“At the foot of the cross, four soldiers gamble for a condemned man’s clothes. Beside them, four women keep vigil over a condemned man’s groans. The contrast is clear. The men are busy in their role as functionaries of the government. They worry about tearing up a perfectly good piece of clothing, but not about crucifying a perfectly innocent man. The other men, the disciples, have long since fled. (It’s reasonable that they did—they could get killed for hanging around.) The women seem to be made of sterner stuff than Jesus’ male companions. Thankfully, Mary is surrounded by her friends and kinswomen, all of whom understand the importance of being there for Mary as she faces the toughest day of her life. They don’t let her stand alone at the foot of the cross.
Some women are given the kind of strength to keep watch, even when their hearts are breaking. Take a moment to think about a time when you were the one to accompany someone else during a crucible in life, as Mary’s sister and friends stood by her.
Have you been through a crucible in your own life? Who has kept watch with you?”
Today we commemorate the lives of Albrecht Dürer, who died in 1528; Matthias Grünewald, 1529; and Lucas Cranach, 1553; all artists. We also observe Easter Monday. This message was adapted from “Mary Among the Disciples” by Christa Von Zychlin that appeared in the July/August 2009 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.
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