What Did Jesus Say About Mothers?

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus often called out the Pharisees—the spiritual leaders of the time—for their hypocrisy and religiosity. The Apostle Matthew records one instance when they are breaking the command of God regarding how they treat their mothers and fathers. Jesus says: 

“For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” (Matthew 15:4-6)

In saying this, Jesus both upholds the Old Testament command to honour your father and mother (see Exodus 20:12 and Leviticus 19:3), and calls out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees for not doing so. 

Jesus’ deep love and care for his own mother was demonstrated in some of the final words he spoke before his death. The book of John records: 

“When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” (John 19:26-17).

Even as he suffered on the cross, Jesus was looking out for His mom. He entrusted her care into the hands of one of his close friends, making sure she would be okay after he was gone. This kind of selfless love serves as a model for how we, too, should care for our own mothers, family members, and loved ones.

The Gospel of John records a conversation between Jesus and his disciples, during which Jesus prepares his friends for the day when He will leave them. Jesus knew His time on Earth was limited, and that He would die and rise again for the sake of all humanity, as was prophesied in the Old Testament. 

Jesus tells his disciples that while they may grieve his absence, it will soon turn to joy. He uses the analogy of childbirth to explain this: “A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.” (John 16:21)

In making this comparison, Jesus is showing the disciples that while His death and physical absence may be painful, the following joy of salvation will be greater! In this way, it is compared to childbirth—pain before joy. It shows Jesus’ high value and understanding of childbirth and our human experience.

We all have a biological family we were born into. But Christians are part of another family, too. It’s the family of Christ, one we are adopted into when we experience salvation. And this family of Christ is equally deserving of love, just as we love our earthly families. 

Jesus expanded the view of motherhood and family when He said this in the Gospel of Mark: “‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’” (Mark 3:33-35)

There is a special bond between believers; we are part of a beautiful, diverse, global family! And we must care for each other through prayer and encouragement. 

Jesus’ teachings on family and mothers help guide us toward greater love and unity. Is there a mom, mother-figure, or someone else you need to reach out to with gratitude for today? 

We have lots of resources about Jesus, God, The Bible, and Christianity for you to explore. And if you ever want to reach out to ask a question or receive prayer, you can contact us at any time. We’d love to walk this journey together.