Behold Your Son…Behold Your Mother

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Family is so special. Family is one of the best gifts that God has given us. With family you have a built in support system. You have people there you go to your basketball games to cheer you on. You have people whether its mom or dad, siblings that are there to help you any way they can. And with family you can always be, you’re real self. These people have seen every side of you, every quirk, and they still choose to love you everyday. But I have a question - how many of you always get along with your brothers and sisters? How many of you always show love to your brothers or sisters? Sometimes it can be hard being a part of a family. You don’t get everything you want, you have people in your life you have to share with it; It can be hard.

I want to start this message a little differently tonight. Turn to the person next to you and answer this question together - “What part of your world does your family come from?” I’m sure there were many different answers, but being that many are tried and true Lutherans - I’m guessing a huge chunk of us are German. In your life, have you ever been to spend time sitting down with your grandparents to hear their stories? Were you ever able to sit and listen to all their life experience? Did you ever hear about that great, great, great grandparent who did something really cool? Sitting across the table from grandparent and hearing those stories of the past is such a treat. We loving hearing those stories because it connects us to something else. It connects to something greater. It maybe answers the question - how did I get here? It gives you some definition in life. It connects to a larger family.

Family is such a great gift that God has given us. Family that God has given us are a great blessing to many of us. Family is a built in support system around you. They are to pray with you. They are there to assist you. They are there to encourage you. But family also may be the one and only time in life where you can be your true self. Your family knows every aspect of your past. They know ever quirk that you have. They have heard every hot-take of yours and yet they still love you! But do you also get along with your family? Do you always agree on everything? Is everything always smooth sailing?

It is a such a joy to look at family pictures. My parents have this gift called a Frameo - where you can upload pictures to this tablet looking thing in their kitchen and you can see picture after picture. We love to look at pictures especially if we find ourselves or loved ones we care about in them. I remember this distinct family picture on our fridge growing up. It was of me and all my cousins. There was some much joy of cousins doing things cousins are supposed to do. Play with each other, share joy with one another, have fun! But as I reflect at that picture and childhood memories. Things have changed. Things aren’t the same. Some of these cousins of mine moved away and I’m lucky if I see them once or twice a year. Or if I reflect on this picture, I struggle to remember the last time I have spoken to them or shared any time with them. Distance has pulled us apart, life has happened to each one of us. We aren’t as close as we used to be. Now matter how great family is, it is an earthly gift. It can be tainted by sin. It can be hurt by conflicts. Even the best families don’t stay the same. People move away. The young cousins grow up and move away, so you see less of them. If the earthly relationships we have can not always come through, where is a place that we can belong forever?Or as we live in this world, a world tainted by sin and death, people we love in our families aren’t with us on earth forever. There are some that the Lord chooses to call home and we miss them terribly.

The connection of families just doesn’t change, but we also attempt to reshape them around ourselves. Maybe its as we grow up it goes something like this, “I can’t go to that family reunion, because I have a vacation planned with friends instead.” Or maybe it something like, “I need to accomplish this career goal, so spending time with family isn’t high on the to do list right now.” This isn’t just a phenomena with family. This a pattern we see all throughout life and the world. It is the sacrifice of the “we” for “me”. We want any community we want to be apart of to serve us, to be a benefit of us, to line up with our goals and if it doesn’t we go and find something else to be apart of.

In our text today, we see Jesus creating community in suffering. Jesus is there on the cross. Imagine with me, the suffering, the pain, the agony that Jesus was going through. And in the midst of the pain, He looks down at His feet on the cross to see a group of people gathered around Him mourning. This isn’t just a generic group of people, but these are some of the people who know Him the best. He looks down and sees His earthly mother, Mary. The one who was there with Him in the manger, the one who saw Him grow up in this world. And then He also sees John, one of His very close disciples. And you might think that Jesus, would say something inspiring. You maybe would think Jesus would give some sort of insight. But Jesus looks at His mom and says, “Women, behold your Son…. and then He looks at John and says, “Son, behold you Mother.” Jesus is commending the care of His mom to the beloved disciple. Jesus is also commending Mary to care for John. He is saying I know I’m not going to be around in the same way to care for you. Through His death, He is binding people together to care for one another. Jesus creates community in suffering.

This community that Jesus creates is created because Jesus declares it! His Word is powerful enough to make things. Jesus at the beginning of the world spoke, and light was created! Jesus at the cross cries out it is finished - and we know the price of sin has been paid for. Jesus says that you are mine - and we can be confident in His promise; His promise will never leave us!

Jesus still creates a community centered in Him today too. Jesus today calls you into a community centered around His grace and love through the gift of His Word where we hear again and again His amazing love for us! Jesus in His gifts He calls us to be apart of His Family in the gift of Baptism - where He speaks over you and calls you His own. Jesus and His promises are always there for you. In the Words of Jesus, as He speaks His grace and love to you, as He speaks over you in Baptism where He says, “You are mine!” - He creates a community centered in Him. And a sense of belonging in the community can never be broken. This community can never be shattered because Jesus promises to always be with you. You can never out-run or out grow this community. This community Jesus calls you into centered on Himself can never be tainted with conflict, since Jesus bore your sins for you! You can never become “too old” to be join this fellowship. Jesus and His grace are yours forever today!

For us today as His people, how can we life with together as part of this community? Who are the people that God is place before you today that maybe need to be cared for or shown the love of Jesus? Because it’s not just you and Jesus. We are placed together and beside other people. We are brought in a family of God. Let us behold one another because Jesus creates a community of believers in Him!

Now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, may it guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.