Since the fall of humanity in Genesis 3, grief and pain have become inevitable human experiences. Each person experiences grief and pain differently and the women in the Bible were not without such experiences. Eve, the first woman, had to deal with the death of Abel. Sarah dealt with the pain of childlessness; Naomi lost husband and all her children in a foreign land; Hannah was taunted by her rival for being childless; Bethsheba lost her husband (Uriah) and her child; the Shunammite woman was childless etc. The list goes on and on. We began the women in the New Testament with Elizabeth, a woman who experienced the pain of childlessness. The difference between the women in the Bible and the ordinary woman (without Christ) in the 21st century is how they deal with the effects of the pain and grief. All the women I stated above received help from God that took away the pain of their past. What about knowing that your child's pain is actually the bridge to free billions of people from eternal pain?
Mary was not new to pain. She might have faced societal discrimination for being pregnant before her wedding. She had to endure the pain of giving birth to her firstborn in a stable. She had to flee with her husband and child to avoid Herod's evil decree. She felt the pain of having a missing child for three days. After her son turned thirty years old, she might have seen him tired, hungry, busy and opposed by the religious leaders. It is no doubt that Mary might have been an ardent follower of her son and encountered some of the things Jesus experienced. Even though Mary knew that she couldn't hold on to her son for a long time, she couldn't bear to see him in pain. The Easter story reminds us of what happened to Mary’s son. Jesus was arrested by the same people he came to save. He faced a series of accusations, he was tried and condemned to die on the cross. Mary did not miss these. She followed her son even unto the cross.
On the journey to Golgotha (Calgary), Mary might have cried seeing her son, all beaten and wounded with blood all over his body. Mary's son was not just tired, he was weak from all the beatings he received from the temple soldiers and the Roman soldiers. His cross became quite difficult to carry. Mary saw her son struggling to drag this cross up the hill. She was all broken, she was in pain and her grief was endless at that time. Mary might have asked within herself why God allowed sinners to do this to her son. Mary might have been relieved when Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry Jesus' cross (Matthew 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26). Mary was right there when the soldiers nailed her son to the cross, she saw as they fixed the crown of thorns on his head, she saw them mock her son, she even saw the two thieves who were crucified with her son. How could a sinless man die between two sinners? Mary looked up the cross and wept. "Oh God help me" she might have said between the tears. She was afraid, sad and was in so much grief.
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. (John 19:26-27)
While most of the apostles fled for their lives, near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene (John 19:25). These women loved the Lord and were all in pain. Before Jesus died, he looked down from the cross and he saw his mother there. Jesus also saw the disciple whom he loved (John the apostle) standing nearby, and Jesus said to Mary, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home (John 19:26-27). Mary was handed over to John the apostle before Jesus died. She saw all the post crucifixion experiences: the darkness, the burial of Jesus and even the stone that was rolled and sealed by the tomb. As Mary walked back to Jerusalem, she would have recalled the memories she had of Jesus. She was a woman with so much pain.
Yet, though weeping may endure for the night, joy will come in the morning. To all in any sort of pain, remember to cry unto God to restore your joy. Let's bear each other up. Shalom!
Comments