Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 8, 2020
Guest Writer: Rachel Faulkner Brown
Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, Dear woman, here is your son. John 19:25-26, NLT
My wife, Rita and I had the joy of touring Israel last November with 25 friends, including Rachel and Rod Brown. Each day a different person would share a devotional. The day we sat on the side of the Mount of Olives, Rachel shared these heartfelt words, revealing a mom’s love for her son. Beautifully written, here is what could have been Mary’s reflections and love for Jesus:
My beloved Yeshua [Jesus],
I came back to the garden today and prayed for you while I was here.
I wanted to reflect on your life and tell you a few things before I forget. I wanted to get a few things written down so you will remember and so you will have a written record of my love for you.
I want to remind you and remember with you:
When Gabriel came to me that day when I was 14, I could have never imagined this life. I was playing with friends and enjoying life as a young woman until everything changed. My days with you have been beautifully hard as it is a bit unique to parent the Son of Yahweh himself. To say we have had an unusual life might be the understatement of the century. That day that John declared ’Behold the Lamb of God’ I could have never dreamed what he really meant. All the years of buying a paschal lamb and you always knew you were going to be the final lamb ever sacrificed.
Yeshua, the day we lost you in the caravan I knew we would NEVER forget that day. To watch you question and discuss with the rabbis and scholars at age 12 unbelievable.
You were our son but your life was so set apart. It was clear that your understanding of the Scriptures was not like ours. We were so upset and devastated that we lost you but to find you teaching was so confounding. I’m your mom… so watching you do something so beyond your years was so hard to understand even though I lived with you and birthed you. I hated that day because I felt so helpless when you were lost but I loved finding you in your Father’s House…you MOST definitely belonged there.
Watching you grow into a young man we saw things that others will never know or see, we can always hide those treasures in our heart when we miss you here.
To watch you step out at the wedding of our friend in Canna and perform your first miracle was probably one of my favorite nights of your entire life. Your daddy Joseph would have been so proud. I’ll admit—it has not been easy to let you go into the fulfillment of your calling here.
That wedding was my favorite night, you listened to my cries to help this pitiful family who ran out of wine—I saw my boy in action. To watch your child do what they were born to do is the greatest event to witness. You were so calm and yet you and I both knew that night was a turning point for you and for me. My heart explodes thinking about watching you perform miracles. You were born for a lot of things but that night was just the beginning of what you and Yahweh had always planned.
To say that I am still scarred by the events after Passover does not even touch my emotion.
Yeshua ..the trial, the beating, the walking up the hill with that tree…it was all so brutal for you and I have never ever wanted the pain to be on me more. Even as a child when you would fall down I wanted to fix it and that day…it was on an exponential scale. The six hours you hung dying I truly begged God to take me instead. Just to make it stop for you was all I wanted.
The darkness was not just dark…it was like the light in my life was gone. You…my baby boy… were gone and I was left alone. You charged John to care for me but all I wanted to do was to care for you. My boy, your time in the grave was the darkest sorrow I have ever known. To lose a child must be the greatest pain a human can ever face but somehow I had missed, even though you probably told me, that you would return. Although you raised Lazarus, no one else had ever come back from the dead without you there. So of course, your death was brutally final to all of us.
Yes your miraculous return was unreal and my heart almost cannot even take it in even now.
You my son, are MY BELOVED… and I am so proud of you. I cannot believe I GET to be your mother. I cannot believe Abba chose me.
I cannot believe you are MY MESSIAH.
My son, YOU are the LAMB OF God.
I get it…. My son…
YOU ARE MY SAVIOR.
Love you forever,
Eema [Momma]
Prayer
Father, give me the heartfelt trust and love for Jesus, like his mother Mary. In His name, Amen.
Application
Write a note to your mom and thank her for specific ways she has loved you over the years.
Related Reading
Genesis 24:67; 1 Kings 3:26; Matthew 19:19; John 19:26
Here is a helpful resource during these days of grief, sorrow and uncertainty: A Little Book of Comfort
Post/Tweet today
Mary’s love for Jesus is a window we can look through to gaze on how we can love Jesus. #wisdomhunters #stayhere #truth #Jesus
Worship Resource
7-minute video- Cimorelli:
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