ALIVE: Chapter 153, Mother and Son Reunion

Jesus and His mother Mary basked in the glow of that golden evening. Jesus regretted Time, for its demise of beautiful moments that characterize it. Would that such beauty could last forever like a masterpiece painting that whispers, “Look at me as long as you want. I will never change, I will never leave you. You will leave me.” Yet, the gift of memory, memory of beautiful moments in life is the souvenir to be cherished.

Mary felt as if her Son had transported her to heaven. Just the two of them, alone together talking, eating, laughing sometimes, weeping at other times; the bliss of love and being in each other’s presence, sitting side by side on the divan. Pure joy.

Jesus took the opportunity, and perhaps this was the reason for this special time together, to tell her about the hostility of the Pharisees and the Scribes.

“Oh mama, these men are like whitewashed tombs. They have the garb and the position rightfully due holy men, servants of My Father, but they are imposters to their outward appearances. They try to challenge me at every step. If only their questions were sincere; if only they wanted to learn. But for the most part they are arrogant, self-righteous fools.”

“My Dear, Your antagonists may simply want to be certain of who You are. Or, they feel threatened.”

“I’m afraid it’s the latter mamma. They think they know the law, but since Moses handed them the law, they have used it to serve themselves and not our God. I’m afraid that the Law alone is not  forming humble and holy children of God. At least not on the scale We want.”

“You antagonize them my dear.”

“Mother, they want to be rid of Me.”

“Oh, don’t say that! How can they?”

“Mother, they can.”

She looked upon her beautiful Son with a furrowed brow. Her powerful Son.”

“Mother,” He took her hand, looked directly into her big brown eyes, and said what He came to say. “They will.”

Mary gasped.  Yet, she had been prepared for this. How her life was like a golden goblet tossed in the most unlikely scenes, a school for girls, an arranged marriage to an old man, an embarrassing pregnancy that she had to explain, traveling for days on a donkey in full pregnancy, giving birth in a cold and dusty barn full of animals, exile in Egypt. “Yes, indeed,” she thought to herself, “I must be ready for anything.” She continued to listen attentively and quietly, as she sensed that what her Son had to tell her was of utmost importance.

“Mother, I have made strong enemies. I have done this intentionally.”

“But why, my Dear. Why do you want to provoke the powerful? Won’t our God deliver You from evil?”

Mother, I’ve never told you what I heard from My Father after My baptism when I went out to the desert at Jericho for 40 days. But you need to know, that no matter what happens and what you see, just know that it is temporary. Let them have their success. Their success will be their demise. Life will prevail. Mother, I love you. Your grief will last but for a moment, but your joy will be forever. Trust Me.” at that He leaned over and gave His mother a long hug. She could feel His heartbeat.

Being released from the golden embrace, Mary’s face looked down with a knowing smile at those words. If she didn’t trust God, her Son, she never could have endured so many offenses to her own malleable will. “God’s will be done. I’ll be fine my dear. But may I ask one thing?”

“What is it mama?”

“May I come out and travel with You and Your followers?”

Jesus replied, “Don’t Sarah and little Lev need you?”

Mary said, “Actually, all the neighbor women chip in. It was just my turn today. I promise not to be any trouble.”

“Okay, but just while while I am in Judaea. Then I will bring you home. It’s not easy to sleep out all the time and walk so much.”

“I am strong and healthy!” she exclaimed rejecting any notion of weakness in her.

“Of course you are; you’re My mother. But I care for you and want you to be comfortable.”

“I want to see what you go through. I want to hear You teach the people. Do you remember when we lived in Egypt? You were so young, but perhaps old enough before we left, to remember our neighbor who adored You.”

“Yes I do. She was a lovely woman, the first besides you to cherish Me. As if I was her own first born. Oh Egypt! What a role you played.”

“Such a good woman, she was lonely and she gave us a home to dwell in when we were hiding. What was her name?”

Bringing the conversation back to its purpose Jesus said, “Mother I must die so that she too can live with My Father forever.”

“Really, even a non Jew?”

“Yes, mother,” said Jesus with a chuckle, “this was the plan from the beginning of time. But it took time and many experiences of humanity. My Father wanted to see how humans would react to their special position as His chosen people in the midst of foreigners, how they would react to oppression, exile, slavery.”

“How did we do? Not so well, eh.” said Mary with a smile.

“Not so well. The Torah could only do so much. But it was important to let it play out so humankind could experience it all and look back. Should I have come as a Greek philosopher? Or a Roman ruler? Would anyone seek salvation from wealth and comfort?”

