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THE KING’S BUSINESS
Lord says here that it is most unwar rantable folly to think that Mary can interfere with Him in heaven, or in any sense dictate or even suggest what He shall do. At this point in the history of God incarnate, our Lord Himself makes it clear that the ties which had hitherto bound Him to Mary as His earthly mother were to give way to higher obligations and that every movement must be deter mined from this time on by the coun sels of the will of God who was His Father in a far deeper and more abid ing sense than Mary was His mother. Only one will would have the slightest consideration in His conduct, that was, the will of the Father (cf. ch. 6:38). While Jesus declined to be gov erned even by a suggestion from His mother, He gently explained to her the reason. The meeting her request involved, though very likely she did not know it, the performance of a miracle, and the due time for the be ginning of His work and the conse quent manifestation of His glory had not yet come, though the time to per form the miracle came very shortly. The expression “Mine hour” means the hour for His work that should be a revelation of His glory (cf. ch. 7 :6; 12:23). The expression is most fre quently used in connection with His death and the glory that followed it (ch. 7:30; 8:20; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1). We shall see shortly that though our Lord refused the jurisdiction of Mary He granted her request. V. 5. “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” Evidently Mary was not at all put out by His answer. Possibly she was encouraged by the “not yet,” which implied that the hour might come at any moment. In any event, she showed a persistency of faith that is well worthy of imitation by us all (cf. Matt. 15:22-28). Doubtless there was much in the look and tone
cross He was committing her to the care of His beloved disciple (ch. 19:26, 27.) He used it also in ad dressing Mary Magdalene when He would comfort her in her great sor row (20:15). But while there was no discourtesy, but the utmost tender ness, in the way in which Jesus spoke these words, He did bring clearly into view the fact that the hour of Mary’s authority over Him had come to an end. At a much earlier date He had suggested to her that His obligation was to His heavenly Father, not to His earthly mother (Luke 2:49). But at that time, after making this pass ing suggestion, He went home and was subject to her and to Joseph (Luke 2:51). But now the time had come, and Mary must know it, when He must receive all His orders direct ly from God, and from no human source, not even from her that bore Him. Mary had not as yet clearly learned her exact relation to her di vine Son but she must learn it now. Our Lord by His words here disen gaged Himself from every merely hu man relation (cf. Luke 11:27, 28; Mark 3 :31-35). There is a wide gulf between the conception of the rela tion of the Virgin Mary to our Lord Jesus that is given us in the inspired record here and that which teaches that even on His mediatorial throne Jesus is to be approached through the Virgin Mary, and that she has a cer tain sort of authority over Him still, and that He will do as she directs. Our Lord seems to have anticipated the error so wide-spread today which is summed up in the phrase “Mary, the mother of God,” and therefore He avoids the term “Mother” though He uses a tender and courteous one. On the cross He said to John in speaking of Mary, “Behold thy mother,” but in no place in the. Bible is it recorded that He ever spoke of her as “My mother.” It is evident from what our
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