Interview with Mary, Mother of Jesus.
I know my blog readers are looking for inspiration at this Christmas season, so I thought I would step into my time capsule and go back to Jerusalem to interview Jesus’ mother, Mary, for her unique perspective on the mind-blowing experience of mothering God’s Son. Here is my report.
Doug:
I want to thank you, Mary, for your consenting to share with us your thoughts about your son Jesus at this season for commemorating his birth. We know that you have the reputation as one who ponders things of spiritual import; you must have had much to mull over as Jesus grew into manhood and left home for his public ministry. Tell us, was he a divine baby?
Mary:
Now don’t get me confused with your theological puns. If you mean was he a good baby—yes and no. He certainly was all baby. I mean he was my first, and what did I know about babies. Joseph wasn’t much help either. He had a good heart—after all, he stuck with me during the pregnancy. But would you expect a man who took me on a long donkey ride at full term to be of much practical help later?
Doug:
You mention that Jesus was your first. How would you compare him to your other boys? James, for example. You knew Jesus had a special role to play, but did you expect James to become a leader too?
Mary:
Yes, I was privy to the secret that Jesus would be the Messiah, but James always seemed to have the more traditional qualities of leadership. He always knew how to take charge and how to enforce conformity. With Jesus you never knew what he was going to do. We never doubted his sense of certainty. But I think he kept a lot of things to himself in his early years. I mean the things he would say sometimes you wouldn’t believe. I should have kept a notebook, but I didn’t understand half of it. I think it frustrated him sometimes that he didn’t have anyone to talk to that understood him. You remember the temple incident at age 12.
Doug:
Was Jesus well-liked as a kid? Did he get along with people?
Mary:
Mostly yes, some no. Jesus had a reputation in Nazareth for his good behavior and pleasant disposition. My closest friends always asked me how I did it—he never caused trouble; he was polite and considerate. That’s why it was such a shock to everyone later when he got into trouble with the authorities and became so controversial. But I should have seen it coming, because with all of his considerateness and graciousness, he had a way of making some people uncomfortable. I don’t know whether it was jealousy because his friends didn’t see any reason for him to become so renowned or they thought it inappropriate for a carpenter to become a spiritual leader. But certain people seemed to sense that Jesus was a threat of some kind—that he was not your ordinary guy, that if he had his way with things the world would be turned upside down and we’d be left scrambling for our places. Jesus was a beautiful person with a special touch, but he didn’t use the old approaches or work through the system; so some people did not trust him.
Doug:
It has been only a short time now since Jesus’ humiliation on the cross. If his reputation rests on what is being bandied about concerning him now, will you want to show yourself in public?
Mary: First of all, we Jewish women aren’t accustomed to “showing ourselves in public.” But as for Jesus’ reputation, don’t believe all the things you hear. Right now those who are talking are the ones who don’t understand. Jesus’ ministry and message had little to do with temple worship and hierarchy of leadership. The disgruntled voices will dim to the extent that we begin to realize that Jesus was the answer, not the problem. I have a dream of how the love that Jesus practiced and shared will take hold and be an eternal inspiration, and it won’t need an official stamp.
Doug:
But Mary, you are waxing eloquent. How can you have a dream? Wasn’t just being Jesus’ mother all that God should ask of you?
Mary:
You’re right. Mothering was a big job. But my kids are raised, and I’m not dead yet. Jesus did something for me--a human just like you--that I cannot repress. He showed me and some of my best friends what it is like to be loved by God. I am not the same girl to whom the angel appeared 33 years ago. Then I didn’t know what to think. Sure, I tittered about it some with my cousin Elizabeth, but I mostly just “pondered’ it all, as you say. But you just watch. Some of us have been talking, especially since the angel’s appearance by the empty tomb. Something is going to happen. Keep your eye on Peter too—despite his blusteriness and his recent sense of shame. Jesus spent a lot of time building a new personal awareness in him too. Love will carry the day!
Doug:
It seems Jesus was quite a puzzle—not the kind of person to be neutral about. Thank you, Mary, for your insights. You should have kept a notebook.
