"BEHOLD, YOUR MOTHER!"

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“…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 then 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!’ From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.” (John 19: 25-27)

This is the last recorded conversation that Jesus had with His mother….She was standing near the cross as Jesus spoke these words that confirmed the relationship with His beloved mother & His beloved disciple….When Jesus spoke to Mary His mother, He said “Women, behold your son!”; this was not a harsh word spoken to her, but rather a token of respect….This was the same word He used to address her at the wedding feast when He turned the water into wine; perhaps Jesus used it to show her that her “maternal authority” was at an end & to help her to hurt less when he told her to behold her son.

Jesus, when He took care of His mother in that manner from the cross, revealed a wonderful characteristic of God --- that when God takes away one comfort, He provides another!

Even while our Savior was on the cross dying for our sins, He was busy planning for others….He took care of His mother, which is a son’s responsibility, & He also conferred an honor upon John when He said the words, “Behold, your mother!”
In this scene, Jesus is reaching out to His mother with John’s arms!! Jesus’ last bequest was to His mother and to John & it was all the wealth He had….We are told that from that very hour John took Mary into his home.

MEN & WOMEN -- ALL CHILDREN; What are we to learn from this Scripture?
It should be comforting to all women to know that Jesus’ last act from the cross was to take care of His mother….If we are all to be “like Jesus”, then we need to understand that it is our responsibility, as children, to take care of our mothers and fathers right up to the very end; whether that end be the sorrowing death of a child before the parent, or if it be the grieving death of the parent before the child.

I believe it is a true privilege for children to be given the opportunity to take care of our mothers & fathers when they get up in years & find that they really do need help to get around & do the tasks that used to be easy & normal….I know that during the years that I spent helping to take care of my aging & sick parents, life became more challenging, & even sometimes frustrating, but I have never regretted giving them the time & energy it took….God used my Mom & Dad, & every experience in their last years, to teach me so much, & also to help grow me into a better “Christ-like” Christian!!

Thank you Mom & Dad! And Thank You Jesus!!

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