"Woman Behold Thy Son"... "Behold, Thy Mother" (John 19: 26-27) (April 7 2023)
"Woman
Behold Thy Son"... "Behold, Thy Mother" (John
19: 26-27)
That was the
day when most of the male followers were gone. Women and the beloved disciple
stayed close to the cross where Jesus was crucified. After three years of working
on proclaiming the good news together, they were what had left for Jesus at his
very last day.
In the Bible,
most women do not have a name. But here, we know most of them. They are Jesus’
mother, Mary, Jesus’s aunty, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. But
rarely, a man’s name is unknown.
Preachers at the Seven Last Words Good Friday Service, Mont Clare UCC
Who could
the unnamed beloved disciple be? This is the person that laid down in Jesus’
chest, talked to Jesus directly and closely, when the rest of the male
disciples ran away from the crucified Jesus, only this beloved disciple stayed,
and Jesus trusted this unknown disciple so much and asked him to take good care
of Mary, and respect her as his own mother? I wonder what made this male
disciple nameless in the Gospel?
For gay and
queer biblical scholars and readers, this story resonates with the Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community’s experiences deeply.
In history, LGBTQ and queer folks have been experiencing discrimination due to
our sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and the people we love.
Our intimate relationship was forced to be invisible, silent, and not recognized
in public. We can only keep it to ourselves. It is the heteronormativity,
homophobia, transphobia, toxic masculinity, institutionalized disadvantage, and
exclusive power that prevent LGBTQ from being themselves.
Today, the
condition of being gay might have improved a little bit, compared to 30 years or
a century ago. For example, in 2015, the Supreme Court recognized marriage as a
fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. In Illinois, treating
homosexuals as “mental disease, disorder or illness” by using conversion
therapy has been banned since 2015.
However, due
to the uncertainty from the political influence, congress passed the Respect
for Marriage Act in 2022 to protect statutory authority for same-sex and
interracial marriage. People fear what the Supreme Court will do next to harm
our people in various ways. “Conversion therapy” is still legal to be used on
teenagers in more than half of the states in the US today. In some states,
transgender kids are not allowed to receive medical care. Doctors, nurses, and
parents who assist with this matter would be put in jail. In some states,
schools are not allowed to teach anything about gay, or homosexuality, or even
those words are not allowed to be mentioned in public. In 2023 alone, more than
450 anti-LGBTQ bills are introduced to statehouses across the country.[1]
What made
Jesus’ beloved disciple unknown? Was it the political oppression from the Roman
Empire, who did not want another political threat from the Jews, who would be
like Jesus, who gathered five thousand followers to share the bread together?
Was it the religious policing from his own Jewish community, who did not want
another charismatic leader, who would be like Jesus, to violate more
regulations in the Torah, to challenge the religious authority, to touch the
unclean people, even to eat and drink with them? It was embarrassing to the
Roman Empire that a carpenter’s son could be a leader! It was embarrassing to
the religious leaders that an outsider could be a rabbi and a teacher!
And now, “the
beloved disciple” who was so close to Jesus, who knows all the details about
the discipleship, who could be now the next political leader who might continue
to proclaim, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 5:10), who could
be now the next religious leader who might continue to proclaim “Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matt 5:8). From Roman Empire and
Jewish Religious leader’s point of view, anyone who was mentioned directly as
“the beloved disciple” should be put to death immediately without a doubt.
Therefore, except for this unknown disciple and the women who stayed, the rest
of the male followers were gone.
The third
word Jesus spoke from the cross, "Woman Behold Thy Son"...
"Behold, Thy Mother" (John 19: 26-27), has two essential
meanings for us today.
Those who
feel the love of God, bond to Jesus, and devote themselves to following Jesus
are the beloved disciples today. It was Jesus who walked to us. We were
touched, loved, and healed by Jesus, when no one else could understand us. That
love is still so fresh and authentic today; therefore, we are here and never leave
the cross easily.
Jesus’
mother, who is the person made incarnation possible (media), who is also the
witness of the first miracle in the past. "Behold, Thy Mother,"
Jesus invited us to be one of his family, part of his past. The unnamed beloved
disciple was Jesus’ co-worker at his time and represents a vision for the
future. "Woman Behold Thy Son," Jesus extends his family by
inviting an outsider. Jesus connected his past, present, and future on the
cross where he was crucified. Our church and the gathering today represent that
the beloved disciple is carrying on the vision from Jesus. This family keeps
growing by having more outsiders joining in.
What is that
intimate bonding and connection you have with Jesus, that maybe nobody could
really comprehend? May that sacred experience keep fresh in us. Amen.
[1] UCC
publishing love letters to trans youth on Trans Day of Visibility March 31, https://www.ucc.org/ucc-publishing-love-letters-to-trans-youth-on-trans-day-of-visibility-march-31/
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