Why Did Jesus Call Mary Woman

Why did Jesus call the Blessed Mother “woman”?

When we refer to our mother, we often use a variety of friendly terms such as “mom,” “mama,” “mother,” and so on to address her. The word “woman” is, on the other hand, never used in our house! Most of us mothers would consider this to be disrespectful and would seek an explanation. Yet, when Jesus addressed his mother, he used the name “mother” (cf. John 19:26). What is the explanation behind this? For starters, anytime we read something in the Bible in our native tongue, we are reading a translation of that passage.

According to Fr.

Despite the fact that Jesus may have been addressing his mother in a polite manner, why didn’t he just refer to her as his “mom?” Many biblical scholars turn to another text in the New Testament as an explanation for Jesus’ choice of language.

‘Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?’ ‘Here are my mother and my brothers,’ he added, reaching out his hand toward his disciples.

• This is how Jesus intended to highlight that the most essential thing is to follow the Gospel message faithfully, regardless of whether or not one is related to someone via bodily relationships.
• John 2).
• Aside from that, many scholars believe that Jesus’ use of the term “woman” refers to the very first “woman,” Eve.
• “He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel,” God says to the serpent (Genesis 3:15).
• Against this backdrop, Jesus is attempting to establish his mother as the New Eve, as well as to elevate her and her crucial part in the narrative of redemption.
• “Woman, look!
• “Then he turned to the disciple and said, ‘Look, here’s your mother!'” (See also John 19:26-27.) This, too, speaks to something more profound.
• As “the beloved disciple,” he confides in us and invites us to address her as “mother” (Matthew 18:1–3).

More information may be found at: Was it ever brought to your attention that the 1st apparition of the Blessed Mother was an act of bilocation? More information may be found at: A Marian Alternative to the Stations of the Cross

Why Jesus Called Mary “Woman” at Cana

The accounts in the Gospel of John that concern Mary the mother of Jesus contain an anomaly that has perplexed many readers throughout history. This Gospel has just two appearances by Mary, at the wedding at Cana and at the foot of the crucifixion, and both times Jesus greets her in a manner that appears to be disrespectful to her. Instead of addressing her as “mother,” “mom,” or some such old Jewish equivalent, he just addresses her as “woman” (John 2:4, 19:26). That sounded just as strange in the first century as it does now, and it begs for an explanation today as it did then.

In the Beginning

Let’s start with the first incidence of this unusual address, which was the wedding at Cana, and work our way up from there. It is necessary to go back to the very beginning of John’s Gospel in order to completely comprehend this account. Beginning with “In the beginning was the Word.all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made,” it is very reminiscent of the seven-day creation story in Genesis: “In the beginning was the Word.all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” (See also John 1:1-3.) Anyone who has even a passing knowledge with the Bible should be able to recognize that opening sentence right away.

The first three words are taken exactly from the very first line of Genesis, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the world,” and the mention of creation two verses later maintains this allusion to the beginning of the universe.

New Creation Week

Even more significantly, if we pay close attention to the next two chapters, we can see that John uses a different, subtler method of connecting his Gospel to the creation story: he recounts a sequence of seven days, which corresponds to the seven days of creation in the first chapter of Genesis. While he never openly states that he is doing this, he gives us a hint by noting the passage of time in his bank account. Following his recounting of John the Baptist’s testimony concerning his identity, he states that the next story took place “the next day” (John 1:29), and he repeats this statement twice more in the book of John (John 1:35, 43).

After that, the very next narrative takes place “on the third day,” which brings us up to day number seven in the series.

The New Eve

With all of these connections to the Old Testament’s narrative of the world’s origin, John is quietly informing us that Jesus’ mission marked the beginning of the new creation, the restoration of everything that Adam and Eve ruined by eating from the forbidden tree. Furthermore, despite the fact that the final narrative of his new creation week takes place at a wedding, John never discloses the identities of the bride and groom. Instead, the only individuals whose identities we know are Jesus and his mother, which is a key development in the narrative.

Just as Eve played a key role in our Fall by eating the forbidden fruit and then giving it to Adam, so too did Mary play a key role in our redemption by giving birth to our savior and prompting him to perform his first miracle and thus begin his public ministry (Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:22, 45).

