Mary the Mother of the Lord
John 19:25 NKJV — Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
Acts 1:14 NKJV — These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
The Lord’s Care for His Mother
Simeon had predicted that Mary would have a broken heart from sorrow when the Lord was born. In Luke 2:34-35 we read, “Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also).'” That day at the cross had to be a dreadful day for her even though she was told to expect it. But the Lord told the disciple that He loved (John the Apostle) to treat Mary as his own mother. One wonders if the Lord’s brothers and sisters were at the cross. John was apparently more of a son to Mary than her own children. It is touching to realize that Mary was with the disciples who gathered as one in prayer and supplication after the Lord’s ascension.
The Two Most Important Mothers in Our Lives
Obviously the first mother that most would mention as being important in their lives is their own. Whether we feel we had good mothers or not, we wouldn’t be here without a mother. I feel for those women who would have liked to be mothers but for one reason or another could not bear children. Some never were able to marry. Some could not bear children for some biological reason. But it is obvious that May was called the mother of a man that was not her biological son by the Lord. We know that many who could not bear children have been mothers to many who needed them. And we thank the Lord for that.
The second most Important mother in our lives would be Mary. While she is important we need to remember that she was just a sinner saved by grace like the rest of us. She recognized her need of a Savior in Luke 1:47. We don’t pray to her. We don’t need her to intercede on our behalf to God. Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” But we certainly can honor her for her faithfulness to God in both bearing this Son out of wedlock and in raising Him.
Mothers that weren’t so Praiseworthy
Not every Biblical mother is worthy of praise. We read about a wicked mother in 2 Kings 11:1, “When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs.” She apparently was more concerned with power than she was concerned about her own offspring. She certainly did not have a maternal instinct.
Eve, the mother of all living people (Genesis 3:20), certainly troubled this society in which we live by listening to the subtle lie of the serpent instead of obeying God. Sara, the wife of Abraham laughed when she was told she would bear a son in old age (Genesis 18:12).
Model Mothers
Timothy had a model mother and grandmother. Paul says that he was filled with joy “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also (2 Timothy 1:5).”
Obviously, Mary was a model mother. We are thankful for every mother who realizes that she has the most important job in the world when she takes her mother role seriously. When she does that,”Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her (Proverbs 31:28).”
Good mothers are a true blessing and many children will be in heaven because a faithful mother taught them the truth of Scripture and, more than that, prayed for her children. What a shame it would be to bring children into this world who died without knowing that God had provided a Savior for them.
Bruce Collins
Meditation for the week of May 9, 2021