Good morning. As we get started today, allow me to again wish all of you mothers a Happy Mother’s Day!
Before we jump into our message for today, allow me to recognize just a few mothers today:
- Who is the oldest mother here today?
- Who is the mother with the most children?
- Who is the mother with the most grandchildren?
- Who is the mother that most recently had a child?
- Do we happen to have anyone that is about to become a mother?
Well, there we go, but as we continue on today, allow me to say that we appreciate all women today, but especially the mothers.
Last week, if you were not with us, we began a new series titled, The ABC’s & XYZ’s Of The Bible. Last week we took a look at the word abundance, and this week we move on to the letter “B.” Now, with today being Mother’s Day, I wanted us to take a look at mothers, and so I had to be a little creative in the word, or words for today. So, for the letter “B,” we are going to take a look at an example of a Biblical Mother.
Before we do that though, let’s begin with a word of prayer. Let’s Pray!
One day Adam and his boys were out for a walk and happened upon the Garden of Eden. One of the boys said, “Dad, what is that place?” Adam responded, “Boys, this is where your mother ate us out of house and home.”
You know what, on other days of the year, moms may be harassed and not appreciated, but today, I want us to take a look at what a good mother truly is. In fact, I recently came across this Classified Add in a newspaper. It read:
POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mommy, Mama
JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24-hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed.
RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be halted, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars, and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices. Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this, you pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays, and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life, if you play your cards right.
So, now maybe we realize just what it is that the mother does. And in addition to that, today, the mom is expected not only to cook the bacon, but help bring home the bacon as well. So, she works a job outside of the home, is expected to keep up with cleaning, and cooking, and all the things that take place in the home and family life.
Also, mothers recognize all too well that as they send their children off in the morning all kinds of things lie in wait to waylay them. Things like drugs and gangs and alcohol and pornography, and sexual pressure. And they must be strong if they are going to overcome all of that.
In the past, when some of you perhaps were in school, our educational system encouraged development of Christian principles and attitudes. But today, if you would walk the hallways of the schools, you will quickly find that that is not necessarily true anymore. In fact, too often, children are being taught that there are no absolute standards of right and wrong. Anything goes, and everything is permissible, as long as it feels good.
So it’s difficult being a Christian mother today. It is difficult to raise a good Christian son or daughter, when they are being attacked from all different sides.
It is difficult to produce a Christian child when the mother is facing so many difficulties as well. But, as hard as that may be today, we need to realize that difficulties are not unique to our time. In fact, in every age, motherhood has had its share of difficulties.
But today, I want all of you ladies to understand that there is a Biblical example of a mother that we can find in scripture. If you have your Bibles with you, go ahead and turn with me to Luke 1:26-38. It is in this passage that we are reading about Mary, the mother of Jesus and some of the difficulties that she faced. We will also take a look at the resources that she had at her disposal. And then we will try and apply those things to our lives today. So, following along with me, Luke 1:26-38 says, “1”
As We Begin, Let’s Take A Look At The Difficulties That Mary Faced:
First of all, she faced the difficulty of a tarnished reputation.
Mary was pregnant out of wedlock. In other words, she was pregnant, but she wasn’t married. Now, we know the rest of the story. We know that the child in her womb was of the Holy Spirit, and that it was the Son of God.
But do you think they believed that story in the little town of Nazareth? Living in a small town, you know that juicy gossip is a hot item. When something happens to one person, before long the whole town knows what is going on. And here we have this unmarried, teenage girl that is expecting a child. I can just imagine how the gossipers must have enjoyed talking about that!
In fact, 30 years later when Jesus was beginning His ministry, His enemies said to Him, “We are not illegitimate children.” While they were opposing Him, they weren’t above mentioning His mother and putting in what they thought was a knife and twisting it.
On this Mother’s Day you may not feel too comfortable. Maybe there are some things in your past that you’re not very proud of, and you feel guilty. Maybe there are dark skeletons in your closet and you feel unworthy as a mother. Perhaps you have done something, or your kids have done something, and as soon as everyone knows, it will be the talk of the town. People won’t be able to stop gossiping about it.
But, allow me to remind you of something, God not only forgives, He also forgets. Encourage your children not to repeat the mistakes you made, but help them realize that God is a God of mercy and grace. And as we talked last week, He gives us both in abundance. You have had a new beginning with Him, so encourage them to live their lives in a way that is worthy of His love.
