In the Gospel of John, only one of Jesus’s disciples is present at the foot of the cross: the one the Gospel writer calls, “The Beloved Disciple.” In this moment, again amidst Jesus’s great suffering, he looks to the foot of the cross where his beloved disciple is standing next to his mother. Again, thinking not of himself but of others, Jesus creates a new relationship, offering the love of family to both the disciple and to his mother.
Grief can divide us, and grief can unite us. In this moment of grief and pain for his followers, Jesus offers them the comfort and support of community and relationship. You can imagine that this new family meant a lot to both the disciple and Mary as they journeyed in the days and weeks after Jesus’s death and resurrection.
In this way, Jesus reminds us of all the relationship building he has done in his ministry, including in his last supper.
This image is of two hands clasped. We can imagine one was extended first in love and grace.
What would it mean for you to extend your hand in the new family Christ has created? How can you offer Christ’s grace to the world? How especially can you extend your hand to those who have been suffering under the weight of pain and grief?

Music: Counting Breaths by Outside The Sky
Read By: Staci Plonsky