It becomes clear why Jesus refers to his mother as “woman” in this account if we comprehend what he is talking about.

Using the term “woman,” Jesus is reaffirming for us that his mother is the new Eve, his equivalent to Adam’s role in the story of redemption.

The Foot of the Cross

And we discover comparable links at the foot of the cross, as Jesus addresses his mother in this manner for the second time (John 19:25-26). This is significant because later in John, Jesus characterizes his death on the cross as “the hour of the devil’s defeat” (John 12:31-33). That may not appear to have anything to do with Eve or the creation tales at first glance, but let’s look at it a little more. “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed,” says God after Adam and Eve committed the world’s first sin.

1. In the first place, the fact that the serpent has been cursed rather than Adam and Eve says that the snake will be the one to bear the brunt of the punishment, and secondly, hits to the head are often far more painful than strikes to the heel.
2. Granted, the devil cannot be physically killed, therefore this just indicates that he will be decisively slain by the seed of the “woman” in the last battle.
3. It is Jesus; he is the one who overcame the devil and brought the human race back to God’s favor.
4. This was not a coincidental occurrence for Jesus, who was well familiar with the Old Testament.
5. Just as Jesus is the promised “seed,” so too is Mary the new Eve, the new “woman,” whose son overcame Satan and all of his henchmen in the battle of Armageddon.

Our Spiritual Mother

So we can see that both times in the Gospel of John when Jesus refers to Mary as a “woman,” he is making a reference to Eve, the first woman ever created. He addresses his mother in this manner in order to quietly educate us that, just as he is the new Adam, so too is she the new Eve in the story of redemption. And that is incredibly crucial in terms of our spiritual well-being. It is one of the most important reasons why we Catholics are so devoted to Mary. According to Genesis 3:20, Eve is the physical mother of all of humanity, just as Mary is the spiritual mother of everyone who has been reborn by God’s mercy through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Because of this, we can see that Mary is more than merely a historical figure who lived 2,000 years ago. No, because she is our mother, she continues to be extremely important to us now. Renata Sedmakova / Shutterstock.com is the image used.

Why Did Jesus Call His Mother “Woman”? – Living Water online

“Woman, what does it matter to you or to me that you are doing it? “I have not yet reached my zenith.” — John 2:4 (NIV) If you’ve read this chapter before, you’ve undoubtedly had the impression that Jesus was chilly and uninterested. But when you examine scripture through the lens of typology, you will see that Jesus was truly honoring His mother, Mary, when He said the words he did. According to St Augustine, biblical typology is the belief that the New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament and that the Old Testament is made plain in the New Testament.

When Jesus refers to His mother as “woman,” He was alluding to the Book of Genesis, which demonstrated three important characteristics of her character.

“At long last!” cried the guy.

As a result of her separation from “man,” she will be referred to as “woman.” Genesis 2:23 (NASB)

The New Eve:

After all, just as the disobedience of one person resulted in the sinfulness of many others, the obedience of one person will result in the righteousness of many others. — Paul in Romans 5:19 In order to be a part of the tale as the antidote to sin, Jesus was destined to be present from the beginning of human life. The fact that Mary is the New Eve follows logically from Jesus’ role as the New Adam. Please keep in mind that the notion of Mary as the New Eve is not something I created out of thin air, but is rather based on actual early Church writings published by Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian that date back to the 2nd Century and represent Mary in a similar manner.

• As described in the Old Testament, the fallen angel, appearing in the appearance of a serpent, deceives the woman who does not have original sin, leading her to doubt and disobey her husband.
• Original sin and death resulted as a result of this.
• As soon as Mary, the woman, says yes to God, she transfers that obedience to her Son, who transfers it to the rest of the world, culminating in redemption and life through the person and work of Jesus.
• It was Mary who said, “Behold, I am the Lord’s handmaid.” It is my prayer that your message be fulfilled in my life.” After then, the angel withdrew from her.

— Matthew 1:38 As a result, rather than rebuking her, Jesus is praising her for saying yes to God and yielding to the Father’s Will, for it was through her as the New Eve that God was able to bring His redemption plan to a successful conclusion.