Secondly, Mary experienced the difficulty of poverty.
The book of Philippians says that Jesus was rich, talking about His Heavenly state, and that He then became poor for our sakes. I tend to think that we don’t realize just how poor Mary and Joseph were. When Jesus was brought to the Temple as a baby for the first time, Joseph and Mary offered 2 doves, which was the sacrifice of the very poorest in their society.
Are you poor? If you have experienced the pressure of trying to buy the things your children want, the right running shoes, the right designer clothes, and all the other things they may want so badly, then you know that financial pressures can cause some major difficulties.
But I would encourage you to take the time to teach your kids that life does not consist of the abundance of things we possess. Teach them that there are other things that are much more important, eternal things that we can’t see that will last forever.
Jean Barron spent several years living in a little mobile home that was pretty dilapidated. She tells about raising her kids in that kind of environment. Then one day her son came home and announced that his best friend had run away from home.
Jean Barron said, “I looked at my child and said, “I don’t understand. He lives in such a nice house and seems to have everything any child could ever want. Why did he run away?”” Her son answered, “Well, in their home they have a lot of environment, but not very much love. In our home we have lots of love, but not very much environment.”
Love is free. Well, maybe not free. But it doesn’t cost money. It just costs time and attention and lots of emotion. You may face the difficulty of not having enough money, but instead of focusing on the things of this earth, which moth and rust will destroy, and thieves will come in and steal, focus you attention on the things that are forever. Love your family, and teach them to do the same.
Thirdly, Mary faced the difficulty of people’s hatred for her child, even at His birth.
Matthew chapter 2 tells us that, “An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill Him.””
You see, when Jesus was born evil was set in motion to do away with Him. Herod was afraid of an earthly king, so he wanted Jesus dead. The religious leaders were afraid of a man that could take away their glory, and so they wanted Him dead. Satan saw Jesus as a threat, and he wanted Him dead as well.
But guess what, the same thing happens when a child is born today. Satan sees that child as God’s gift to you. Psalms 127:3 says, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from Him.” And Satan knows that the quickest way to destroy your family is to attack your child who doesn’t have the maturity or the power to deal with him.
Jesus said of Satan, “He’s a murderer from the beginning. There’s no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native tongue.”
So, to protect your children in their vulnerable years you may have to limit the things they see on TV, or on the computer. You may need to monitor what’s being viewed in your living room or in your child’s bedroom, or when they are out with friends. You may even have to say no to some things that would make them vulnerable to Satan’s attacks.
You may have to go to school once in a while and talk to teachers and administrators about what your children are being taught. You will need to discipline them and train them to respect adults and those in authority. You will have to teach them, and model for them how to grow up to be strong Christian men or women.
One other difficulty Mary experienced was being a single mom.
Now, we don’t know what happened to Joseph. Many scholars assume that he must have died when Jesus was in His late teens or early 20’s. In fact, the last time he is mentioned was when Jesus was 12 years old and in the Temple at Jerusalem. After that trip, Joseph is never mentioned again. So, Mary became a single mom, raising Jesus and their other children all by herself.
I want to say to you single moms, and even to those of you who are maybe doing the extra work like a single mother would, our hats are off to you. You’re having to be both mom and dad to your kids. And when you get up early on Sunday morning and go through all the work of getting your children ready for church, that’s double work for you, and we want you to know it doesn’t go unnoticed. May God bless you, and your children for what you’re doing.
So, Mary faced many difficulties as she attempted to raise Jesus. But that’s not all, as we move on, let’s take a look at one final aspect of Mary and her Biblical example of motherhood. And that is:
The Resources That Mary Had At Her Disposal:
Mary faced many difficulties, but she also had some valuable resources.
Her first resource was a strong commitment to doing God’s will.
It says in Luke 1:35 that the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.” Then in verse 38 Mary answered, “I am the Lord’s servant...May it be to me as you have said.”
Mary knew that the baby in her womb was God’s only begotten Son, and that by giving birth to Jesus she was doing exactly what God commissioned her to do. Even though it would bring a lot of pain and sorrow to her life, she was still willing to have a strong commitment to doing the will of God.
