Station 3: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem | "Not Easy. Not Alone. Not Finished." - by Ali McDermott

This week’s station focuses on Jesus’ meeting the women of Jerusalem and verses Luke 23:27-31 and John 19:25-27. As I read these verses I was struck by the contrast of Jesus’ words to these two groups of women. At first I thought they really had nothing to do with one another other than it being Jesus speaking to women (and maybe they don’t). But as I sat with each, I began to see a connection—almost like a part 1 and a part 2. For me…that was almost the whole point.

Part 1: Luke 23:27-31 (ESV)

And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Jesus was on His way to death. He knew where He was going. And in this moment I see that even on His way to death He was not thinking of what He was going through, rather why and, more importantly, who it was for. In His words to these women I see Him reminding those with Him to do the same.

In Luke 23:28, I interpret Him saying to the women who were mourning for Him, "Look—this is not what you need to be crying about. I will be ok—I know what’s up. This is just a step in the process. You should not be mourning for me—you need to be mourning for yourselves and why I am doing this. I am doing this because it needs to be done. This world is broken and painful. People sin. People hurt each other. People hate me. This is not going to change. In fact, if this is how they are treating me, the Son of God who came in person to save them—guess what—it’s going to happen to you too. Life is going to be hard. So hard. You don’t need to cry for me. Cry for why this is happening and for what is to come after I am gone."

I thought, "How depressing! If these were the last words of Jesus, this would be the worst!" So, after reading this passage and without any instant gems or revelations to share as a devotion, I decided to see what the other verse for this week had to say, because, let’s be real, this first one is tough.

Part 2: John 19:25-27 (ESV)

...but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

Here we meet our Jesus on the cross. And again He addresses the women in His life—this time His mother, family and friends. And this time He is once again taking the focus off of Himself and His suffering and calling out to them. As He sees His mother and the disciple that He loved, He speaks some of His final words—He stops to tell them to take care of each other.

As I read this I experienced a connection of these words to the words He spoke to the women of Jerusalem—almost a part 1 and a part 2. While they are not necessarily connected in direct sequence or even in the same book…here is what leapt off the pages of the Bible and into my heart.

Twice Jesus stopped—stopped himself in His overwhelming physical pain and spoke to these people with words of guidance about life after He is gone. Here is what I hear the Lord saying to me (and maybe you?) from these moments in Scripture:

• Part 1: Life is hard. Life without me is even harder.
• Part 2: You do not have to do this alone. 

Obviously, I don’t know the exact reason Jesus told each group what He did, and most likely they aren’t connected at all in the actual text, but I do know what resonated with me—this was a two-parter. Part 1: walking with the Lord is not always easy—in fact, many times it will require hard choices, choices that will bring sacrifice of the self and even pain. (Just think how much worse it would be NOT walking with Him—Luke 23:31.) Part 2: the good news is that the story doesn’t stop there—leaving us to figure out this life and fend for ourselves. He gives us guidance for how to walk through it—whether it is through the gift of walking with others as shown in Jesus’ words in John 19 or through the presence of the Holy Spirit or Scriptures.
 
And while both of those are good to know, I think that the biggest take-away or reminder is that with Christ there is always a Part 2. And while we may not understand what Part 2 is in our current situation, we can hold on to the hope that He will show us. In both scenarios above, Jesus stopped in His tracks to address each group and proceeded to redirect and point them to what they needed to be focused on. His guidance for them began with His actions saying, “I see you. I hear you. Now listen.” He knows what’s up, and I believe He will give us what we need to know. He’s not the author of a single act or one-parter. There is more to come. He sees you. He hears you. Now listen.