your answer to her problems?
Jesus obeyed the commandment perfectly. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12). Though Jesus knew his life would be cut short at the cross, he never missed an opportunity to honor his mom, who followed his ministry closely.
3. Jesus on the cross
The cross provides the most touching scene in the life of Christ and his love for his mom. Mary followed Jesus up the hill that day to Golgotha. There as he struggled to catch his breath, he called out to John to care for his mother after his death.
“but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (John 19:25–27)
John didn’t require further explanation. While the account doesn’t give the back story, there are details we can extrapolate. Jesus loved his mom and welcomed her involvement in his ministry even to the end. Jesus planned for this eventuality. He knew he was going to the cross to die (Matthew 17:22-23). While Jesus would rise again, he was also aware that he would soon ascend and leave behind his mom in need of care. We can be sure Jesus talked with John beforehand to plan for this day.
What can we learn from Jesus’ example?
Pastors, we can learn a few things from Jesus’ example that we can apply in honoring our moms.
- The best gift you can give your mom is living a life of devotion to God first, above all things. There is no greater joy for a mom than to know her son or daughter has dedicated their life to faith in Christ. If you want to bless your mom, live for Christ and tell her about it.
- Keep up a relationship with your mom and stay in contact with her. I remember when my dad pulled me aside to correct me. “Marty, you need to call your mom more often.” He was right. I was living my life in pleasant disregard toward my mom. I loved my mom, but she needed to hear it.
It is easy to assume your history of love toward your mom will satisfy tomorrow’s need. It never does. Moms want and deserve ongoing love, affection, and care. Think about it – when was the last time you called your mom or sent her a note or email to tell her that you love her?
- Welcome your mother’s requests and let her know she can come to you for help. “Call me if you need me” are comforting words for a mom. This is particularly important should your mom become a widow or your dad is not in the picture.
That doesn’t mean we do whatever our moms tell us. Once when Mary and her other sons came to interrupt Jesus while he was teaching, Jesus ignored them (Matthew 12:46-50). In that case, his mission must continue, whether his family thought he was crazy or not (Mark 3:21).
- Care for your mother’s welfare into old age. My wife and I were home for Thanksgiving when her mother, Emma, exhibited signs of a stroke. We called 911. After an extensive hospital stay and rehab, Emma came home to live with us, paralyzed on her right side. She remained with us for twelve years until the Lord took her home.
While not everyone can take their mom in (Jesus wasn’t able to do that), all of us are responsible for ensuring our mothers receive care through their last years.
Honoring our parents, particularly our moms, is a command that doesn’t end when we leave for college or go our separate way after marriage. Follow the example of Jesus, who had much to accomplish in the three years of ministry leading up to his death. Still, he honored his mother, welcomed her involvement in his life, cared for her needs, and provided for her old age, even though he could not take care of her on his own.
Work to instill confidence in your mom that you will care for her needs and help her with her problems. What an honor it is if your mom, in the face of difficulty, can go to those around you and have the confidence to say, “Do whatever he tells you,” knowing you’ll make decisions for her best.
The post Jesus Loved His Mom appeared first on Focus on the Family.
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