Mary, Mary, and More at Calvary

Scripture...

Matthew 27:55-56

Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Matthew 15:40-41

There were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Luke 23:49

And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee* were standing at a distance, seeing these things. (earlier in 8:1-3, Luke uses the same phrase and provides these names: Mary Magdalene, Joanne, wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, Susanna, and many others.")

John 19:25

Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 

The collective use of "some," "many," and "the" women, could reasonable include others such as

Joanna, wife of Chuza

Susanna,

others unnamed

When we look at the way artists have portrayed this scene, we will see that the "others" can be many.

Two of these women are mothers to followers of Jesus by the name of James. It might help sort out who's who if we start with differentiating the two James. The James who is Salome's son and brother to John is sometimes referred to as "James the Great." He was one of the first called by Jesus along with his brother, John, as the two of them fished alongside their father, Zebedee (Mt 4:21-22, Mk 1:19-20). These two brothers, along with Peter, are the triumvirate, the only ones present at the Transfiguration ((Mt 17:1), the Healing of Jairus' Daughter (Mk 5:37), and in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mat 26:37).

The other James, sometimes designated as "James the Less," or "James the Just," to make the distinction, is brother to Joses (aka Joseph), not one of the twelve apostles, but presumably someone known to the early Christians to have been mentioned. This James is the one who later, with Peter, was the head of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. When Paul and Barnabas traveled to Jerusalem with questions about Gentile converts, it was James who stood up and settled the dispute (Acts 15:13-21). He is referred to as the "brother of the Lord," (1 Gal: 18-19), which implies some kind of kinship with Jesus and may have contributed to his leadership role. Just what the term, brother, means is much debated. The Catholic and Orthodox churches have long held that James was kin in the sense of cousin, which is in keeping with the understanding of extended family prevalent in Judaism at that time.

A broad interpretation of "brother" as kin could also be applied to the term "sister" of Mary. In that case the woman alongside Mary might not be a sibling, but a relative. This raises the question if Mary, the mother of James who is "kin" to Jesus, could also be the one alongside Mary, referred to as "sister." Or, perhaps the "sister of Mary," is another woman entirely who is unnamed and not previously cited and, indeed, her sibling. There is no definitive way to know and, therefore, ours to ponder. (as below)

Art...

Boticelli's Lamentation, 1492

Botticelli has peopled the scene figuratively. The men, left to right, are identified as St. Jerome wearing hermit's garb, St. Paul with a sword, St. John into whose arms Mary, Jesus' mother, is swooning, and St. Peter. The woman behind Mary is identified as the "other Mary," and the two on the ground are Mary of Bethany to the left and Mary Magdalene to the right.

While I am attracted to Botticelli's depictions of Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, the swooning of Mary is one of my least favorite of portrayals, not at all what I imagine Mary did. Much more in keeping with my understanding of Mary is Michelangelo's Pieta. Here we see the dignity and strength of Mary, and of motherhood, as well as her sublime sorrow.

The summer of 1964 was a hot one in New York City without the hint of a breeze, stifling in the way that only NYC can be. But it was the NY Worlds Fair and I was too young and excited to care about the heat. There are two things I recall: It was the first time I ever saw a frisbee (we bought two to take home) and I got to see Michelangelo's Pieta. Right in front of me, just feet away! A slow moving conveyer glided us by close enough to see the sharp edge of every draped fabric, close enough to see the white marble sheen of Jesus' lifeless skin, close enough to see Mary's face, the infinite tenderness and sadness, an expression unfathomable to my young self, but so compelling that it caused me to run to the end of that long, snaking line so that I could go by and look a second time.

To Ponder...

Both Mary and Salome followed Jesus in the company of their adult sons. What might that have been like? (see Mt 20:21)

Imagine a background for Mary and James. Did they live in Nazareth? How and when did they come to follow Jesus?

Both Mary and Salome were at the cross and both went to the tomb and were among the first witnesses to the Resurrection. Mark's Gospel says only of the disciples, "they all left him and fled." (Mk 14:50) When the women proclaimed, "He is risen!" Scripture indicates that their sons did not at first believe them. (Mt 24:11). How might all these tensions of belief and disbelief work out within family relationships?

There are also two women present who are identified by their being wives: Joanna, wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Mary, wife of Clopas. Chuza may have been named because of his being in a prominent position. Chuza, Herod's Steward and Mary, follower of Jesus. They lived in two different worlds. Was theirs a house divided or did Chuza support Mary's decision? How might they have lived out the differences in their lifestyle?

Little is known of the identity of this other Mary. She is likely the one who sat with Mary Magdalene alongside the tomb. Why is she identified by her marriage to Clopas? Scholars speculate that Clopas may be also be the Cleopas on the road to Emmaus. If so, the unnamed companion of Cleopas may well have been his wife, Mary. How do all these possibilities intrigue you?

What other questions are yours after viewing the artwork and exploring the relationships?

The Midrash below is written in the words of Mary's sister:

Midrash...

She is my sister. How could I not be with her as she watches her own son suffer this fate? She’s been there for him throughout it all—but this…how could it have come to this?

I wrap my arms around her. At the sound of each cruel blow, the ring of hammer upon nail, her body jerks in pain. She does not, will not, avert her eyes though I want to shield her from the sight. She watches as they stretch out his other arm and begin again. His arms are tight against the wood--the arms that once held her in his embrace, arms that once reached out to her to catch his toddler fall. Nazareth so long ago. Dusty streets that were our home. He was hers then, hers alone--with Joseph and those of us who were family and friends. All that changed. Somehow he knew he must do his Father’s will. He became no longer ours. He belongs now to the world. But this is how the world repays him!

His feet. They grab his feet now and pin them to the wood, hammer raised high. How many times did Joseph teach Jesus how to hold a hammer just so? Drive a nail straight and true with just one blow. Oh! The ring of metal, the thud of flesh. Will ever my sister forget the sound?

Movement...

HOLY WEEK REMINDER

 "Synagoga and Ecclesia in Our Own Time," Joshua Koffman, St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Responses from Readers...

NEXT WEEK - JOSEPH OF ARIMETHEA