She sits hunched over in her chair, cheeks wet with tears. She senses the presence of loved ones around her, feels their touch, hears their words of comfort, but she only sees him. Encased in glass and framed by wood, he stares back at her. Her baby boy. The pride of her heart. A flood of memories dampens her cheeks once more.
Gone. Precious moments, laughter-filled rooms, birthdays, hopes, and dreams. All gone. As her losses sink in one by one, she accepts them. They’re gone, but how can he be gone?
Who can understand her pain? Who can comprehend the depths of her agony? Only one who has been there—one who has traveled her road and shared her grief—can possibly reach her now. Only a parent who has lost a child can understand.
So she prays. With fragile faith and groanings that cannot be uttered, she calls on the God who also lost a Son.
In the arms of God the Father she finds a measure of comfort, but what about the face on the other side of the glass? The questions sting. Was he in pain? Did death come quickly? Was he afraid? Did he think of her? Who can relate to this side of her pain?
The same God. As she looks into the eyes in the photograph, she remembers another grief-filled gaze between a mother and a Son. God the Father was also God the Son.
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother . . . When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! John 19:25-27
All families find themselves acquainted with grief at one time or another. Mourning the loss of a loved one is part of being a family. So is celebrating the joy of a wedding, waiting for the return of a prodigal, or enduring the scorn that comes from a relative of ill-repute. When God sent Jesus to live among us, He gave him a family—mother, father, ornery brothers. Why? So we could cast our family cares upon Him with confidence, knowing He understands because of experience.
A FESTIVE FAMILY AFFAIR (John 2:1-11)
All of those stuffy theologians who claim that God concerns Himself exclusively with major social ills such as famine and war obviously didn’t make the guest list at the wedding in Cana. We don’t know if this was a family or friend affair, but we do see Jesus take care of a minor detail in the lives of those He and His family cared for. He took care of the refreshments.
Are you beaming with pride as your toddler takes his first steps? Jesus beams with you. Are you cheering wildly as your daughter reaches the finish line of a cross-country race? The Voice that spoke the world into existence joins yours. Are you wiping tears of joy as your all-grown-up child walks across the stage, accepting a hard-won diploma? Rest assured, the Author of Wisdom gets misty-eyed, too. Jesus celebrates with your family.
BRETHREN BEYOND BELIEF (John 7:5)
Are you burdened for lost family members? Do you have an aunt or uncle, brother, sister, or cousin who stubbornly refuses to believe? Has your son or daughter wandered from the faith?
Jesus understands. The brothers with whom He skipped rocks in the Jordan River grew up and abandoned Him when He began to promote His “radical” ideas. How He must have agonized over their spiritual state! Jesus, too, wrestled with the free will of His loved ones.
BLACK SHEEP IN THE SHEPHERD’S FLOCK (Matthew 1:1-16)
You feel their icy stares and sense their judgmental thoughts. They know who you are—the mother of the drug-addicted teen, the child born out of wedlock, the sister of the adulterer, the wife of the town drunk.
Skeletons in the closet. Jesus had them, too. A prostitute, a murderer, and an adulteress are just three of the crooked limbs on Jesus’ family tree. Oh, and lest we forget, Jesus’ own mother conceived Him out of wedlock…at least in the evil minds of the town gossips.
The stares? He feels them. The spiteful words? He hears them. The pain? He shares it.
What did Jesus do with the black sheep in His family? He accepted them; He claimed them; He wanted them, regardless of what others said or thought or did.
FAMILY FAREWELLS (Luke 9:61, 62)
Lest you read these verses and think Jesus spoke them with ease, please remember that He, too, left family and friends to do the will of God. He walked away from an adoring mother and the camaraderie of His siblings to save the world. He not only sacrificed His blood, His body, and His life; He also sacrificed His family.
Is God calling you to minister on a foreign field, asking you to leave loved ones behind? Do you struggle to keep Jesus and His plan for your life first, ahead of even your precious family? Rest assured, Jesus fully understands the agony of your choices.
FAMILY ROOMS (John 14:1-4)
Family reunions. They’re magical, maniacal, and meant to be that way. Jesus understood that better than anyone. He came, lived, died, and rose again so He could host the ultimate family reunion. He goes with us through family struggles, triumphs, and tragedies—all the while planning for the day when He will wipe away every tear, erase every painful memory, and unite all of our little families into one, big family, His family. The word mansions in the John 14:2 actually means rooms or dwelling places. Yes, our dwelling place will be mansion-quality. Yes, it will be roomy and perfect, but it won’t be a distant fortress. We will all be together forever in our Father’s house.
Susan Henderson is the secretary of Purdy Elementary School in Purdy, MO. She has written several books, including And a Little Child Shall Lead Them, a devotional book about children and several books in the Destination Reality series of curriculum from Randall House Publication.
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