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Making a new home and family in God: The Third Last Word of Jesus


Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
Over the last few weeks, our sense of HOME and FAMILY has been adjusted and readjusted. For essential workers that long to be HOME with family – to telecommuting workers who are learning to manage the blurred lines of family/work and home – to people living on their own in quarantine who are apart from human connection in all it capacities – apart from phone and video conferencing; the account of Jesus making a new FAMILY AND HOME connection for his mother and his disciple is one that we can relate to.

Either we need “real” connections in our quarantined status – or we need clarity on how all these mixed up spaces can possibly work together. Some may say that things in our world feel both lonely and chaotic at the same time – just as is the experience of Jesus in this account from John.

In route to his crucifixion – in the midst of angry crowds – disillusioned and frightened disciples – gloating pharisees – and his grief-stricken mother.  Jesus is in a moment of physical, emotional and spiritual chaos – and pauses. He sees through the chaos, the needs of his mother and his disciple. She in need of a son and family/home for he for a mother/parent/protector.

Jesus in his own moment of pain – notices the need of someone else. Here Jesus – fully God and fully human – lives out of both and all of who he is. He digs deep and sees the need of the people he loves. In this gesture he says:

“I’m sorry I can’t stay here with you – I need to say goodbye for now. But look – here is my mother – she can be a mother to you. And look here is my friend – he can be a son to you.”

What compassion, what grace – for someone to see the invisible but physical, spiritual and emotional need of another soul; and do what they can to provide. Isn’t this a “Jesus” thing to do?

Today, you probably have a need for Jesus to bring clarity to the chaos, to be a sign of hope in hopeless circumstances – and to bring you back into community and relationship with God and people, in new and unexpected ways.

Is there someone that the Holy Spirit may be calling you to connect or reconnect with? Is there a blood relation or acquaintance – that could become a new “parent” or “child” in your life?


So, we pause. We pray. We ask for a way forward in a new and changing world – and in this pause, I ask Jesus… who do I need as a parent or child AND who needs me as a parent or child? God help us to pause and recognize the needs of our hearts; for true home and true family forged in the compassion and grace of God.
AMEN


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