Reason 45: Mary, the Widow's Example
100 Reasons I'm Retiring
There are several published devotionals about Mary, the Mother of Jesus, among them a lovely one published by my friends at Flourish Writers, Jenny Kochert and Mindy Kiker, Steadfast: Cultivating a Heart Like Mary. As I have journeyed through my own widowhood, it has occurred to me that Mary, too, needed to embrace life without Joseph. Although Scripture does not tell us when Joseph died, Mary was without him when Jesus began His ministry. Jesus’ admonition to John at the cross to take Mary into his home in John 14:6 indicates that she is now a widow.
I recall the Christmas before I gave birth to my first child, Dennis. I felt a kinship with Mary and her enceinte state. And now, I feel another draw to write about her as a widow and make connections between her experiences as a widow in the early days of the Church and now.
I’m gathering scriptures and plan to make this work part of my retirement!
Do you know of any sources I could use? Or ways in which Mary’s widowed state might connect to your own?
I may have mentioned before to you that I, too, am a widow. I do identify with Mary. She was a mother to, not only Jesus, but other adult children. They looked upon Jesus with confusion and, perhaps, hidden envy, manifesting in scorn or ridicule of His ministry. She was a mother torn between her adult children and differing ideas regarding Jesus. Perhaps, Mary had a soft spot for Jesus knowing the things that she had been told about Jesus' future ministry; the good, the bad and the ugly of what was to come. That soft spot might have caused jealousies.
She had hidden these things in her heart but now it was unfolding before her. She no longer had Joseph to share her concerns and wonder with. Her other adult children were likely pressuring her to protect her reputation lest the Romans come after her, all of them, when things started to get heated in Jesus' ministry. It is so hard as a mother to stay balanced when you have more than one child. You've seen them grow up, know their strengths and weaknesses and cannot keep the peace among them all now that they are adults.
She knows what she was told by angel. She knows the Scriptural references to Jesus' end, especially the description in Isaiah. She feels this precarious balance between the miraculous and the harsh realities of living under Roman rule and the Pharisees. It must have been a constant dance between Faith and fear in her heart seeing the prophecies unfold before her.
They are all adults now and, as a woman in that society, she knows she has limited influence on the events...and should she even say anything because God ordained Him for this purpose that was coming to fruition. For whatever reason she likely had not shared the knowledge of Jesus' path with her children, so they reacted as siblings offended by the possible dishonour He was bringing on the family.
I am sure she felt very vulnerable because in her heart she knew that it would not end well for Jesus on this earth and she needed the protection on her remaining children in her older age. The conflict in her heart, the vulnerability, the love she had for Jesus balanced with the love she had for her other children...what a mix and turmoil it must have been for her. Of course, her mothering instincts were to protect Jesus from Himself because she did not want the terrible fate she feared to come upon her first born son. It must have been as much of a walk of Faith for her as it was for Jesus to walk it out. Hiding her fore-knowledge of Jesus' anointing and appointment as the Son of God must have been excruciating for her.
It is also interesting that Jesus gave the responsibility of caring for Mary in the future to John, not His siblings. He knew she would need someone who intimately understood the Love of Jesus/God to care for her going forward. Jesus also knew that John would not be killed for the Faith so would be able to be there for her. She likely walked with the growing group of Jesus followers after Jesus' death so He gave John the job of 'son' to protect her into her old age.
Good morning,
After Jesus death on the cross, there was no further mention of Mary
in the King James Bible. In my readings, I haven't come a cross any information on her life as a widow. I am sorry that I am not able to help you. GOD BLESS!