12 After this, Jesus and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days.
25 Jesus’ mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood near the cross. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
Jesus loved his mother Mary. We seldom note John 2:12’s report of a family visit amid Jesus' busy ministry. Mary was lovingly, loyally at the cross—and even dying, Jesus was loyal to her. “When Jesus saw his mother, he… could not commit her to the care of his brothers, for they did not believe in him yet (John 7:5).… So Jesus committed Mary to John’s care and John to Mary’s, so that they should comfort each other’s loneliness when he was gone. There is something infinitely moving in the fact that Jesus in the agony of the Cross, when the world’s salvation hung in the balance, thought of the loneliness of his mother in the days ahead.”*
Lord Jesus, what a great choice Mary was to be your mother! Thank you for showing your love and caring for her, even in the hardest experience you ever faced. Amen.
* William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of John—Volume 2 Chapters 8–21 (Revised Edition). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, page 257.
Mary’s life story is an epic tale of incredible faith, seemingly crushing defeats, & ultimately glorious victories. She would have such a unique perspective of the many episodes during her life:
Today’s question references one of the Bible’s most fascinating scenes: Mary & Joseph present Jesus at the Temple for consecration & encounter an older man named Simeon. Let’s take a look:
Forty days after Jesus’ birth, Mary & Joseph encounter our friend, Simeon, who is described as good & pious. The Holy Spirit had informed Simeon that he would not die before seeing the anointed One. So, Simeon has been quietly waiting.
Mary & Joseph enter the Temple & Simeon instantly realizes that this newborn boy is the One – Simeon’s calling has been fulfilled. But Simeon isn’t quite done. He comes to the young couple & pronounces a prophetic blessing that this little One would bring salvation to God’s people, reveal God to the Gentiles, & restore glory to Israel. But Simeon also warns that Jesus will also be quite controversial - those who choose to believe will rise & those who deny Him will fall & Mary will experience this rejection firsthand. She & Joseph are amazed by Simeon’s words.
If we take a 20,000-feet view of this scene, we have an older man eagerly waiting to fulfill God’s calling on his life & wanting to help a young overwhelmed couple to recognize that their infant son is a blessed gift from God. This raises 2 questions for us today:
Have we allowed a seasoned-citizen like Simeon to bless our lives? With Matthew graduating & Jacob wrapping up his sophomore year in high school, I was reflecting on the many “Simeons” who have blessed us at church. Nursery volunteers like Millie who would be there every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. to comfort & pray over our boys while we were in worship, or the many fantastic mentors, like Dick & Vicki Holdman & Joyce & Scott Blakesley, who have made the church a place of such inspiration, or our fellow congregants who have faithfully worshipped with us the past 19 years - they not only encourage Doris & myself, but they also get to be the ones to ask the boys how their studies are going, or press the boys about whether they do a good job texting Mom & Dad of their whereabouts, or our fellow K-Staters are the ones reminding Matthew to make sure he calls his Mom frequently so she can hear his voice when he is off to Manhattan next fall.
Conversely, have we taken advantage of the opportunities to be a “Simeon” in the lives of others? For example, there is a new group forming, The Blue Valley North Father’s Club, which is a Dad-led grassroots effort to collectively support our kids, our families, & our communities. In coordination with the administration & faculty, we’ll seek out volunteer opportunities within the school & try to help support the overall mental health of our young people.
May Simeon’s life be an inspiration for each of us this day. Who knows what a blessing it might be?
Now if you’ll excuse me, with stormy weather in the forecast, we are preparing for Matthew’s graduation shindig tomorrow. Or as Joseph might say in the midst of a turbulent storm, “Hail. Mary.”
13720 Roe Ave.
Leawood, KS 66224
(913) 897-0120
24000 W. Valley Pkwy
Olathe, KS 66061
(913) 538-7800
1601 Grand Blvd.
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 979-1330
601 NE Jefferson St.
Blue Springs, MO 64014
(816) 389-8900
8412 W. 95th St.
Overland Park, KS 66212
(913) 642-4400
Call the Leawood Campus office at (913) 897-0120, or email using the form below.