Woman, Behold Thy Son!

“The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” - James E. Faust. Although Mothers Day is not one of those international days recognized by the United Nations, the day is celebrated globally. The impact of Mother’s Day is felt across all continents and in all spaces. We will all agree that Mother’s Day celebrations were rather low-keyed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic years. However, the activities this year surrounding mother’s day have turned up a notch or two and rightly so. In a matriarchal society such as Jamaica, mothers are special as they are the bedrock and guardians of most of our families. Mothers are protective and fearless concerning the welfare and well being of their children and grandchildren. There are no praises too great to bestow upon our mothers. It is interesting to reflect on Jesus’ relationship with his own mother Mary. Of particular interest are the words Jesus spoke to his mother while he was on the cross at Calvary. One can only imagine what emotions went through Mary, mother of Jesus as she saw him hanging on the cross. “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 her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”- St. John 19:25-27. Even in Jesus’ final hours on Earth his concern regarding his mother was heartfelt and provided a template for children to support their parents. Given that Jesus was crucified at age 33, Mary his mother was probably in her 40’s or early 50’s at that time of Jesus’crucifixion. As the life drained from Jesus’ body he was able to speak to his mother, Mary and to John his beloved disciple. Jesus saw his mother standing by and knew of her needs as well as her sorrow, and He saw John standing not far off. What Jesus did was so remarkable as he went about purposefully to establish a new relationship between His beloved mother and His beloved disciple. Pay attention to the care Christ took of His dear mother. He was not so much taken up with a sense of His own sufferings as to forget His friends, all whose concerns He bore. His mother, undoubtedly, was so taken up with Jesus ‘sufferings that she did not think of what would become of her. There are those who might argue that given that Jesus being the son of God and that God is the Creator of the Universe, why then would Jesus need to single out his mother Mary regarding her needs. We must be mindful that Jesus came in the flesh of a human in order to experience our trials as humans being. Like any other mother, Mary had to have a roof over her head. Mary needed clothes, groceries and other personal items. Jesus’ demonstration here speaks volume of the bond he had with his mother; the demonstration also provides for us a template or playbook regarding how families should care for the Matriarch of the family. Over the years many have pondered why Jesus did not refer to Mary as mother; instead he called her woman. Matthew Henry in a commentary wrote, He calls her woman, not mother, not out of any disrespect to her, but because mother would have been a cutting word to her who was already wounded with grief. He directs Mary to look upon John as her son: "Behold him as thy son, who stands there by you, and be as a mother to him." This was a huge honour for John and a testimony both to his prudence and to his fidelity. If He who knows all things had not known that John loved Him, He would not have made him Mary’s guardian. Jesus had no other way to provide for His mother than by His interest in a friend, which he does here. On this Mother’s Day we pay tribute and salute our mothers. Notwithstanding, the example set by Jesus regarding the care for his mother which occurred more than two thousand years ago, the relevance and currency still applies to this age of modernity. In this season of motherhood we should pause to forgive and to reset our relationships with our mothers. Perhaps your own mom had passed, however, there is always a mother who needs some assistance, maybe it is that prayer mother at church or an elderly aunt, a cousin or that lady who lives down the street. Motherhood goes beyond giving birth to child; there are many women who have mothered countless children and those women should be celebrated too. Motherhood has multi layers; diversity, strength and courage. To mothers who are mourning, may you find true comfort and peace that derive only from God Almighty during the challenging moments. In whatever way you can honour your own mother. This is your special day mothers, enjoy. Happy Mother’s Day to my mother Vinette Campbell. In the words of Kahlil Gibran, the most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word 'Mother', and the most beautiful call is the call of 'My Mother. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #MothersDay