A Mother’s Heart

Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling

For most, Mother’s Day is a happy occasion when the family gathers together and honors their mom. For some, however, it is a painful reminder of missed opportunities and regrets. For all mothers, the journey invokes a wide range of emotions from beaming pride and joy to haunting fears, anxiety, and doubts. Indeed, when a mother opens her heart to love her child, the greater she risks a broken heart. But our God redeems! We see glimpses of this reality in the Gospels. Luke tells us that on the eighth day of Jesus’ life, when Mary and Joseph presented their baby boy to the temple priest to receive covenantal circumcision and blessings, Simeon stepped forward and offered these prophetic words:

“This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:34-35 ESV

Can you imagine Mary’s emotional response? Just eight days earlier, shepherds had visited Mary and had shared their excitement regarding a celestial pronouncement that her boy would save the world. She treasured these words in her heart, but now the cost of bringing a Savior into the world is revealed. His mission to confront Israel’s sinful nature would result in much anguish—even the piercing of both of their souls. Then, twelve years later during the Passover, Jesus would linger in the temple at the feet of the Rabbis while the family returned to Nazareth. The second day of their journey, Mary would realize that Jesus had not traveled with the clan. So she hurried back to Jerusalem to find her lost boy—this time experiencing anguish and relief:

When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” Luke 2:48 ESV

Fast forward to the early months of Jesus ministry, the family would hear that he was behaving oddly—scarcely finding time and space to care for his own needs:

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” Mark 3:20-21 ESV

Finally, as Jesus’ mission came to its climax while hanging on a cross, Mary would draw near to her son and open heart and soul to suffer alongside him:

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27 ESV

No mother will ever know the extent of Mary’s joy and suffering, but all mothers whose hearts are turned toward God will experience similar moments of delight and despair. On Mother’s Day, we are reminded that our moms chose to bear the pain of childbirth and the delight of bringing a child into the world. And whether the biological or adoptive mother raises her child, the journey of joy and suffering continues. Beyond the Cross, Mary would witness the resurrection of her son and find rest for her soul. Similarly, this is the hope of any mother whose heart is turned toward God: that while her child must suffer death to “self,” there lies beyond the child’s suffering a resurrection to “life in Christ.” And a mother’s heart beats in sync with each and every twist and turn. This is why we celebrate our moms on Mother’s Day!