Mary at the Cross: A Mother’s Devotion
The Gospel of John is replete with a multitude of characters strategically utilized to elevate Jesus and his ministry. While there is a noticeable lack of women throughout the book, they are still present and interact with Jesus in textually significant ways. The first woman character that the reader encounters in the work is Jesus’ unnamed mother. John does not contain a nativity story, but uniquely includes Jesus’ mother in both the beginning of his ministry and at his death on the cross, pointing to the text’s role in Marian theology. “The mother of Jesus” frames the Gospel of John, present for Jesus’ first sign in Jn 2:1-12, as well as to mourn Jesus’ death in 19:25-27. While she scaffolds the account of Jesus’ ministry, she remains a flat, minor character, ultimately a critical feature of her function in the text. The mother of Jesus’ interactions with other characters, her motherly anonymity, and the contrast of her characterization with that of Jesus work together to present the mother of Jesus as a symbol for those who are devoted to her son; namely, those committed to carrying out his ministry.
To attempt an analysis of the mother of Jesus, I will engage the method of narrative criticism. This method is rooted in close attention to the literary and rhetorical devices of the text, with particular focus on narration and characterization. In attending to characterization, interpreters observe not only the details provided about a given character (often elusive in the bible), but also what information about a character is missing. Hebrew scholar, Robert Alter, argues that what is revealed about characters in the bible occurs according to a scale of means. He suggests that actions or appearances described fall on the least explicit end of the scale, while clear descriptions by the narrator of characters’ “feelings, intentions, or hopes” fall under the most explicit category of character revelations in the bible. I will apply this scale throughout my analysis of the mother of Jesus.
To begin, I will describe my initial findings of the two scenes in which this character appears. First, the anonymous figure is found in Jn 2 at the wedding at Cana. Here, she appears immediately in the first verse and at the end of the section [v. 12], framing the account as she does for the gospel at large. In this account, she also engages in dialogue, commenting to Jesus that “they have no wine” [v. 3]. The reader may initially wonder why the mother of Jesus mentions the shortage of wine to her son at all. His response is even stranger, “Woman—what concern is that to you and me? My hour has not yet come” [v. 4]. The mother responds by commanding Jesus’ servants to “Do whatever he tells [them]” [v. 5]. Here, she appears to maintain some sense of authority, though not an authority which outweighs that of her son. She also appears to have faith in her son, trusting the validity of whatever he will tell his servants to do. Even so, the reader is drawn into curiosity about why Jesus responds to his mother with such passion, sharpening their attention to what happens next—the act of Jesus transforming water into wine [v. 9]. Apart from dialogue, the narrator only communicates to the reader that the mother of Jesus “was there” [1] at the wedding and that she went to Capernaum with Jesus, Jesus’ brothers, and the disciples afterwards, where they all remained for a few days [12]. There is not a lot of explicit characterization of the mother of Jesus in this scene, according to Alter’s scale of means. Even so, throughout this passage, the mother of Jesus appears to be the primary person by Jesus’ side as he begins his ministry of miraculous signs.
The reader does not encounter the mother of Jesus again until Jesus’ crucifixion in Jn 19. Like the wedding at Cana, she is ambiguously characterized in this scene. She first appears in verse 25, right before Jesus’ death. In this scene, the mother of Jesus says nothing. Rather, she stands near the cross of her dying son, only acting to give him wine from a sponge when he is thirsty; a participation in one final nurturing act of her beloved child [19:29]. In this scene, the mother of Jesus is present with some of those who are closest to Jesus: his mother’s sister, Mary Magdalene, and one curious “beloved disciple” [25]. The reader learns of an apparent connection between the mother of Jesus and the beloved disciple when Jesus exclaims to his mother, “Woman, here is your son” and to the beloved disciple, “Here is your mother” [26-27]. The narrator explains that proceeding the events of the day, the mother of Jesus returns home with this beloved disciple [27]. Apart from this strange interaction and the mother’s presence at her son’s death, there is no more narration given to describe the mother of Jesus in this scene. Once again, the author avoids explicit characterization of the mother of Jesus.
