34. The Son of Love

Thursday 28th March 

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Pause:

Today's reading: John 19. 25-27

From the height of Calvary's peak, lifted high above the crowd Jesus could survey the world for miles and miles around.
The city of Jerusalem, with it's imposing Temple thronging with pilgrims...
The roofs of the surrounding villages of Judea, where His ministry has been reaching out these past three years...
Off to one side, the providence of Samaria, where He too has placed His feet and shared His love...
And beyond, the further horizons stretching to the ends of the earth.

I'm sure those words returned to Him: "For God so loved the world..." and that that thought sustained Him through the hours of agony - "I'm doing this for them - that the world may know..." 

But just for a moment, His gaze drops to the baying mob encircling Him like prowling animals.
His ears are drawn deeper than the shouting to sounds of sobbing and weeping.
His gaze finally rest on those eyes He has known since the very beginning.
Mary.
His mother.

Next to her stands His closest friend, John. They rest in each other's embrace, holding onto each other when their own strength fails.

Mary's heart is completely torn, but her eyes are fixed on Jesus. 
His lips start to move and she presses in to listen.

“Woman," He says tenderly. He turns his head to look at John: "look - here is your son,”
She bursts into tears, knowing immediately what He means. 
His life is leaving Him, and He is leaving her - but not alone...

Then His eye's met John's. "And John..." John leans forward and strains His hear His master's final command: "look - here is your mother,”

Now John too is in floods of tears. 
This is it.
This is the end.
And Jesus has used His some of His final words not to shout or swear or condemn or judge... but to make sure His mother and His friend have strength and comfort once He is gone.
With His final breaths He is showing us once more love's full extent.
He is, to the very end, The Son of Love.
 

Reflection:

Here is your son.
Here is your mother.

The cross of Christ invites us in a fresh relationship with God as our Father - a free and full relationship as fully legitimate sons and daughters.
But it also does more than that.
He brings us fully into the family of God.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what He suffered. Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them sisters and brothers.
He says: “I will declare Your name to my sisters and brothers;
    in the assembly I will sing Your praises.”

HEBREWS 1.10-12

How do you think of other Christians? 
Here Christ call to you today:
"Look - behold your sister!"
"Look - behold your brother!"

Perhaps it was with this very moment in mind that an older John would write to the churches:

"Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer,
and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for our sisters and brothers."

1 John 3.15-16

Look around you - see your sisters and brothers... the same family in Jesus!
People who love you!
People willing to lay down their lives for you!
Welcome to the family!
You are a child of love!
 

Question for today:

• How can I express my love for my sisters and brothers today?

Prayer:

Lord, help me to walk in
the boots of the miner,
the shoes of the trader,
the moccasins of the trapper
and the sandals of Jesus the Master.

NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER
(An Iona Prayer Book by Peter Millar)
 

 I prayed this.

My prayer for today: (if you would like to, please feel free to add your own prayer here):