The Word

The Word
By Henry Ossawa Tanner

“And the Child grew and become strong, increasing in wisdom;
and the grace of God was upon Him.”
Luke 2:39

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In The Word, Tanner depicts a tender moment—a young Jesus standing beside His mother Mary, who gently helps Him study the scriptures. The image is quiet, but profound. It reminds us that the Savior of the world did not appear on earth fully formed in His wisdom and knowledge. He learned and grew “from grace to grace,” with a mother to guide Him.

Luke 2:52 tells us that “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” How did He grow in wisdom? The answer is, in part, through Mary. She nurtured, taught, and shaped His early understanding of God’s word. She was not only the mother of the Messiah—she was His first teacher. Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught, “If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them.” Mary embodied this calling. Her influence echoed into eternity.

C.S. Lewis wrote, “Children are not a distraction from more important work. They are the most important work.” Likewise, nearly a century ago, the First Presidency proclaimed, “Motherhood is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.” Tanner’s painting captures the intimacy and holiness of that great work. It honors not just Mary, but all mothers who quietly labor as co-creators with the divine—teaching children how to read, how to pray, how to love. Motherhood is not background work—it is celestial work. Julie Beck taught, “There is eternal influence and power in motherhood.” Whether birth mothers, adoptive mothers, or those who mother through love and service, these women shape the hearts of God’s children. They walk in the footsteps of Mary, who shaped the early life of our Redeemer.

As we honor Christ, let us also honor the hands that first held Him, the voice that first taught Him, and the heart that magnified Him at His birth (Luke 1:46). In the words of St. Therese of Lisieux, “The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the love of a Mother.” Through Mary, God reminds us that the work of mothers is performed on holy ground.

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