"When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her."
A survey of the Gospels reveals many ways in which Jesus upheld the dignity of women. In a culture where women were considered second-class citizens, Jesus was never afraid to encounter women, to affirm them, and to welcome them among his followers. He regularly broke rules about interaction with women and understood the value of women's religious testimony. In today's Gospel we see another aspect of Jesus' respect for women.
Here we see that his heart was stirred by the situation of this grieving mother. The man who had died was "the only son of his mother, and she was a widow." In other words, this woman had just been stripped of her primary focus in life. Also, in this culture, a woman was protected by her father, her husband, or her son. Absent one of those men in her life, she was in an incredibly vulnerable position. This, along with the grief of losing her child, struck the Lord with pity. "Do not weep," he told her, clearly moved by her sorrow. And then, he did the impossible and restored the dead man to life. But he did more than this. After "the dead man sat up ... Jesus gave him to his mother." In other words, Jesus made a point to restore and affirm this woman's vocation as a mother.
In our culture, women have earned a much more respectable status and are no longer dependent upon men. But, at times, the noble and irreplaceable role of mother is still undervalued in society. Too often, women who devote themselves to this vocation are dismissed as unimportant. Christ himself reveals, through his ministry to this mother, that her role is vital.May we also find ways to affirm and serve the mothers in our midst.