The Concern that Never Dies
—John 19:16-27
John was the only disciple who stood by Jesus until the very end. I am reminded of Ben E. King’s 1986 hit song “Stand by Me”:
When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we see
No, I won’t be afraid
Oh, I won’t be afraid
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me, so
Darling, darling, stand by me
Oh, stand by me
Oh stand, stand by me, stand by me
If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain
Should crumble to the sea
I won’t cry, I won’t cry
No, I won’t shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me. . .
Excluding John, as mark 15:50 tell us: “All of them deserted him and fled.” John was there at the cross with four women: “Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were His Mother, and His Mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” His mother, His Beloved Disciple John, and three other women who followed and supported Jesus in His ministry were the only ones to “stand by Jesus at the Cross.”
When Joseph took marry and Jesus to the temple for their purification, the elderly Simeon shared with Mary this prophetic truth: “. . . A sword will pierce your own soul too.” This is the ultimate fulfillment of that prophecy some thirty-three years later.
The Greek historian Herodotus in the fifth century before B. C. Said in his histories, Book I: “In peace children bury their parents. War violates the order of nature and causes parents to bury their children.” It is not just war that brings many parents the pain of having to bury their children. Bumper Quick, our good friend who was called to preach when I served as his pastor at Sandoval united Methodist Church, and his wife Jill buried their oldest daughter Emily, who was only 22. As she stands at the Cross of her son, Mary can empathize with all parents who have been called upon to bury their children, but best of all is the marvelous truth that so can God our Heavenly Father. He understands the pain and hurt of losing a child in death, and He is the one who wipes away the tears from grieving parents’ eyes.
Even in the moment of His deepest agony Jesus is concerned for the well-being and care of His Mother. By this time Mary was most likely a widow, for Scripture does not mention Joseph after the Holy Family took their trip to Jerusalem for the Passover when Jesus was twelve. Although protected under Mosaic Law, widows in New Testament times usually led a difficult existence. Most of them were poor. Many were victims of harsh oppression and exploitation, and their cases were seldom heard in the courts of their day. If a widow was left without any adult male relative to serve as her legal protector and provider, her way was difficult indeed.
Jesus throughout His ministry has always shown a special concern of compassion and justice for widows, and now His thoughts turn to His Mother. Who will be her male protector and provider? We know that Jesus has four half brothers who are named James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas in Matthew 13:55.
So why does Jesus choose John as Mary’s protector-provider in place of one of His half brothers? Most likely the reason is these men as yet are not believers. They will become so and be included in the 120 whom the Holy Spirit empowers for ministry on the Day of Pentecost, but they do not come to trust Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior until after His Resurrection. Jesus selects John, “the disciple whom he loves,” for this ministry, because John and Mary share a common faith and spiritual bond. John is one whom Jesus can trust to care for the spiritual, physical, and material needs of Mary.
On the surface it seems that Jesus is extremely harsh in addressing Mary, “Woman, here is your son.” We recall their early conversation with at the wedding in Cana of Galilee in John 2:4, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” The English sounds harsh, but the Hebrew and Greek are not. The term “woman” in Biblical languages is most tender and affectionate; it is a term of endearment and respect.
In both these encounters between Mary and Jesus Mary needs to grow spiritually in her relationship with Him. She must stop seeing Jesus as her son, her little boy, and acknowledge Him as her Lord and Savior, for she is just like each one of us, “a sinner who has come short of the glory of God.” Jesus was the God of eternity eons before He became her son in Bethlehem’s manger. She must know God the Son as her own personal Savior and Lord. Their relationship must change from that of mother to son to that of disciple to Savior.
John obeys his Lord without question when Jesus commissions him with the ministry of caring for Mary. “. . . From that hour the disciple took her into his own home.” John took care of Mary the rest of her life!
This third word from His Cross, is “The Concern that Never Dies.” In sharing His concern for the care of His Mother Jesus sets a supreme example for us who would “Follow in His Steps,” and He extends our ministry of caring for others well beyond the confines of our own immediate home and family.
In “The Concern that Never Dies” Jesus invites us to “Follow in His Steps!” We hear the cry of I Peter 2:21, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in His steps." In most societies “Family Takes Care of Family," but Jesus vastly widens our family circle.
Matthew 12:47-50 tells us : “Someone told Him, ‘Look, Your Mother and Your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You.’ but to the one who had told Him this, Jesus replied, ‘Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?’ and pointing to His disciples, He said, ‘Here are My Mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and Mother.’” Doing our Father’s will embraces ministering and caring for the physical, spiritual, and material needs of anyone who hurts.
In Matthew 25 Jesus speaks about His final separation of the sheep from the goats; the sheep are those who obeyed the Holy Spirit and did the Father’s will: “‘Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? And when was it that we saw You a stranger and welcomed You, or naked and gave You clothing? And when was it that we saw You sick or in prison and visited You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of My family, you did it to Me.’” Our Christian family circle reaches the "Least of These": the unemployed, the homeless, the prisoner, the refugee, the physically and spiritually hungry people to the ends of the earth.
Although Jesus appointed John as Mary’s protector-provider, our Lord’s four half brothers became believers, and his half brother James became the prominent leader of the Jerusalem church and author of the Epistle of James. James 1:27 reminds us that “The Concern that Never Dies” calls us to care for widows and orphans: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” Distress is “anything which burdens one’s spirit.” When we practice “The Concern that Never Dies,” we care for orphans and widows by helping them carry their burdens and lightening their load.
We are the Family of God. Family takes care of family. Our ministry feeds the hungry, both spiritually and physically; gives water to the thirsty; welcomes the stranger; clothes the naked; and cares for the sick, orphans, and widows. Jesus assures us in Matthew 10:42, “And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
In Genesis 18, Abraham welcomed three strangers into his home. Hebrews 12:2-3 recalls Abraham’s ministry of hospitality: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.” “The Concern that Never Dies” extends to those who are in prison and those who are tortured, abused, or battered. By caring for "The Least of These" we minister to Jesus and “Follow in His Steps.”
“The Concern that Never Dies” is all ministry that cares for the hurts and needs of others. In 1983 Gordon Jensen composed his contemporary Christian song “You’re the Only Jesus.” His words summarize today’s extremely well:
You’re the only Jesus some will ever see
You’re the only words of life some will ever read
So let them see in you the One
In whom is all things they’d ever need
Cause you’re the only Jesus some will ever see.
By the power of the holy spirit working through you and me, may those who hurt not only see but also find Jesus. Through our ministry of caring He will feed the spiritually and physically hungry; give water to the thirsty; welcome the stranger; clothe the naked; care for the sick, the widows, the orphans; visit those in prison, and through it all we give continuous witness to “The Concern that Never Dies.”