Mary:
Would you have read it? People (other than Jesus) don’t pay much attention to women these days.
Doug Good
Doug:
I want to thank you, Mary, for your consenting to share with us your thoughts about your son Jesus at this season for commemorating his birth. We know that you have the reputation as one who ponders things of spiritual import; you must have had much to mull over as Jesus grew into manhood and left home for his public ministry. Tell us, was he a divine baby?
Mary:
Now don’t get me confused with your theological puns. If you mean was he a good baby—yes and no. He certainly was all baby. I mean he was my first, and what did I know about babies. Joseph wasn’t much help either. He had a good heart—after all, he stuck with me during the pregnancy. But would you expect a man who took me on a long donkey ride at full term to be of much practical help later?
Doug:
You mention that Jesus was your first. How would you compare him to your other boys? James, for example. You knew Jesus had a special role to play, but did you expect James to become a leader too?
Mary:
Yes, I was privy to the secret that Jesus would be the Messiah, but James always seemed to have the more traditional qualities of leadership. He always knew how to take charge and how to enforce conformity. With Jesus you never knew what he was going to do. We never doubted his sense of certainty. But I think he kept a lot of things to himself in his early years. I mean the things he would say sometimes you wouldn’t believe. I should have kept a notebook, but I didn’t understand half of it. I think it frustrated him sometimes that he didn’t have anyone to talk to that understood him. You remember the temple incident at age 12.
Doug:
Was Jesus well-liked as a kid? Did he get along with people?
Mary:
Mostly yes, some no. Jesus had a reputation in Nazareth for his good behavior and pleasant disposition. My closest friends always asked me how I did it—he never caused trouble; he was polite and considerate. That’s why it was such a shock to everyone later when he got into trouble with the authorities and became so controversial. But I should have seen it coming, because with all of his considerateness and graciousness, he had a way of making some people uncomfortable. I don’t know whether it was jealousy because his friends didn’t see any reason for him to become so renowned or they thought it inappropriate for a carpenter to become a spiritual leader. But certain people seemed to sense that Jesus was a threat of some kind—that he was not your ordinary guy, that if he had his way with things the world would be turned upside down and we’d be left scrambling for our places. Jesus was a beautiful person with a special touch, but he didn’t use the old approaches or work through the system; so some people did not trust him.
Doug:
It has been only a short time now since Jesus’ humiliation on the cross. If his reputation rests on what is being bandied about concerning him now, will you want to show yourself in public?
Mary: First of all, we Jewish women aren’t accustomed to “showing ourselves in public.” But as for Jesus’ reputation, don’t believe all the things you hear. Right now those who are talking are the ones who don’t understand. Jesus’ ministry and message had little to do with temple worship and hierarchy of leadership. The disgruntled voices will dim to the extent that we begin to realize that Jesus was the answer, not the problem. I have a dream of how the love that Jesus practiced and shared will take hold and be an eternal inspiration, and it won’t need an official stamp.
Doug:
But Mary, you are waxing eloquent. How can you have a dream? Wasn’t just being Jesus’ mother all that God should ask of you?
Mary:
You’re right. Mothering was a big job. But my kids are raised, and I’m not dead yet. Jesus did something for me--a human just like you--that I cannot repress. He showed me and some of my best friends what it is like to be loved by God. I am not the same girl to whom the angel appeared 33 years ago. Then I didn’t know what to think. Sure, I tittered about it some with my cousin Elizabeth, but I mostly just “pondered’ it all, as you say. But you just watch. Some of us have been talking, especially since the angel’s appearance by the empty tomb. Something is going to happen. Keep your eye on Peter too—despite his blusteriness and his recent sense of shame. Jesus spent a lot of time building a new personal awareness in him too. Love will carry the day!
Doug:
It seems Jesus was quite a puzzle—not the kind of person to be neutral about. Thank you, Mary, for your insights. You should have kept a notebook.
Mary:
Would you have read it? People (other than Jesus) don’t pay much attention to women these days.
Doug Good
Labels: Christmas, Jesus, Mary-Jesus' mother
posted by Doug at
3:42 PM
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