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Scripture of the Day:

“Who can say, 'I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin'?”

Proverbs 20:9

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Our God Passion: Awakening (Deluxe Edition) Chris Tomlin Genre: Christian & Gospel Price: $0.99 Release Date: March 09, 2010 © (C) 2010 Sparrow Records/sixstepsrecords. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by EMI Christian Music Group,

What Faith Can Do It Is Well Kutless Genre: Christian & Gospel Price: $1.29 Release Date: October 20, 2009 © (C) 2009 BEC Recordings. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by EMI Christian Music Group,

City On Our Knees Tonight (Deluxe Edition) tobyMac Genre: Christian & Gospel Price: $1.29 Release Date: February 09, 2010 © (C) 2010 ForeFront Records. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is a violation of applicable laws. Manufactured by EMI Christian Music Group,

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“Mother, Behold Your Son; Son, Behold Your Mother”

By Narthex
Published: April 7, 2009

Here are some beginning thoughts on this, one of Jesus' Seven Last Words from the cross:

This word along with "I thirst" both speak to the depth of the humanity of Jesus. The close-up story is a beautiful one: Jesus cares about his mother. He entrusts her to the beloved disciple and he to her.

The next step wider goes to the how and why... we notice that Mary is there! And the beloved disciple is there. But where is Peter? Where is Bartholomew or Thaddeus? They are nowhere to be found!

What does it take to be there for someone else when you are in danger, when you are distraught, when you feel hope is lost? Sometimes to receive the blessing we need to be there. To show up. Mary did. And she got the gift of this loving act of her son. The beloved disciple was there. And he got the gift of Mary to care for and protect.

And what about this humanity of Jesus. Do we actually think his mind was so high, so perfect that he was more concerned with heavenly processes and the mechanics of human salvation that he couldn't be concerned about such real life one-on-one personal things as taking care of his mother? And does that extend in our mind to his care for us? That Jesus is too high, too heavenly to actually care about me in my distress, to exalted to actually care about my prayers, the dangers I might face. We hear in these words that his concern is exactly for the individuals.

And that is the big picture, the widest degree of interpretation here: that in some ways this story is about Jesus and us. He doesn't leave us helpless, defenseless, alone. He cares for Mary, who is getting older and may need help. But what about the Beloved Disciple, too? Jesus cares also for him, for he is entrusting him to her, for Mary to care for, to watch over, to help, guide and perhaps even protect.

Finally I see great significance in the fact that even while hanging on the cross his concern is for those around him. He cannot help but love. What about us in affliction? Can we think about anyone else but ourselves, the depth of our pain, of our suffering? Under our own power, no we cannot. But when Christ is alive in us we can. Because he can. And does.

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