“Mary the Mother” Part 7– Ain’t No Heartbreak Like a Mother’s Heartbreak

As we wrap up our study of Mary the mother of Jesus, we look in on the fulfillment of Simeon’s prophecy and experience the breaking of a mother’s heart.

Let’s remember that while Jesus was the Divine, wrapped in human flesh, Mary was a very human mother. We have seen that she was told she would bear the Son of God. We have seen her faithfulness to that call beginning with what looked like a shocking and controversial teenage pregnancy. We considered that she had much to ponder in her life that so intertwined with her Savior (and ours).

Mary pushed Jesus to perform His first miracle that recorded in the Gospels. After that moment of pride and joy, she soon experienced what surely felt like rejection as Jesus focused on His earthly ministry. [See Matthew 12:48-50]

Then, things got worse. Mary had been promised that her heart would break. In spite of that, I can’t imagine that she was actually prepared for it when it happened. I can’t imagine that any mother could be prepared for what Jesus was about to go through: savagely beaten [Isa. 52:14], mocked and spit on [ Mark 14:65; 15:19], and crucified with common criminals [Luke 23:33].

But bless her mother’s heart, she was THERE until the bitter end.

John 19:25 [NKJV] 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

How could a mother bear it? It probably helped that she had her tribe of women with her, including her sister, whom we hear nothing about other than this incident, Mary the wife of Clopas, whom we only meet here as well, and the dedicated support of Jesus, Mary Magdalene.

She was strong, this Mary the mother, in ways that we might miss if we don’t look closely.

While it had to be brutal on her heart and spirit, she was there for her oldest child in His darkest hour. Isn’t that what we mothers do? No matter how a child might break our hearts, whether by his/her life choices or by difficulties out of his/her control, we show up when they need us.

Because Mary acted like the loving mother she was, we get to witness one of the most touching interactions between Jesus and anyone. We are comforted by knowing that some of Jesus’ final thoughts were for the welfare of His earthly mother, ensuring that she was cared for when He was gone.

John 19:26-27 [NKJV] 26 When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own [home].

We can only imagine her joy at Jesus’ resurrection and ascension back up to heaven. He was a gift to the world, of course. But He was also Mary’s child, grown in her womb, nourished at her breasts, wanted and loved, supported and encouraged through it all.

I’m trying to imagine what Mary’s prayers would have been like once she could pray in Jesus’ name. What did she say to her Heavenly Father, knowing that the one who’d been her first born was also His. Knowing that the one she bounced on her knee now advocated for her.

John 19:25 [NKJV] 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

We can learn a lot from Mary. She was humble and willing to serve. She was bold enough to push Jesus toward His first miracle. She was supportive and faithful. She had tenacity, wisdom and strength. She had the courage to stand with Jesus through His suffering and crucifixion. She loved like a mother, and, like a mother, she held on to the end.

Mary was blessed to raise our Savior and He will raise her to new life when He returns. That would be awesome to witness.

I’d like to sit down with Mary and ask her to tell the story from her own vantage point. What a thrilling and spell-binding tail that must be!

Thank you for joining me on this journey to learn more about and from Mary the mother of Jesus.

I welcome your comments and questions. You can write me in the chat, or any time at Nancy@DymanicChristianMinistries.org.