Marys faith... Continued... A LONG SWORD WILL BE RUN THROUGH YOU One may ask, Did Marys faith in Jesus rewarded? God never fails to reward faith, and surely Marys case was no exception. (Hebrews 11:6) Just imagine what it was for her to hear her son speak or to hear reports of his sermons from others who heard them firsthand. Imagine from her sons illustrations, if Mary detected some echoes of Jesus childhood as he was growing up io Nazareth! When Jesus spoke of a woman sweeping her house to find a lost coin, grinding flour for bread, or lighting a lamp and setting it atop a stand, did Mary think of that little boy who had been at her side as she carried out such daily tasks? (Luke 11:33, 15:8, 9, 17:35) When Jesus said that his yoke was kindly and his load light, did Mary think back on some golden afternoon back when she watched Joseph teach a young Jesus how to make and shape a yoke with care so that an animal could bear it in comfort? (Matthew 11:30) Surely Mary found immense satisfaction in contemplating the privilege that God had given her in life -that of helping to raise and train the son who would become the Messiah. She must have found unique joy in litsening to Jesus, the greatest of human teachers, who took such commonplace objects and scenes and drew from them the most profound of lessons! Yet, Mary remained humble. Her son never set up for adulation, let alone worshipful devotion. During his ministry, a woman in the crowd cried out that Jesus mother must truly be happy for giving birth to him. He replied: No, rather, happy are those hearing the word of God and keep it! (Luke 11:27, 28) And when some in a crowd pointed out to Jesus that his mother and his brothers were near, he said that those who believed were really his mothers and brothers. Far from taking offense, Mary surely understood Jesus point -spiritual ties are far more important than fleshy ones. (Mark 3:32-35) Still, what words could convey the pain that Mary felt as she saw her son suffer a terible death on a torture stake? An eye witness to the execution, the apostle John, later included this telling detail in his account: During the ordeal, Mary was standing by the torture stake of Jesus. Nothing could prevent that loyal, loving Mother from standing by her son to the very last. Jesus saw her, and though every breath he drew was an agony and every word he uttered cost him dearly, he spoke. He placed his mother in the care of his beloved apostle John. Since Jesus fleshly brothers were still unbelievers, Jesus entrusted Mary to none of them but to a sincere follower of his. Jesus thus showed how important it is for a man of faith to care for those who are his own, especially when it comes to their spiritual needs. ( John 19:25-27). When Jesus death at last came, Mary felt the pain foretold so long ago, the piercing long sword of grief. If we find it hard to imagine the extend of her grief, how much more so are we at a loss to imagine the joy she felt three days later! Mary learned of the greatest of all miracles -JESUS had been resurrected! And her joy was compounded, for Jesus later appeared to his half brother James, no doubt in private. (1 Corinthians 15:7). That meeting affected James and Jesus other half brothers as well. We later learn that they came to believe in Jesus as the Christ. Soon, they were at Christian meetings with their mother, persisting in prayer. (Acts 1:14) Two of them, James and Jude, later wrote books of the Bible. We find the last mention of Mary at the meeting with her sons, praying. What a fitting end to Marys record, and what an example she left behind! Because of her faith, she survived the sword of grief and received, at last, a glorious reward. If we imitate her faith, we too will survive whatever wounds this hard world inflicts on us and we will enjoy rewards greater than we can imagine. END. If you have followed the posts about Mary and her faith to now, then you have a reason to say, THE HAIL MARY... I love you all sisters and brothers in Christ.
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 06:08:18 +0000
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