Pastor Jann Braaksma
Did Jesus love His mother? Yes? No? What basis do you use for your answer?
In Mark 3:31-33 we read; Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
“Who are my mother and my brothers?” Jesus asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
We’ll delve into this exchange deeper in at another time, but today I will say that the family showed disrespect to Jesus in their actions. They stood outside, and sent word into Jesus that he should leave his teaching and come to them.
Let’s hear what Luke 2:41-52 says:
Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom. After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.
Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished.
His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
“Why were you searching for me?” he asked, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Are you obedient to someone you don’t love? I guess you could be, but it wouldn’t be easy. I believe Jesus loved both Joseph and Mary very much and was rewarded for that love and obedience by being grown in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
What in your life would change if you were more obedient to God? I know you all love God and do your best, but what if we all took our ‘game’ to a higher level? Might our finances change, our dreams, homes, jobs? Something to think about.
What about when Jesus turned water into wine? How did he address his mother? John is the only Gospel that records this story.
John 2:1-5 – On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
”Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
The King James says, “Woman”. That always grates me. You see my parents never fought openly. But I learned quickly that when my dad was at the end of his rope, he would call my mom, “Woman”. It was not meant kindly.
I still react badly when that term is use in reference to me. My reading indicates that “Dear woman” was actually a term of endearment. As if Jesus said, “Loved one” or “beloved”.
Jesus did turn the water into wine, and the master of the banquet praised the groom for the choice wine. Ever wonder if the groom knew where it came from?
Seems appropriate that the Jesus whom the Shepherds worshiped first would perform a miracle that only the servants and disciples would know about, don’t you think?
Speaking of the term “Dear woman”, do you know the other time Jesus uses it? Yes, as He hung upon the cross.
John 19:25-27 – Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother,”Dear woman, here is your son.” And to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
I’d not seen it before, “his mother’s sister”, had you? I wondered, “Is she mentioned anywhere else”? And discovered that was a topic deeper than my time was long!
As Jesus was hanging upon the cross, knowing death was only moments away, saw to the care of his mother. That’s love.
How did Jesus treat other women? Well? In a spotlight about Mary Magdalene, it is noted; “It is clear that there were many women among Jesus’ followers. It is also clear that Jesus did not treat women as others in his culture did; he treated them with dignity, as people with worth.”
Speaking of Mary Magdalene, what did Jesus do for her? Luke 8:1-3
After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: May (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
How grateful do you suppose Mary was?
Mary Magdalene is a heartwarming example of thankful living. Her life was miraculously freed by Jesus when he drove seven demons out of her. In every glimpse we have of her, she was acting out her appreciation for the freedom Christ had given her.
That freedom allowed her to stand under Christ’s cross when all the disciples except John were hiding in fear. After Jesus’ death, she intended to give his body every respect. Like the rest of Jesus’ followers, she never expected his bodily resurrection—but she was overjoyed to discover it.
Mary’s faith was not complicated, but it was direct and genuine. She was more eager to believe and obey than to understand everything. Jesus honored her childlike faith by appearing to her first and by entrusting her with the first message of his resurrection.
Speaking of entrusting the Good News to a woman, how about the woman at the well? These are selected verses from John 4.
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”
He told her, “Go, call you husband and come back.”
“I have no husband,” she replied.
Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”
Notice that Jesus doesn’t condemn her for her situation? There is no reprimand here, just a statement of fact. Next we hear;
Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more became believers.
They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
Jesus didn’t pick the mayors wife, or the socialite to spread word about him. He chose the woman at the well.
The list of women that Jesus dealt with, healed, touched and loved goes on. Not only on this day, but every day, let’s honor and love one another as the 11th commandment instructs us;” Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34)
Let us pray.
Resources: Life Application Study Bible & Matthew Henry’s Commentary.