The New Ark Of The Covenant:

Take note of the fact that the lady is only given the name Eve after she has sinned in the Book of Genesis. Previously, the man and the woman were two people who had been formed without the stain of original sin on their souls. In other words, when Jesus refers to His mother as “woman,” He is inferring that she was also devoid of sin and pure in heart. If God created the first two persons without original sin, it is feasible that God will do the same with Mary in the same way that he created them both.

1. God instructed Moses in the Book of Exodus to construct the Ark of the Covenant out of the cleanest materials available.
2. So it seems to reason that God would save Mary from original sin in order to specifically prepare her to be the new Ark of Covenant.
3. — Hebrews 9:4 (NIV) The Ark of the Covenant was made up of three parts of Jesus who were waiting to be disclosed and made apparent in order to be fulfilled.
4. (John 1:14).
5. The Biblical Parallels between the Original Ark of the Covenant and Mary as the New Ark are so evident that it is difficult to ignore them.
6. As a result, by referring to Mary as “woman,” Jesus was emphasizing her innocence and purity.

Our Spiritual Mother:

The guy called his wife Eve, in honor of the fact that she was the mother of all living things. The Bible says in Genesis 3:20 that In the case of Mary being the New Eve, it stands to reason that she would also be our new spiritual mother, as is plainly stated in Revelations 12. Throughout this portion, a lady gives birth to a boy, who we now know to be Jesus, as depicted in an apparition. Continuing the vision, the Son of God is engaged in battle with a dragon, who is ultimately defeated. Given that the dragon represents the devil and the kid represents Jesus, the only other possibility would be for the lady to represent Mary, which is what she really does.

• — The Book of Revelation 12:17 As a result, all Christians are considered to be the offspring of their spiritual mother Mary.
• Then, when he saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he exclaimed to his mother, “Woman, see!
• —John 19:26-27 (KJV).
• For this reason, the theme of us as “disciples Jesus loved” appears often throughout his Gospel, putting us in his place.
• The intensity of Jesus’ love for us is such that He chooses to offer us Mary as a present.
• Mary’s ultimate goal is to serve as a point of reference for her Son.
• Similarly to the manner that we do not have any natural light of our own, she does not own a source of illumination of her own.

Almost everything about her life that is wonderful speaks to the magnificence of our God. “Never be frightened of falling in love with the Blessed Virgin too deeply. You will never be able to love her as much as Jesus did.” St. Maximilian Kolbe is a saint who lived in Germany.

Jessica Fernandes

QuestionAnswer In the second chapter of John, Mary, Jesus, and several of the disciples are invited to a wedding. When Mary informs Jesus that the host has ran out of wine in John 2:3, Jesus is surprised. Clearly, Mary wants Jesus to do something exceptional to rectify the problem; He had not done any miracles up to this point (John 2:11), and Mary likely believed it was past time for Him to demonstrate His true identity. Some people find Jesus’ remark, when read in modern English, to be abrupt, even unfriendly or rude, and this is understandable.

1. “I have not yet reached my zenith” (ESV).
2. Certain phrases contain meanings that are difficult to translate from one language to another, which is one of the difficulties encountered while translating across languages.
3. For example, exclamations such as “heads up!” or “look out!” really signify the polar opposite of what their literal meanings suggest—if someone exclaims, “Heads up!” we normally lower our heads to avoid being hit.
4. In English, what Jesus says to His mother in John 2:4 comes off as nearly nasty.
5. The termwoman was used in the same way that we use the termma’am.
6. When Jesus informs Mary that He is surrendering her to John’s care, He employs the same term that He used on the cross to express His love for her (John 19:26).
7. “What do I have to do with thee?” says the KJV, which may come across as harsh.

In Greek, Jesus’ inquiry is ” Ti emoi kai soi?” which translates as “What do you think I am?” The term was used to inquire about the existence of a relationship between two persons.

(ESV) or “What is the point of including me?” (NIV).

Jesus, on the other hand, communicates His message in a kind and non-offensive manner.

The use of the terms “hour” and “time” (NET) indicates that Jesus was continuously operating on the basis of a heavenly schedule.

It was one of the arguments Jesus made during His temptation in the wilderness, which was that sometimes it is possible to do what is right for the wrong reasons (Matthew 4:1–10).

Jesus did take action, as evidenced by His first miracle.

Only the servants, Mary, and a handful of other disciples were aware of what He had accomplished.

As a result, Jesus does not appear to be harsh or dismissive in John 2:4.

It’s possible that some of the courteous tone was lost in translation, but Jesus was not being disrespectful. Questions about John (return to top of page) Jesus’ use of the pronoun “woman” in John 2:4 was seen as disrespectful toward Mary.

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Why Does Jesus call Mary Woman?

I remember being a little perplexed the first time I read about Jesus and Mary at the wedding of Cana, and I still am. Jesus was addressing Mary as “Woman,” and he was informing her that his hour had not yet arrived. Was he betraying her trust, or was there something else going on? We might occasionally miss the message when we use our current English translations and cultural context. We’ll find out later why Jesus is truly praising Mary in this instance. Cana was the location of the wedding.

2 In addition to Jesus and his disciples, the wedding was attended by other guests.

4 “Woman, how does your preoccupation effect me?” Jesus inquired of her.

It might have a positive connotation when used in a sentence such as ‘I am looking for a good woman.’ It can be derogatory when interrogating someone, such as ‘What are you doing woman?’ Here, Jesus is both asking Mary a question and telling her something, thus in our current use we may leap to the negative conclusion.

• Contradictions are caused by the negative. After concluding that Jesus is speaking in a condescending manner toward Mary and treating her as a woman, we are faced with an obvious contradiction. Just as soon as Jesus corrects Mary, He goes along with her instructions. The negative interpretation does not correspond to the situation. If you look closely, it may appear like Jesus is protesting before finally giving in to His mother. That also does not ring true to me at all. As a result of this negative interpretation, we are given a skewed picture of Jesus and Mary. Being that our culture occasionally utilizes the word ‘woman’ in a derogatory sense, it is an easy error to make.

The Proselytizing Factor At the foot of the cross, on the eve of His death, Jesus pondered how to care for His mother and His Church, telling John the Apostle. John 19:26-27:26 (NASB) Then, when he saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he exclaimed to his mother, “Woman, see! Here is your son.” 27 Then he turned to the disciple and said, “Look, here’s your mother.” And it was at that point that the disciple invited her into his home. One of Jesus’ Apostles takes care of her and refers to her as ‘Mother,’ which is a compassionate phrase used by Jesus in this context.

1. We are aware that God is sinless and without flaws.
2. He does not violate any of the Ten Commandments.
3. This commandment must be kept in mind while we are interpreting the relationship between Jesus and Mary.
4. We are unable to do so, therefore let us proceed in the knowledge that Jesus honors His mother.
5. Another element that contributes to understanding the significance of this occurrence at Cana is the word ‘woman’ as it was originally used.
6. Both Mary and Eve are referred to by the same term gunai/v in the New Testament Greek.
7. Gen 2:23 The man said: “This one, at long last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be named ‘woman,'” and the woman was born.

Saints’ Mosaic is a mosaic of saints.

Kirowograd, Ukraine, has an Orthodox church.

Eve made the decision to listen to the Devil, and as a result, she sinned and brought sin into the world.

Both the man and the woman had fallen in love at the same time.

However, it was not the end of the story.

There is, however, some positive news to report.

1514 (Gen 3:14-1514) Then the LORD God spoke to the serpent, saying.

This is referred to as the protoevangelium, or the first indication of the coming of a messiah.

According to the Bible, this fight will continue throughout the centuries.

Let us fast forward to the time of Jesus and Mary.

The fulfillment of the text is represented by Mary and Jesus.

In the same way that death came about via a human person, the resurrection of the dead also came about through a human being.

26 Destroying death is the final opponent to be defeated.

As a sign of the triumph of good over evil, Mary places her foot on the tail of the serpent.

Mary is a part of Jesus’ overall plan.

Elizabeth refers to Mary as “blessed” in the first chapter of Luke.

Elizabeth also makes a connection between Marry and the promise.

As Mary takes the blessing, she makes a connection between it and the Lord.

Because he has considered his handmaid’s lowliness, behold, from this day forward, all generations will call me blessed.

Jesus Christ himself is included.

Adam was not the only one who was a part of the original sin.

Eve was the one who introduced Adam to sin.

In a loving relationship, the sentence makes perfect sense.

In order to spare the married pair from disgrace, Mary recognizes an opportunity.

He provides Mary with the chance to be the tool through which He would receive his public ministry, in a reversal of Eve’s gifting of the Apple of Sin to Adam.

Both are demonstrating love and respect for one another, which is the polar opposite of the sin and blame displayed by Adam and Eve.

The inquiry is posed by Jesus.

He is sincerely inquiring as to what she is seeking that He do for her.

As opposed to Adam and Eve, who blamed one another, it is a spirit of unselfish service to one another.

The Gospel of John has multiple instances in which Jesus declares that ‘My time’ or ‘My Hour’ has not yet arrived.

(See also John 2:4, John 7:6, and John 7:30.) No one understood what Jesus was about to accomplish at the time, and although though Mary is Jesus’ mother and has placed her faith in Him, she is still a human being who does not understand all that is about to take place.

• Jesus is informing Mary and the other disciples that this is only the beginning and that not everything will take place at once. For the time being, the conversion of water into wine is adequate, therefore assisting the married pair. The disciples begin to place their faith in Him. The transformation of wine into His blood will take place later, when the time is right for Him.

The Time Has Come for Me to Speak Up At a later point in his career, upon the final entrance into Jerusalem, Jesus states for the first time that his hour has arrived. John 12:23–24:23 (NIV) “The hour has arrived for the Son of Man to be exalted,” Jesus responded to their question. 24 It is true, true that until a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains nothing more than a grain of wheat; but if the grain of wheat dies, it produces a large amount of fruit. At the wedding of Cana, Jesus saw that His hour would come, but it would be later.

• The priest officiates at the wedding liturgy at the church.
• As soon as God created Adam and Eve, the Covenant connection of marriage was established with the promise that ‘the two shall become one’.
• Mary does not detract from the overall effect.
• By following her acts, which include saying ‘Thy will be done’ and following her directions, which include saying “Do whatever He instructs you,” she quickly and lovingly directs us to Her son.
• When it comes to Mary, she is sometimes referred to as the ‘Untying of Knots’.
• We follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
• Elizabeth referred to her as “blessed.” The angel Gabriel praised her for being “brimming with elegance” (highly favored in some translations).

We might also refer to her as blessed.

He is grateful to His mum.

(This is not a form of worship.) So, let us now read the entire Wedding of Cana with the understanding that Jesus adores His mother and treats her with dignity.

He is also assisting her in understanding that His task would not be completed in a single day.

1 John 2:11–14 A wedding took place at Cana, Galilee, on the third day, and the mother of Jesus was present at the ceremony.

The mother of Jesus informed him that “they had no wine” as the wine supply ran low.

7 After that, Jesus instructed them to “fill the jars with water.” As a result, they were completely stuffed.

When the headwaiter tasted the water that had turned into wine without knowing where it came from (although the servers who had drawn the water were aware), he summoned the bridegroom10 and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then an inferior one after people have drunk freely; but you have maintained the quality of the good wine until now.” 11 This was the beginning of Jesus’ signs at Cana, Galilee, and it was through this that his glory was shown, and his disciples began to place their faith in him.

I hope this has helped to clarify things.

• This text about the wedding of Cana can be perplexing in certain translations and interpretations from our current society
• Yet, when we delve deeper and take the time to understand the original meaning, it becomes a wonderful occasion! Mary was lovingly referred to as a “woman” by Jesus at the Wedding of Cana
• Jesus elevates everyone present at the wedding. Adam’s fall has brought fallen man into a relationship with the sinless man, Jesus. The Savior is now linked to the fallen woman through Eve’s intercession, thanks to Mary’s intercession. A miracle connects the beginning of marriage in Genesis to the coming of Jesus.

