CHURCHSMARTS | Spiritual Materials And Resources To Share

« HOME »

Discussions Requests Shared

Scripture of the Day:

“'Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.'”

Luke 6:37-38

Amazon.com Widgets

iTunes Popular Christian Music

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,

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,

OCInkjet.com 120x240 banner, image is updated by season.

Mouseover Headlines for Summary
Click Headlines for Full Story

All Religion News

Baptist Press

ERLC urges phone calls to reps. on health care bill

Court: Pledge's 'under God' OK in schools

Homeless are part of his diverse ministry

Wright to be nominated for SBC president

GCRTF VIEWPOINT: Glen Land on Cooperative Agreements & accountability

Episcopal
News Service

Anglican, Episcopal women forge new relationships at UN women's meetings

Christian-Muslim summit for peace is topic of March 21 bulletin inserts

'Now is our new creation,' Haiti bishop tells Episcopal Church

ELCA Lutheran

Minnesota ELCA Bishops Visit Lawmakers, Issue Pastoral Letter

'ELM' Pastors Pleased with ELCA Bishops' Draft Reception Rite

ELCA Now Fourth Largest Member Church of the LWF

ELCA Conference of Bishops Comments on Ministry Policy Revisions

Lutherans Visit Senegal to Learn About Peace-Building

Presbyterian
News Service

BOP's investments gain, but not enough for apportionment

Serving the service

Spring Cleaning

Notes about people

Full report of PC(USA) Middle East Study Committee is now available

Roman Catholic News

Catholic Health Association spent over $1 million lobbying on health-care reform

Pope welcomes German bishops' response to scandal

Priests are not social workers, Pope says

Pope will skip Alpine vacation this summer

6 Muslim employees of Christian agency murdered in Pakistan

United Methodist

Radio station impacts Ivorians

White House focuses on faith-based groups

Churches share wisdom of generous giving

Conferences struggle to pay apportionments

Dealing with emotional aftershocks

Pew Forum

PUBLICATION Report: Religion Among the Millennials

PUBLICATION Report: A Brief History of Religion and the U.S. Census

PUBLICATION Report: How Religious Is Your State?

EVENT Event Transcript: Global Restrictions on Religion

PUBLICATION Report: Little Support for Terrorism Among Muslim Americans

“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.

Share Your Thoughts: