Woman, Here Is Your Son. Here Is Your Mother.

“Woman, here is your son. Here is your mother.”

John 19: 25 – 27.

Introduction

We are all familiar with the expression: “He is so heavenly-minded, he is no earthly good.”  The expression refers to the person who is so religious and so focused on Heaven that he has lost sight of the everyday and the practical.  This is the person who encounters a hungry person and offers them the Gospel of Christ and a four-step plan to have eternal life.  Perhaps that hungry person does need to hear the Gospel and become a Christian.  But, he also needs a sandwich.

When we encounter Jesus in the New Testament, we encounter the Son of God who continued to remind his followers that he must always do his Father’s will.  Jesus preached about the Kingdom of God—the Just and Righteous reign of God in the lives of Christian men and women.  Jesus taught us that he was going to his Father’s House to prepare a place for us and would return to take us to be with Jesus.  It is certainly true to say Jesus was very heavenly-minded.  But, we cannot say Jesus was “no earthly good.”

In the life of Jesus we see a wonderful blend of heavenly-mindedness and earthly good.  Jesus preached about the coming Kingdom of God and broke the earthly reign of Satan by healing the sick and casting out demons.  Jesus told us about eternal life and fed people who might starve to death.  In fact, we see this same blend of heavenly-mindedness and earthly good in the words Jesus spoke on the cross.

As Christians, we believe that Jesus willingly died on the cross to offer us forgiveness of sin.  Forgiveness of sin is what makes eternal life possible for anyone who has faith in Jesus.  We believe that Jesus—who had no sin—became sin on the cross.  Therefore, we believe the cross of Christ was a spiritual battleground.  Jesus experienced excruciating physical pain on the cross as well as excruciating spiritual pain—after all Jesus was defeating sin, death and Satan on the cross.

Despite this spiritual battle taking place on the cross, Jesus was not so heavenly-minded that he was no earthly good.  Actually, Jesus paid attention to the people gathered around the cross and took note of specific human needs.  First, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them.”  Second, Jesus responded to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”  And, third, Jesus noticed his own mother and responded to her needs.

John 19: 25 – 27…25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 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," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to be Jesus’ mother?  All of Jesus’ life, Mary had known something the rest of the world had not yet learned.  Mary had received word from the Angel Gabriel that her child was the Son of God.  Of course, Mary didn’t need an angel to tell her this child was special.  After all, Mary knew where babies came from and also knew that nothing like that had ever happened.

I think it is fair to say that Mary was the first person to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the Promised Messiah.  Mary was there to witness Jesus’ miraculous conception and birth.  Mary was aware of Jesus’ growing reputation as a miracle worker and one who taught with authority.  And, now Mary is there to witness Jesus’ suffering and death.  Mary was the only person who was with Jesus at both the beginning and the end—present for both his birth and his death.

But, we need to be careful when we talk about Mary.  On one hand, Mary is an incredible example of faith and obedience.  The angel called, and Mary responded with obedience.  On the other hand, Mary is an example of an ordinary person.  The Bible never says anything about Mary that might lead us to worship Mary or to hold her up as someone different from us.  Instead, I believe the Bible describes Mary as ordinary and holds her up as an example for any of us to follow.

A case in point is the brief little story we read this morning.  The traditional Catholic reading of this Scripture focuses on two people gathered at the foot of the cross: Mary, the mother of Jesus, and John, son of Zebedee and the disciple Jesus loved.  In the Catholic interpretation, John is the representative disciple.  He represents not only the original twelve disciples of Jesus, but also represents every Christian who follows—including you and me today.  Therefore, when Jesus said, “Woman, your son…son, your mother…” Jesus was placing John under the motherly authority of Mary.  Since John is representative of all Christians, Jesus was actually placing all Christians and future generations of the church under the motherly authority of Mary.

But is that truly what Jesus did when he addressed Mary and John?  Did Jesus place John under the authority of Mary?  Or, was there something else at work here?

I believe Jesus said what he said to Mary and John in order to fulfill the Ten Commandments!  According to the Fifth Commandment, God commands us to “Honor our father and our mother.”  As long as we are children who live under the care and protection of our parents, this verse instructs us to obey and respect our parents.  However, the Jews did not believe this commandment expired when a child turned 18 and graduated from high school.  In fact, they believed an adult child was to continue honoring his parents by providing for them as they entered into old age. 

The responsibility to care for aging parents was the responsibility of the first born son.  Since we know that Mary was a virgin when Jesus was born, we can safely say that Jesus was her firstborn son.  Therefore, Jesus had the responsibility to care for his mother as she entered into old age. 

Jesus was not placing John under the motherly authority of Mary—and Jesus was certainly NOT placing all future generations of Christians under the motherly authority of Mary.  Jesus was actually fulfilling his responsibility as the firstborn son.  He was providing for Mary right here and now.  Mary already believed that Jesus was the Son of God and the Promised Messiah.  Therefore, her future in Heaven was secure.  But, Jesus wasn’t worried about her future in Heaven.  Jesus was worried about her future on earth.  She needed someone to take care of her physical needs right here and now.

