Did the Mother of Jesus Sin?
Let’s say you travel to the Mall of America in a caravan of cars with a bunch of family and friends. After a fun week, you all pack up and head home. You assume your 12 year old son is in a vehicle with his cousins. After a full day on the road, you realize that your son is not in any of the cars. First you call the police so they can begin the search, and then you drive all the way back to the Mall of America. You spend three days frantically looking for your precious son. The entire time you wonder: Has he eaten? Did he spend cold nights outside alone? Did someone kidnap him? Is he still alive? Why didn’t I make sure he was with us? You feel the heavy guilt for leaving your child behind.
As a prior CASA, I have no doubt that after your son is found the police will not be finished with you. You will be interrogated for child abandonment. Thankfully for you, there are no charges because the incident was unintentional. However, when compared to Biblical Law, sin is still wrong whether intentional or not. If this occurred under the Old Covenant, you would be found guilty.
Mary and Joseph abandoned Jesus in much the same way after He was presented in the temple at the age of twelve. When He was found, Mary proceeded to shift the blame away from herself, “Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.” I don’t know about you, but to me, not taking responsibility for your own faults is also sinful – especially when the other person is … Jesus.
Leaving a young child to fend for himself is wrong. Abraham was faced with abandoning his son when Sarah told him to send Ishmael away. Ishmael was older than Jesus and yet Abraham couldn’t do it because he knew it was wrong. Only after God instructed him to do so, could he go through with it. Ishmael suffered the ultimate of child abandonment when he was faced with death.
In Isaiah, during a prophetic discourse about Jesus, God says
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has born? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocate is a voice for children in the US court system.