• The miracle of the water changing into wine at the Wedding of Cana suffices to mark the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in the world. It prepares us for the hour when Jesus will convert wine into His blood, therefore establishing a new Covenant with the Father. He will die and rise again in order to vanquish death, to save us, and to bring His glory to a close.

This Might Be of Interest to You: Did Jesus Have Brothers or Sisters? If you require any Bible-related accessories, please visit our online gift store. Would you want to hear a psalm that is quiet? – Go To This Site The miracle of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding feast of Cana is shown in this graphic collage created from an etching by the Nazareene School and published in The Holy Bible, St.Vojtech Publishing, Trnava, Slovakia, 1937. It is with permission of the copyright owner that the Scripture verses in this work are taken from the New American Bible, Revised Edition 2010, 2011, 1986, and 1970 published by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in Washington, D.C, and are used in this work.

Without the express written permission of the copyright owner, no portion of the New American Bible may be copied in any form or by any means.

Why did Jesus call His mother “Woman”?

It is possible that Jesus chose not to acknowledge Mary’s family connection to him because the perceived significance of their earthly link would have interfered with his goal to love everyone everywhere unconditionally. When we prioritize love for family over love for others, we are giving ourselves permission to withhold love from others as well. In the Gospel of John, these two lines aren’t the only instances in which Jesus refuses to recognise the significance of his genetic or family ties.

And there was a large group of people gathered around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and brothers are waiting outside for you.” “Can you tell me who my mother and brothers are?” he inquired.

Those who follow God’s will are my brothers and sisters, as well as my mother.” Mark 3:31-35 (KJV) As a little kid who had been away for three days, Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke, refused to recognise any commitment to Mary and Joseph as their son: As soon as they saw him, they were stunned, and his mother asked him, “Why have you treated us in such a jerkish manner?” As you can see, your father and I have been seeking for you with bated breath.” 49 “Can you tell me why you’re looking for me?” he inquired of them.

How could you have forgotten that I needed to be in my Father’s house?” 50 And they were perplexed by the words he uttered to them in a foreign language.

Jesus’ use of the pronoun “woman” to refer to his mother is consistent with his unwillingness to place a high value on blood relationships throughout the gospels.

Why does Jesus refer to Mary as “woman” at the wedding feast at Cana?

When Mary informs Jesus that there is no more wine at the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus says, “Woman, how does your anxiety impact me?” “I have not yet reached my hour.” (See also John 2:4). Despite the fact that this manner of salutation seems harsh and disrespectful to modern ears, “lady” was regarded as a term of honor and respect during the time of its use. Having said that, it was nevertheless rare for someone to address his mother by her first name. It is suggested in the footnotes of the New American Bible that this line may be intended to demonstrate that Jesus did not perform miracles for the benefit of family and friends; in other words, his statement to Mary may imply that he did not mean to “choose and choose.” Similarly, several scholars have pointed out that this is not the only instance in which Jesus refers to Mary as “woman.” In his final moments on the cross, he points to the beloved disciple and whispers to Mary, “Woman, see your Son.” (See also John 19:26.) In addition to having symbolic importance, the fact that the identical form of address is employed both at the beginning and conclusion of Jesus’ public ministry aids in the connection of two significant episodes in Jesus’ life.

In their pastoral letter, Behold Your Mother: Woman of Faith, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops explains: “In the Gospel of St.

Each scenario takes place within a specific ‘hour.’ At Cana, the hour relates to the beginning of the messianic ministry, which despite the fact that it ‘has not yet arrived’ (John 2:4), begins with this ‘first of his signs,’ which Jesus performed at Mary’s request (John 2:4).

Furthermore, the bridal feast is held on the ‘third day,’ and the completion of the holy period of the Paschal Mystery occurs on the ‘third day,’ which is the day after Easter.

“Ask a Priest: Why does Jesus address his Mother as ‘woman’ in Scripture?”

Do you want to give it a rating? During the wedding at Cana and again at the foot of the cross, Christ refers to his own mother as “woman” at least twice in Scripture. That would generally be considered unpleasant and insulting, and I’m curious as to how Mary felt as a result of it. In no place in the Bible does he refer to her as “mom.” -C.L. Fr. Edward McIlmail, LCA, provided the following response: Indeed, to modern ears, Jesus’ use of the pronoun “woman” to refer to Mary comes across as a little frigid.

