Is not a new thing. You may not have considered this, but Jesus’s mother Mary was a teen mom. It is likely that she was between 12 and 14 years old when he was born. Mary had to deal with a lot of the same things as teen moms today. Teen mothers have to think about choosing a doctor and how they will handle their education both before and after their baby’s birth.
Mary would have had to consider things like which midwife she wanted to help at the birth. In Bible times there was not access to the same kind of medical care we have now. Mothers were assisted by midwives who helped with the actual birth as well as post-birth care and rituals. Mary’s birth experience was not typical even for the time, though. She actually gave birth to Jesus, her very first baby, in a stable. Mary had to deliver her baby alongside literal animals because the hotel was booked. The birth experience was not ideal for sure. We can only assume that her birth plan did not involve having her baby in a stable.
In addition to being a teen mom and having a child so young, Mary was likely illiterate. It was uncommon for women living in Jesus’ day to learn to read or write. This is so relatable for teen moms today who wonder how they will handle their education after having a baby. Mary even went on to have at least five more children.
Mary’s life did not really slow down after Jesus was born. She was homemaker, a mother of at least six, and heavily invested in her faith. Her family made a multiple day pilgrimage to Jerusalem on a yearly basis. On one of these trips she even lost track of Jesus for several days only to find out he had stayed in Jerusalem! Mary faced a lot of struggles as a teen mom, some more relatable than others. While most of us have probably never left one of our children while making a yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem, there are still challenges to pregnancy that all mothers face.
References:
Lucey, Candice. “Who Was Mary the Mother of Jesus?”. Christianity.com. 24 Apr. 2020, https://www.christianity.com/wiki/holidays/who-was-mary-the-mother-of-jesus.html. Accessed December 14, 2022.
Bergmann, Claudia D. “Pregnancy and Childbirth in the Hebrew Bible.” Bible Odyssey. 2008. https://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/people/related-articles/pregnancy-and-childbirth-in-the-hebrew-bible. Accessed December 14, 2022
Author: Meredith Clark
I love helping others and affirming life is super important to me. I have 6 siblings and an amazing mum and dad who homeschooled us all! I like to hike and kayak and spend time with my maltipoo Murphy.
