Woman, behold thy son ... and...
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"Woman, behold thy son" ... and to the disciple, "Behold your mother." The caring ministry of Jesus continued to the last moments of his life. That Jesus entrusted his mother to the disciple, John, raises several questions. Had Jesus been giving responsible oversight to his mother's care throughout his ministry? We have presumed his working in the carpenter's shop after Joseph's death. Did he continue to "look out" for his mother after he began his public ministry? And, if this is true, did he have to weigh his decision to face the Cross against his continuing responsibility for his mother? This might throw new light on his agonizing decisions toward the Cross. Now, on the Cross, he is being responsible toward his mother.
From the Cross, Jesus teaches the caring church. Long before the modern nursing home, before the existence of the county "poor farm" (may it rest in peace), churches provided homes for the kindly care of the elderly to assist hard-pressed families. The continuing body of Christ heeds the words, "Behold your mother."
From the Cross, Jesus teaches the caring church. Long before the modern nursing home, before the existence of the county "poor farm" (may it rest in peace), churches provided homes for the kindly care of the elderly to assist hard-pressed families. The continuing body of Christ heeds the words, "Behold your mother."