When Jesus is on the cross, he alludes to his Mother in the same way (“Woman, behold, your son,” he says in John 19:26).

The word “woman” is also reminiscent of the language of Genesis 2:22-23 and the first woman to walk the face of the earth.

Thank you for your query and for providing me with the opportunity to explain a critical Marian point. God’s blessings on you.

Why Did Jesus Say “Woman, Behold Your Son”?

“Near the crucifixion of Jesus were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene, all of whom were mourning for him. After seeing his mother and the disciple whom he adored standing nearby, Jesus addressed her as “Woman, here is your son,” and the disciple as “Dear disciple, here is your mother.” She was welcomed into the family of this disciple from that point on.” -John 19:25-27 (New International Version) As He is about to die, Jesus gently cares for his mother, Mary.

What would happen to her now that He was no longer alive?

And in order to do so, He restored the previously broken bond that existed between his adoring mother and His adoring disciple In his words to her, “Woman, see your son, for whom, from this day forward, you must have a motherly attachment,” and in his words to John, “Behold your mother, to whom you must perform a sonly duty,” As a result, from that hour on, an hour that will never be forgotten, that disciple brought her to his own residence.

1. Take note of the tenderness with which Christ treated His beloved mother.
2. It’s possible that his mother was preoccupied with his sufferings that she didn’t consider what would happen to her, but He did.
3. He refers to her as woman rather than mother, not out of any disdain for her, but because the term mother would have been a cutting phrase to her, who was already grieving severely.
4. This was a great award bestowed upon John, and it served as a testament to both his foresight and his loyalty.
5. Having the privilege of working for Christ and being entrusted with any of His interests across the world is a tremendous honor.
6. In Nicephoras’ Ecclesiastical History (book 2, chapter 3), Mary stayed with John in Jerusalem for eleven years before passing away.
7. The following is an adaptation of Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible (John 19).

Was Jesus Dissing His Mother When He Called Her “Woman”?

“Woman, how does your anxiety effect me?” Jesus asks Mary after the wedding at Cana, which we’ll hear about this Sunday.

“I have not yet reached my zenith.” It comes across as rude, doesn’t it? At the very least, you could interpret it that way. Jesus, on the other hand, was not being rude in the least. The plot is as follows.

Pronoun Trouble

“How does your worry effect me?” is the first line of translation. This is not a direct translation of what Jesus says in Greek in John 2:4 in the New American Bible: Revised Edition. What he says is “What to me and to you?” he says exactly as written. Mary has just walked up to him and informed him that the folks in charge of the wedding have no wine, thus you may practically translate Jesus’ statement as “What to me and you?” in this context. Or, to put it another way, “What does it have to do with us?” He’s not making fun of her.

That he is not responsible for ensuring that they have enough wine is what he is implying in his statement.

“Woman”

One of the things that gives the impression that Jesus is disparaging his mother is the fact that he refers to her as “woman.” This is not how we speak to women today-not if we respect them, and especially not to our own mothers-and neither should we. Nevertheless, the implications that a term has in a particular language, such as those implying respect or disdain, or others, are rather delicate, and we cannot impose the connotations that a word has in our own language on those of another. Consider: Consider the following scenario: in English, we substitute “woman” with a phrase that means essentially the same thing but has more positive connotations.

Suddenly, what Jesus says comes out as a lot more courteous.

Even in democratic America, a son can say to his mother, “Yes, ma’am,” and mean it completely and respectfully in every way.

Evoking the Vocative

Before we get into the specifics of the verses, I’d want to point out a thing about Greek grammar (Greek being the language in which we have the New Testament). It is customary in Greek for nouns and pronouns to change their form depending on the role that they perform inside a phrase. These various types are referred to as “cases.” As it occurs, when nouns are employed as words of direct address, they are given a specific form, known as a case, in which they are written. In other words, when someone is referring directly to someone (i.e., when they are talking to them), the noun will take on a certain form or case.

This is what we say at Mass when we say ” Kyrie eleison ” (Kyrie eleison) (“O Lord, have mercy”).

