The Third Word

Jesus said to his Mother, “Woman this is your Son.” Then he said to the disciple:

“This is your mother.”

John 19:26-27

Rev. A. D. Hall

April 2020

This is the first time that Jesus speaks from the Cross in Johns’ gospel account, and it isn’t what you would expect, for we have just been told about the abuse and the mocking of Jesus by the soldiers. There is a life choice in this one point alone.

You can see that Jesus’ mind is on other things; the scene is a juxtapose between Soldiers of the empire and the woman and the devoted keeping vigil at the cross. So my first question is; Where are you in this picture today?

The group keeping vigil includes the two other Marys and Jesus mother (still unnamed) and “the disciple whom he loved.” Jesus concern for his mother is very evident within this narrative, his concern for her vulnerability is real. Women left alone in this patriarchal society didn’t fair well at all. The words he then utters are ‘family forming’ and reflect his deep concern for his mother to be placed within a family.

These words should console us too, as they show Jesus’ heart for all those who are vulnerable and alone - for them to be placed within the context of God’s family. In our world today in the midst of the Coronavirus outbreak, we are more than ever called to care for those who are in need, to help them get through this period. Acts of loving kindness towards our neighbours and those in distress can bring people back from the brink of despair and isolation and literally home and into the family fold of humanity. these acts are very powerful.

Thus my my second question; Can you help someone today?

With these words Jesus provides a son for his mother, something that was hugely important in his patriarchal world. A son could help to provide, both home and food for his family in those days. Just recently, Sylvia Whitworth posted a picture of the Burbage workhouse on the facebook page, which has haunted me.

These places were in every town and village right up until the recent past, they were the places that people had to go when they had no-one to provide for them.

These places still hold many painful memories for people in our wider families, memories that many choose to forget.

Friends we are entering into a new world, another epoch, all the preconceptions that we held are changing and reforming. From a world that valued money, prestige, the banker, the hedge fund manager, the sports star, we suddenly value the nurse, the van driver, the post man, the teacher, the refuse collector, the cleaner and our neighbour. Kingdoms come and go; Could it be in these last words of Jesus we see glimpse into our future?

A future where we are to value family, where we are to ‘form family,’ where we can change the world for good by loving your neighbour as yourself?

Now then this is a good point to leave this reflection and I do so by asking my final question/task.

Loving your neighbour as yourself is found eight times in the bible, not once, not twice, eight times; answers on a postcard to Fr Andrew at the Rectory please!

Fr Andrew