The characters with whom the mother of Jesus interacts tell us something about what this woman means to the text. In particular, she seems to have an interesting connection to the character called “the beloved disciple,” likely the same person referred to in other chapters as “the one whom Jesus loves” [i.e. 13:23]. Like the mother of Jesus, the beloved disciple also appears earlier in the gospel’s narrative, at the last supper when he asks Jesus who will betray him [13:23]. In the crucifixion scene, he stands beside the mother of Jesus and follows Jesus’ orders to care for this mother as his own. In their mutual anonymity, it is implied that the beloved disciple and the mother of Jesus are present in the narrative to support the more explicitly characterized Jesus. Additionally, the literary tool of anonymity is helpful here for allowing the characters to represent something beyond themselves. Specifically, the mother of Jesus seems to represent those devoted to Jesus. The disciple, then, is to take care of those devoted to Jesus, ensuring that Jesus’ ministry continues beyond his death.
In addition to relating her to the beloved disciple, the anonymity of the mother of Jesus emphasizes her role as a mother in Jesus’ life. Interpretations related to the character’s motherhood will vary among readers according to their social contexts. However, it is generally understood that an ideal mother births, cares deeply about her children, and dedicates a copious amount of time and effort to her children’s wellbeing. Thus, by calling her mother of Jesus (as opposed to Mary [cf. Mk 15:46]), the author calls to attention aspects of her motherly role, perhaps including a deep connection to her son (having given physical birth to him), dedication to his life, and consistent presence with him from the beginning of his work [Jn 2]. Such assumptions of her motherly devotion are fulfilled when the mother of Jesus affirms Jesus’ abilities at the wedding [2:5] and gives him a drink in his most vulnerable state [19:29]. Both acts further support the interpretation that Jesus’ mother represents all those who follow him with loving dedication. Readers may also associate Jesus’ mother with his birth, a parallel to the “birth” of his ministry and a stark contrast to his death on the cross. The mother of Jesus’ presence at his death may even evoke a sense of hope for new birth, that is, the perhaps painful but promising birth of new believers, who will be supported by the beloved disciple.
While the mother of Jesus is characterized, even if not explicitly, as a motherly figure to Jesus, her characterization contrasts with that of Jesus, who is not characterized as his mother’s son. Instead, Jesus responds to his mother with indignation at the wedding of Cana [2:4]. Even in his death, he seems to be teaching her [19:26] rather than gleaning lessons from her as a child may be expected to do from a respected elder, particularly a mother figure. Jesus does not show respect to his mother as she shows it to him. While the characterization of the anonymous mother is significant for symbolizing a community devoted to Jesus, the author’s exclusion of Jesus’ characterization as his mother’s son serves the theological function to emphasize a high Christology. The reader is reminded of the opening of the gospel, when Jesus is said to be with God, and to even be God [1:1]. Jesus is not like any ordinary son. Rather than coming from someone, the reader remembers that “all things came into being through him” [1:3].
Even as a minor character, the mother of Jesus plays a critical function in framing the narrative of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of John, as well as in symbolizing what is to come. In contrast to, and perhaps in response to, the Marian presentation of the synoptic gospels, John’s author utilizes the character of Jesus’ mother to illustrate how Jesus’ ministry will be carried out through devoted followers. As found in the selfless anonymity embodied by devoted mothers around the world and throughout history, so in this text a mother gives of her own identity to support her child and the legacy of his life. This time, however, the child’s life she is supporting will be a guiding and salvific light for generations who choose to follow it. In this regard, her motherly sacrifice is for all of humanity.
Bibliography
Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Narrative. New York: Basic Books, 2011.
Segovia, Fernando F., and Mary Ann Tolbert. Reading from This Place. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1995.