The English language performs the same thing from time to time by placing the letter “O” in front of anything.

It is simple to search for words in the New Testament using Bible software because Greek has a distinct vocative case, which makes it simple to find all the occasions in which a word is employed as a kind of direct address in the text. So, what do we discover as a result of our efforts?

“O Man”

It makes sense to check to see if the term “man” is used as a kind of direct address as a way of keeping a lid on the usage of the term “woman.” That is exactly what happens. One typical Greek term that we translate as “man” is anthropos, which is then placed into the vocative case asanthrope (meaning “human being” in Greek) (“an-thro-peh”). Jesus uses the following phrase as a form of address: As soon as he observed their faith, he said, “Man, your sins have been forgiven you.” “Man, who appointed me as a judge or an arbitrator over you?” he asked him in response.

• Then Peter remarked, “Man, I’m not like that.” “Man, I have no idea what you are talking about,” Peter responded.
• So you have no excuse, O man, whatever you may be, when you pass judgment on another; for in passing judgment on him, you are also passing judgment on yourself, since you are doing the very same things that he is doing.
• There are plenty such examples (Rom.
• 6:11, Jas.
• As a result, the word “man” (anthrope) is used as a form of address without being considered derogatory.

“O Male”

The Greek term anthroposis is frequently translated as “man,” yet it does not refer to a specific gender. It can have both male and female pronouns, such as “human,” although interpreting it that way would be extremely uncomfortable. There is, however, a Greek phrase that expressly refers to a male human being: anér (“ah-NAIR”). The distinction is analogous to the distinction between the English term “man” (which may be used to refer to both men and females) and the word “male” (which can be used only for males).

The Apostle St.

In this instance, the meaning of “man” is veiled since Greek does not discriminate between the terms “man” and “husband” (or between the terms “woman” and “wife”), but it is the same phrase that is being used as a form of direct approach, therefore thus is not considered insulting.

In this scenario, the word takes on the formandres, and it appears several times throughout the Bible’s New Testament.

This Jesus, who was carried up from you into heaven, will return in the same manner in which you witnessed him go into heaven.” “Men of Israel, pay attention to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who has been attested to you by God through amazing deeds and marvels and miracles that God performed through him in your midst, as you yourselves are aware.

3:19, and 1 Peter 3:7 are all references to the New Testament. So much for the name “man” (also known as eitheranthrope, anér, orandres) and its connotations. What do you think of the term “woman”?

“O Woman”

The Greek word for “woman” isguné, which means “womanhood” (“goo-NAY”; same word we get “gynecologist” from). Gunai is the form that is used in the vocative case. This is the word that Jesus used to refer to Mary twice. At Cana, we’ve already witnessed the first instance of this, when he performs the act at the wedding (John 2:4). Other instances in which Jesus does this are when Mary witnesses him being crucified: After seeing his mother standing nearby, as well as the disciple whom he adored, Jesus said to his mother, “Woman, see!

Other Women

However, Mary is by no means the only lady for whom this term (gunai) is employed as a form of salutation in the Japanese language. We also come across the following:

• Among other things, Jesus uses it to address the Syro-Phoenician woman (Matt. 15:28)
• Jesus uses it to address the woman with a hemorrhage (Luke 13:12)
• Peter uses it to address the high priest’s servant girl (Luke 22:57)
• Jesus uses it to address the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:21)
• Two angels use it to address Mary Magdalene (John 20:13)
• Jesus

That’s a significant number of applications, to which we can add the two Marian applications, but none of them are derogatory!

“Sir,” “Ma’am,” and the Ten Commandments

The fact that neither the terms “man” nor “woman” have negative connotations when employed as a form of direct address in the New Testament writings is revealed as a result of this study. Instead, they were treated with decency and courtesy. In reality, they were used in much the same manner that we would use the names “sir” and “ma’am” in the United States. There is yet another reason why we may be certain that Jesus was not disparaging his mother when he referred to her as “woman”: Jesus’ mother was a woman at the time of his death.

He was a model citizen who followed God’s law to the letter, including the Ten Commandments.

What Now?

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And in the meanwhile, what are your thoughts?