Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? … For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” -Matthew 12:48 & 50
Dear members & friends,
Mother Mary had a son who was very special and unique. Jesus was born with visions and dreams that all pointed toward the important life he would lead. In the Gospels, we read that Mary became pregnant without knowing a man, meaning the father of her son was not human, but God. In a way, a human female having the child of a god was not totally out of context to the people at the time because both Greek & Roman mythology is full of stories about gods coupling with human females. However, her claim or belief was that the father of her son was none of those gods, but the one and only God of the Israelites. This was controversial beyond any imagination because the heart of Judaism at the time was that divinity and humanity were not compatible.
As the mother of a very special child, Mary might have struggled deeply with how to raise her son to fulfil such a big task: saving humanity! As a parent – though I am a father – I can relate deeply to the concerns and struggles that Mary might have had regarding how to prepare her child for a life that is uncertain and rapidly changing. If simply loving them is all that is needed, raising children could be quite an easy task for most parents. However, children needs more than just simple love from parents to grow well physically, mentally and spiritually, regardless of what they would achieve in life. For this purpose, love of the parents, especially that of the mother, is something that even God was counting on as sufficient enough to raise a child to be the Messiah, the Savior of humanity.
The role of a mother is probably the most important force in the life of a child. And, the love of a mother for her child is known to us all as the love that most closely resembles the love of God. Mary became a mother around the age of 16, but was both mature and wise enough to nurture the little Jesus in his formative ages while becoming the savior of the humanity! What is at the core of this motherhood that was sufficient enough to nurture God incarnate? It is a love that knows no end and no limit. Such is the love of mother for her child!
Blessings, Rev. Junchol Lee