IMITATE THEIR FAITH/MARY - "A SWORD WILL BE RUN THROUGH YOU"

  When Jesus' death at last came, Mary felt the  pain foretold so long ago., the piercing long sword of grief.  If we find it hard to imagine the extent of her grief, how much more so are at a loss to imagine the joy she felt three days later!  Mary learned the greatest of all miracles-Jesus had been resurrected!  And her joy was compounded, for Jesus later appared to his half brother James, no doubt in private.  (1 Corinthians 15:7)  That meeting affected James and Jesus'  other half brothers as well. We learn that they came to believe in  Jesus as the Christ.  Soon they were at Christian meetings with their mother, "persisting in prayer."  (Acts 1:14)  Two of them, James and Jude, later wrote the books of  the Bible. 

We  find  the last mention of Mary at the meetings with her sons, prayig. What a fitting end to Mary's record, and what an example she left behind!  Because of her faith, she survived the sword of grief and received, a last, a glorious reward.  If we imitate her faith, we too will survive whatever wounds this hard world inflicts on us and we will enjoy rewards greater than we can imagine.

Next time: IMITATE  THEIR FAITH/MARY MAGDALENE -"I HAVE SEEN THE LORD!"    

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