''Oueen

Q Mother'}
John seems to tap a Hebrew political tradition to show Mary in an exalted role.

U
niting John's portrayal of Mary at the
wedding at Cana (the beginning of
Jesus' earthly ministry) and at the
foot of the cross (the end) is what we
might call "the theme of the royal
mother." John stresses Mary's maternal
relationship to Jesus; his use of the term
"mother of Jesus" seems to convey a
certain reverence, much as it does in
Luke's portrayal of the nascent Church
gathered in the upper room, waiting for
the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts
1:14).

"Hail, King of the Jews!"

This maternal relationship of Mary to
Jesus is linked to John's emphasis on Je-
sus' kingship, particularly in the context
of his passion. Many Bible scholars have
noted how John goes to some length to
stress that Jesus died as a king. Unlike
the other evangelists. John shows how
Jesus' claim to kingship was made a ma-
jor component of his trial before Pilate
(18:33, 36-37). The Roman soldiers
mock Jesus with the words. "Hail, King
of the Jev«!" (19:2) At the last it is Jesus'
assertion of his kingship that becomes
the decisive charge leading directly to
his condemnation (19:12-15). Although
the other gospels do speak of the sign
over Jesus' cross identifying him as "King
of the Jews" (Matthew 27:37; Mark
15:26; Luke 23:38). only in John does
this designation become a point of con-
troversy between Pilate and Jesus' ac-
cusers (John 19:18-22), thereby drawing
more explicit attention to it. In John's
account Jesus is even buried in a garden
(19:41), like His royal ancestors, the
covenanted kings of Judah (2 Kings
21:18, 26). Jesus' cross, then, is insepa-
rable from his kingship.
Now it is in connection with Jesus"
kingship on the cross that John speaks
of "the mother of Jesus" (19:25). In plac-
ing this description of Mary in this con-
text of kingship. John summons to mind
the biblical tradition of the queen moth-
er. Biblical kings sometimes had numer-
ROYALTY BY ASSOCIATION. The portrayal of Mary crowned in majesty appeared first,
in Western art, in the 6th century and reappeared later in Romanesque and Gothic art.
In many of these images, as this altarfront from Lisbjerg (I 125-50), Mary clearly derives
her majesty and authority from her Son.
ous wives, but they had only one moth- hand" (2:19).
er, and she was a person of consider- Such regard for the queen mother
able prestige and power. Described as was most conspicuous in the line of the
wearing a crown (Jeremiah 13:18) in covenanted Davidic kings, Solomon be-
the royal court (22:26; 29:2), the king's ing the first. We observe that in the pas-
mother, the gebira, was regarded with sion accounts Jesus is not called the
reverence by his subjects. "King of Israel," but specifically "the
King of the Jews." It is the royal house
"Mother of my Lord" of Judah that is envisaged. Now in all but
To gain a proper sense of the differ- two instances the Books of Kings explic-
ence between a biblical king's wife and itly name the mothers of the kings of Ju-
his mother, one need only compare dah, in striking contrast to the
two scenes found close together in the uncovenanted kings of Israel. John's sim-
First Book of Kings. In the first of those ple reference to "the mother of Jesus."
scenes. Bathsheba "bowed down and then, evokes this ancient institution of
did homage" to her husband David Judah's royalty. Mary takes her place as
(1:16); in the second, however, her son the last and greatest of the queen moth-
Solomon "rose up to meet her and ers of Judah, (In Luke this evocation is
bowed down to her. and sat on his conveyed by the expression "mother of
throne and had a throne set for the my Lord" in 1:43).
king's mother; so she sat at his right —Patrick Henry Reardon

CHRISTIAN HISTORY & BIOGRAPHY