The message to me is not: Go hang yourself.
The message is: Don’t betray Jesus, and don’t commit the sin of despair.
How’s that? Reasonable?
....................... It's a good start Arthur.
It is also there because it is the fulfillment of prophecy, concerning the validation of Christ as Messiah.
“The message to me is not: Go hang yourself.”
Now, explain why you think you have the correct message here - that it doesn’t apply to what you are to do? But in the case of Mary and John, you want to make that specific action apply to you. Why? On what basis of Biblical hermeneutics is that rational?