Heartfelt: Unscripted Stories of Jesus' Mother

For two years I lived with Mary. I watched, listened to, followed, and learned about her in ways no one had before. Mary knew I was there, and that she needed to allow me to report on her and even her private life.

Yes, in such episodes, I crafted, cared for and composed a Mary more of my own making by adding to the Gospels’ sparse, foundational design. But she understood this. We never talked directly. Yet, our roles were understood. She lived and I learned how she slept, dressed, cooked, ate, worked, made friends and prayed. Most of all, what Mary thought. Whatever fulfilled her, drove her, and frightened the young woman I took responsibility to note, for you, the reader. She let me see much of what others had previously missed.

Mary is one of my people, the Jews. My heritage runs back to her sandaled steps, as she walked out the calling on her Jewish core. I watched that growth. This young woman and I had enough in common for her to allow me to see her most troubled moods and the truly fragrant lightness of her ancient ways. She spotted me taking notes and was never uneasy–okay, at times she was–you’ll read about those. I could tell she took me to be a scribe sent from above. I let that pass. Unspoken, and with a grin, Mary nodded to my purpose to tell others. Though we two remained strangers, Mary knew my job trailed past her existence and beyond her imagination to us. You might think that God had a close location reserved for me wherever she was.

I learned to admire that woman beyond the limited print of Scripture.

About the Author

Mark Lee Golden was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He grew up in a mildly Jewish home and attended synagogue in his youth. All of his family on both sides for generations were Jews. Two great-grandfathers were rabbis from the Ukraine area. At 20 years of age, he opened a New Testament for the first time, and chose to read the Gospel of Mark, because that is his name. He understood that Christians believed Jesus Christ was the Jewish Messiah. Since that time 50 years ago, he’s attended Messianic congregations, various Christian churches and been a member of an Orthodox synagogue for over 12 years.

After a month in Israel in 2010, Mark developed a deeper interest in his heritage, the origins of Scripture, and ancient cultures. Then he decided to write about that.