Jesus and a Mother

“Jesus. I want my kids to sit next to you in your kingdom, one at your right and one at your left”. All her dreams for them come to pass, as she envisions them seated with honor next to the long-awaited Messiah. 

What does a Mom say when she approaches Jesus on behalf of her children? Does she turn the words over and over in her mind, as she braids her hair, carefully choosing the proper ones? Is her heart racing in anticipation as she puts on her best clothing? Does she think about the future and how proud she will feel of her boys? How others will look at her with envy? “There is Salome”, they will whisper as she passes by, “her sons are the ones who rule alongside the Messiah”!

The moment arrives, and Salome approaches Jesus. Kneeling before him, she is ready to make her request. The words tumble out. “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” The secret hope of this mother, now spoken aloud. 

Yet, Salome didn’t know what she was asking. She had no idea that the path to greatness in the upside down kingdom of Jesus meant a cup of suffering. She wanted only the best for her boys, not realizing that when Jesus placed a call on their lives, He beckoned them to lay down any ambitions for greatness and to carry a cross. 

The Son of Man, He came not to be served as other kings were. He was altogether different. The King of kings came to serve.

He would give up His life as a ransom, buying God’s people back from the clutches of death. And when He did, He would drink the fullness of the cup of God’s wrath. 

The sons of Zebedee could not drink the cup that was His alone to drink, but they would share in His sufferings. When she made her request, Salome didn’t know Jesus was bound for Golgotha- a King with a crown of thorns. A few short years later, her son James would die by the sword, at the hand of Herod. And John? He would live out his later years in exile. The cup of suffering Jesus extended to the brothers, they partook of, but oh, that was not what her mother’s heart ever imagined. 

Two thousand years later and a mother’s heart is still the same. As we celebrate a Mother’s Day unlike any other, we come to Jesus with our dreams for our own children clenched in tight fists. We have given up soccer and now baseball, proms and graduations; Birthdays have been spent in isolation. Vacations cancelled. Bank accounts drained. We are afraid. Afraid of death, and pain, and misfortune. We are angry. Angry at all that has been lost, and what is still to come. Our kids are hurting. 

“Jesus. I don’t want my kids to suffer. Why are you taking so much?”

“Jesus. How will we provide for our family if we have no work?”

“Jesus. My daughter’s health is already poor. How long can I protect her from this virus?”

We have spent years teaching our children how to prosper, how to be a success, but have we prepared them for suffering? 

This Mother’s Day, when everything feels so insecure and out of our control, may we gently and lovingly point our children to the Suffering Servant who gave up His life for their sake. He has come to ransom them and to be their portion forever, and He uses everything for their good and His glory. They will suffer this side of eternity, that much is certain, but in the midst of their suffering, Jesus is there. Above all, may the dream of our heart be for them to know and trust Christ fully. 

-Natalie Runyon