Jesus' Mother and the Impact of her Pregnancy

One of the things that really stands out to me about Jesus is how he treats women. After reevaluating the story of the woman caught in adultery, I’ve recently had another conclusion about it all. Look at his mother. Mary was pregnant before marriage and was most likely ridiculed and even hated. She probably faced harsh criticism and public scorn. Her calling to bear the Christ child was very difficult. She was probably isolated from some of her friends and stared down when she was in public. His father Joseph, didn’t reject Mary, instead he made her his wife. He obeyed God’s command and went against public opinion.

Don’t you think that Jesus saw a glimpse of his mother when he saw this woman caught in adultery? All the public scorn and rejection of her probably seemed very similar to some of the stories Jesus grew up with. I really think he had a soft spot for her because of his parents. Jesus probably faced some rejection himself just because Mary was unmarried when she was pregnant with him. After all, not all Jews believed he was the Christ child. Some may have thought he was just a polite, illegitimate child. Jesus grew up in a household in which his mother was probably rejected by society and he may have faced it too. No wonder He continually has a soft spot for women all throughout his ministry.

I suppose that I’ve overlooked this reality because I am only just beginning to see the human aspects of Christ. He really suffered emotionally. He didn’t spend his ministry gliding along from crisis to crisis without any of it bothering him. Sometimes I want to paint this eternal smile on his face and pretend that his life was easy. It certainly was not.

Lastly, I think it’s incredible that even while in the womb, Jesus was turning the world upside down. The way in which his mother conceived him through the Holy Spirit and how that was perceived in the community, was a huge event full of impact. It impacted his community and his earthly ministry.