Jesus had a very special Mom. Not only was she chosen by God to carry His Holy Son in her body, she had the great responsibility to help Joseph raise Him to be strong and kind to everyone. I often wonder what her life was like, knowing He was special. She watched Him grow up and when He stayed at the temple and was saying such profound things to the older men there, she must have wondered in her private heart, what kind of Son is this? He knows things I never taught Him and He is just a boy. She had to wonder what His life would be like as an adult. She must have loved Him very much. Her first child. Her Son, but not her son. She knew He was special and belonged to God and that someday He would do great things. But little did she know.
Then, as He grew, and as He began to teach the people, and to say that He was the Son of the Living God, his brother's were astonished and said among themselves, "He is beside Himself. Let us go and get Him and bring Him hone." But Jesus was not "beside Himself". He knew with all assurance that He was God's Son and shared the attributes of the living God, but when the people called Him Good Teacher, He told them not to call Him "good", for only One was good and that was God.
Then when John Baptized Him, suddenly John knew who He was and was shaken because the Son of God should be baptizing him, not he baptizing Jesus. But Jesus told John, "suffer it to be so now.." He had to fulfill His earthly purpose and to teach the masses that being Baptized into the body was a necessary act that all should follow who believe in their hearts that Jesus is the Son of God, and that they had received forgiveness of sins and were baptized as He was. The Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus at His baptizm and all who saw the dove must have pondered it all in their hearts.
He taught the masses, they followed Him everywhere. He fed them, He healed them, He taught them, and Loved them. He had compassion on them and He was a wonderful son and a very capable carpenter. But this carpenter was special. He came to build His church, and His church was mankind. Not a temple made by human hands, but a body of people that would be known in future days as Christians. I have been a Christian since I was 12. I was a child, but I knew He would be my friend and I really needed a friend. He has never left me, just like He said. But His Mother was special. He loved her tremendously. He provided a means for her salvation with the crucifying of His own body. Of course, it was for the whole of humanity that He was to be crucified.
When the soldiers came to Gethsemane to retrieve Him, His mother was probably sleeping. He was taken to be tried for his acts of kindness. He would be spat upon, called THE KING OF THE JEWS in mocking tones. His robes would be torn to shreds except that one soldier said "it has no seems. It is the most beautiful robe I've ever seen. Let us cast lots for it." So they did. While the King of Glory was being whipped and prepared for crucifixition, his mother got word of what was happening and she and her companions went to the site of the cross being errected, with her precious son attached to it by nails in his hands and feet. The grief in her heart must have been almost too much to bear. He had always been such a good Son. He had taught, fed, and bathed the feet of his disciples, and now here He was alone, except for the women. Where were all his followers now?
As Jesus was dying a slow painful death, his mother, striken with grief, stood transfixed at the foot of the cross and looked upon her son's face. Blood ran down his face from the thorns in his brow. He was beaten and bruised amd he was thirsty. But standing by his Mother, was one of his disciples whom He loved dearly. He looked upon his Mother's grief-striken face and said to her, "Woman, behold thy son." And to his disciple, He said "behold thy Mother". He made provision for her even in His pain. In the darkness of the moment, the earth shook and the sky grew black. One of the soldiers said, "Truly this man was the Son of God." The earth shook with a violent quake and Jesus said "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" His Mother was there. Where was God? And then, after He had asked God to "forgive them...for they know not what they do!", He said "it is finished", and He gave up His Spirit to God, and He died. I don't think I could have stood it. I could not watch my own son die and so cruelly and mercilessly.
The Bible says that Mary was told "A sword shall peirce thine own soul also, that the hearts of many may be revealed." What could it all mean? Who would peirce His Mother's soul? The death of her first born son? I felt this would be a good post for Mother's Day because it is so heart breaking, that Jesus would make provision for His own Holy Mother, even as He was dying. He gave His life for her, and the gift of Salvation was born. What a woman she must have been, to have had the privilege and the duty, to raise the Son of the Living God and what Love Jesus had for her. What a beautiful story of Love and Devotion for a beautiful Sunday, yet another Mother's Day. The gifts are special, but it's the love behind them that make Mother's Day special. All Mother's deserve a round of applause for all they do for their children. And let us not forget Mary's example of the Love that a Mother has for her Son. Let us love as she did, and ponder all these things in our hearts.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MOTHER'S EVERYWHERE. GOD TRULY LOVES YOU AND HAS GIVEN YOU GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. BUT NONE SO GREAT AS MARY. SHE IS THE EPITOME TO WHAT WE ALL ASPIRE TO. LOVING HER SON TO THE END, AND THE BEGINNING OF THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL LIFE.
Thank you Jesus, for all Mother's everywhere. I Love You.
Bonnie Gay
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