Then with enthusiasm Jesus added, “Let me tell you about my night in the Cave of the prophets. Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi! This is where I took My followers when we first arrived in Jerusalem. They were exuberant to see Me. Although in Hades they knew I was in their midst and I sensed how they rejoiced.”

Mary asked solemnly, “They rejoiced when they knew of your upcoming sacrifice? How will I be able to endure this my love?”

“You will mama. My Father, our Father, will give you the strength.”

“Oh my Dear.”

“Mama. Peace. It will end. My sacrifice won’t be the last. I will be the first. After me will flow brothers and sisters who will be tortured even more than I had been and for longer. They will be My witnesses to the living world that My sacrifice was as fruitful on earth as it will be in heaven.”

“Will I be tortured too?” asked Mary in order to prepare herself emotionally.

“Oh my dear mother, just witnessing My sacrifice will be torture enough for My Queen. They will call you the Mother of God, and you will be a liaison between the Father and the people. You will be a very important and busy lady. Prepare for that My dear Mother!”

Mary was too humble and shy to think of such responsibility, so she set it aside, as she had learned to do with so many other revelations through the years.

Jesus said, “I’m sleepy. Let’s go to sleep. Come to the Temple with me in the morning.”

“I’d love to. Good night my Dear. You sleep in your grandfather, Joachim’s bed. How blessed he is, to know that his seed is in the Son of God. I want to stay here and sleep on the divan; it reminds me of my youth. And of my mother.”

“Are you sure?” said Jesus as He stood up to go over to the double bed.

“Yes, of course I am, go to the bed and let’s get some sleep. I am tired after such an eventful day.”

Jesus stood up and walked over to the bed. It looked so inviting and comfortable. He hadn’t experienced so much comfort in weeks. He slipped under the blankets, and before nodding off said, “Goodnight Mama. I love you.”

“Of course You do my dear. Now let’s sleep!”

Never before or since on earth had Mary slept so soundly and woken up so joyfully, instantly remembering that her beloved Son was under her roof. She was ready to meet life facing forward, refusing to think about the topic of their conversation.

They awoke at dawn. This was not a day for wondering off. Jesus laid in bed awake and waited for His mother to get up.

Mary opened her eyes and sat up to look at the bed with her Son in it. She then flopped back down and thanked God for the moment. “Good morning!” she said with a little song in her voice.

“Good morning mama.” And because He knew she would want to hear this He said, “What’s for breakfast?”

After praying together, which was always a thrill for Mary, whose chanting Jesus adored. They enjoyed a breakfast of eggs and toast with cheese, and a cup of tea with honey. Mary went all out, as if they were celebrating, which they were actually, celebrating life on earth together, celebrating their particular love for each other and for the Creator.

“Mama, leave the dishes, we need to go, I sense that my people are waiting for us.”

“Okay beloved, I can clean later. Will I have time to gather a few things before we go?” Mary looked forward to going on the road.

“Of course Mama, I will make sure of that.”

When they arrived at theTemple, Jesus waited His turn, but others recognizing Him looked eager to hear what the now famous Rabbi had to say.

The teaching started with a certain scribe who Jesus recognized after he said, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”

Jesus answered, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

Mary heard those bold statements and flinched inside. “My! she thought, He was right when He said that He provokes these officials intentionally.” But she didn’t understand exactly what He meant about comparing himself to Jonah in the belly of a whale? The sea has always been such a foreboding symbol, reminding everyone of the death of all except those in Noah’s ark. Her Jesus kept speaking, so Mary stopped her rumination.

He seemed to change the subject, when He said, “No man, when he hath lighted a lamp, places it in a cellar, or under the bushel, but on the stand, that they which enter in may see everything in the light.

The lamp of the body is your eye: when your eye is single, by this I mean with one mind turned toward our God, not hypocritical, doubtful, or double-minded, then your whole body also is full of light; but when it is evil, your body also is full of darkness. Look therefore that the light is in you; or see the sin of darkness is in you and repent. If therefore your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it shall be wholly full of light, as when the shining lamp gives you light.”

Mary was so proud of her Son. A woman standing near her recognized her from when she came out of her home to greet the people. After the homily she approach her. “Greetings mother, I am Mary of Magdalene. I have been traveling with your Son for months. He changed my life. It was as if he took me out of the gutter and lifted me up high. I love Him so much and will never leave Him.”

Mary, feeling proud smiled at this beautiful young woman and replied, “I know what you mean. I will be traveling with you all for a while.”

“Wonderful” replied Mary of Magdalene “we can become good friends. I can’t wait to hear about when He was a little boy!”