Loose Ends

“And to the disciple, Jesus said, ‘Here is your Mother.’” John 19:27

As Jesus hung on the cross dying, He refused to leave this earth without making sure His beloved Mother was taken care of. He finds His Mother in the crowd, and then He looks at John, His disciple, and He gives them to one another. In effect, Jesus was saying, “John, I am going to a throne. Mom is going to your home.” He didn’t really ask John. It was not a request…just a simple command. “You are going to take My Mother and make her your Mother.” The timing of this is remarkable. Jesus is at the peak of His agony. He is doing His greatest and hardest work. Yet, He takes the time to care for His Mother. There is much to learn from His example.

Even when you are doing God’s work, or are busy just trying to make a living for your family, you should never neglect them. I have a personal practice that I have shared with every staff person who has ever worked with me. My philosophy is quite simple: God first, family second, and Church a distant third. I made my mind up early in my ministry career that I would not sacrifice my marriage and family on the altar of ministerial success under the guise of “doing it for God” and His work. The very best thing I can do as a pastor is to be the best husband and father I can be, striving to love my family well. Even to the end, Jesus wanted to be the best son that He could be.

Jesus had brothers and sisters. What about them? Why didn’t He entrust Mary to them? It is because they were not at the cross. They were not believers until after the resurrection. They were nowhere to be found. So Jesus turned to a non-relative, who became even closer to Him that His own siblings. This demonstrates Jesus’ deep love and concern for His Mother’s well being. He didn’t just want her physical needs met, but her spiritual ones as well. He had spent the past three years showing John how to love and serve sacrificially; and now He wanted His Mother to be the recipient of such love. What a beautiful picture of a son’s love.

Jesus did not leave any loose ends on this earth. He completed all of the work that His Father gave Him to do; and He did so with thoughtfulness and grace…especially when it came to His family.

God, Help me to love my family with thoughtfulness and grace. If there are any loose ends in my life that need to be taken care of for my family, please show me so that I can know I have done my best for them. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.