James Keller says, “Every mother has the breath-taking privilege of sharing with God in the creation of new life.” And when God places a child or children in your arms, His will for you is to bring them up in a home where they will know God and His word. They will know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
The greatest resource that a person has when raising their family, or simply living their own lives, is to have a commitment to doing God’s will.
Secondly, she had the resource of Jesus being an obedient child.
Hebrews 4:15 says, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are, yet was without sin.”
Mary had the wonderful blessing of a child who was obedient. To those of you who are children, the best thing you can give your mom on Mother’s Day, is to be obedient. It’s better than cards, better than flowers, better even than chocolate. Just be a loving and obedient child.
That’s commanded in the scriptures. “Children, you are to obey your parents.” And Luke tells us that even though Jesus was God in the flesh, He was still obedient to His earthly parents.
I like the story about the little boy who came into where his mom was and announced that he had 2 pieces of candy. She asked, “What are you going to do with them?” He answered, “I’m going to eat them.”
Thinking this was a great teaching opportunity, she said to him, “Don’t you think you ought to share the candy with your brother?” He answered, “I don’t have enough to share. So I’m going to eat them myself.”
Well, it was obvious that he needed to be taught about generosity. So she asked, “What do you think Jesus would do if He had 2 pieces?” The little boy answered, “Well mommy, I think Jesus would make 2 more pieces of candy, and then He would give them to His brother.”
You know what, kids don’t always do the right thing, do they? But it would be great, wouldn’t it, to have an obedient child? So, Mary had an obedient child, and you can to if you start teaching them early.
Thirdly, she had a supportive husband.
Now again, we know that Joseph was with her for at least 12 years, and probably a few years longer before he died. But however much time God allowed them to have together, it is obvious that Joseph was supportive of Mary. In Matthew 1:24, the Bible says that, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
So I’ve always imagined that Joseph was a caring, supportive man in Mary’s life, who was there for her whenever she needed him.
May I say to all the husbands and fathers here today, the best thing you can give your wife, the mother of your children, today, is not flowers and chocolates and cards, but to be supportive of her, to pray for her, to encourage her, and always to be there for her.
I love the cartoon that shows a mother in her home. Her hair is in disarray, kids are everywhere, and the house is an absolute shambles. Then her husband comes home from work all neatly dressed in coat and tie, carrying his briefcase.
She takes one look at him, and he looks at her with a big question mark on his face. She tells him, “You come home every evening and ask what I do all day. Well today I didn’t do it, and here it is!”
Billy Graham says his favorite story is of a husband who was not very attentive to his wife. But one day he started feeling guilty about that, and decided to change. So on his way home from work he bought a box of candy and some flowers to surprise his wife.
He walks up to the door and rings the doorbell. She opens it, and there he stands, candy in one hand, flowers in the other, singing, “I love you truly, truly, Dear.” Instantly she starts crying, big old tears just gushing out of her eyes. She sobs, “Oh, Harry! Everything went wrong today. We had a leak in the plumbing. The kids were terrible. The house is a wreck. And now you come home drunk!”
Well guys, be careful of how supportive you are. I mean, sometimes you may need to slip into it just a step at a time. But be a good, supportive husband.
Finally, she had a close friend who encouraged her.
Luke 1:42 tells us that, “In a loud voice [Elizabeth] exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!””
If you remember the story, as Mary is expecting Jesus, she went to be with Elizabeth, an older woman, who was also expecting a child. In fact, her child was going to be a miracle birth as well. She was expecting John the Baptist. And these 2 ladies spent about 6 months together encouraging one another.
“Encourage one another daily,” the Bible says, “as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
If we become discouraged, it becomes easy for sin to harden us, and the deceitfulness of sin to take over our lives. So we need to encourage the moms today, and help them realize that they’re doing a job that no one else can do.
So, it is important to have close friends to lean on. Someone that can encourage and help you through the tough times in life.
Now, as we take a look at Mary’s life, we realize that Mary was rewarded for her faithfulness as a mother. She was there to see Jesus resurrected from the dead. She was in the upper room when the 120 gathered to pray and the Holy Spirit came upon them. And she lived to see her other children accept Jesus as Messiah and Lord. And the God who rewarded her has promised to reward us, too. Let’s Pray!
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