Practically speaking, Jesus’ words from the cross to Mary and John teach us two very important truths about the Christian faith.

First, Christians ought to follow the Fifth Commandment to honor our fathers and our mothers.  If you are a child living at home, then you are still under the authority of your parents.  Children are to obey parents and respect.  If you have moved out of your parents’ home, it is still important to honor your parents.  Make sure that your parents are taken care of and that they are able to live with dignity and respect.

Second, Christianity ought to be concerned with both the spiritual and the physical needs of the world around us.  In life, Jesus addressed both spiritual needs and physical needs.  He preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God while also taking care of the poor, healing the sick and feeding the hungry.  In death, Jesus never lost sight of physical needs.  At a time when Jesus could have focused only on the spiritual battle raging around him, Jesus took note of his own mother and her physical needs.

Of course, there is a very interesting question that comes up when we read Jesus’ words to Mary and John.  Jesus was the firstborn son who had the responsibility to provide for his mother.  Since Jesus was about to die on the cross, Jesus needed to find a way to provide for her after his death.  Under normal circumstances, the second born son would take over the responsibility for his deceased brother.  According to the Gospels, Jesus had four brothers: Joseph, James, Simon and Judas (Jude).  John was not one of Jesus’ brothers.  Why did Jesus entrust Mary into John’s care and not to Joseph, James, Simon or Jude?

I believe there are two good answers to this question.  Both of these are good answers, but the second answer is much better than the first…

First, Jesus entrusted Mary into John’s care, because John was present.  Crucifixion was the most humiliating and shameful way to die in the ancient world.  It was shameful for both the convicted criminal and for his family.  Mary was willing to face the shame and stand at the foot of the cross to support and comfort her son.  Joseph, James, Simon and Jude were not!  They hid in shame.  Jesus’ death on the cross was an embarrassment to the family.

Yet, John was there at the cross.  Because John was present, Jesus could use John…

There’s a lesson in this for us.  Jesus uses people who are present.  Jesus uses people who show up.  Jesus can use ANYONE WHO SHOWS UP.  What are some of the places where you and I need to show up?  Obviously, we need to show up at church.  But, there are others…The bedside of a friend who is sick or dying…Alongside a friend who is facing the most difficult challenge they have ever faced…The home of someone who is grieving…The life of a person who is questioning faith or searching for spiritual answers…Sometimes showing up is the hardest part…And Jesus can use ANYONE who shows up…

Second, Jesus entrusted Mary into John’s care, because of something we read about in John 7…

John 7: 1 – 5…  1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life. 2 But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus' brothers said to him, "You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. 4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world." 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him. 

Jesus asked John to take care of his mother, because John believed.  At this moment in time, Joseph, James, Simon and Jude did not believe in Jesus as the Son of God and the Promised Messiah.  Mary believed.  John believed.  Therefore, Jesus placed Mary in John’s care.

Think about what just happened!  Jesus took a man who believed and a woman who believed and put them together.  This man and woman were not related to each other biologically, but Jesus bound them together as mother and son.  Jesus created a new family.  Jesus created a family of faith.  Jesus created a church!

The church is a family.  Through faith in Jesus, we become adopted as sons and daughters of God.  Through faith in Jesus, we become brothers and sisters.  Through faith in Jesus, we experience a bond that is stronger than the biological bonds of family.  Jesus described this bond of faith in an encounter with his biological family in the Gospel of Mark. 

Mark 3: 31 – 35…  31 Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." 

33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. 

34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Conclusion

Church is like family, because both church and family can both be described as “A Place of Grace.”

Grace is the way we enter the church.  And Grace is the way we enter the family.  Some people are born into their families.  Some people are adopted into their families. But, either way…birth or adoption…you entered your family by Grace.  You did not choose to be born into your family.  You did not choose to be adopted.  You entered by the Grace of God.  In both church and family, we are brought together by Grace. 

Grace is also the way we continue to live as a part of church and family.  We do not deserve to be loved and accepted at home or at church.  We are loved as an act of Grace.  In both church and family, we are held together by Grace.

On one of our family trips last year (either Branson, Missouri or Estes Park, Colorado), I saw a sign in a souvenir shop with the following description of home:  “Home is the place where no matter what you have done; they have to take you in.”

When I first read that, I thought…That didn’t end exactly the way I expected it to end…I expected it to say, “…no matter what you have done, they WANT to take you in…”

It might just be more accurate to say “…they HAVE to take you in…”  No matter what you have done, they HAVE to take you in at home…even if they don’t really want to take you in.  And church is like that as well.

At church, we are brought together by Grace and held together by Grace.  And, God puts us together so that we might meet the needs of others and have our needs met by others…Both spiritual needs and physical needs.