[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Mother's Day, Sunday morning the 12th of May, 2019, at Pilgrim Reformed Church. Look for the videos of our services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Today is Mother’s Day and I can think of no better phrase to define the day than “a mother’s love”. When a child is born and they place them in their mother’s arms, mother and child immediately bond. A love that will endure all things, all time, begins right at that moment.
And this is as God intended it to be. He wanted His love to be reflected in a human face that we could all see. It’s all about love.
Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Paul wrote about love, in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 4 through the first part of verse 8 and verse 13, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
And this is as God intended it to be. He wanted His love to be reflected in a human face that we could all see. It’s all about love.
Listen and follow along to what the Apostle Paul wrote about love, in his 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 4 through the first part of verse 8 and verse 13, and I’ll be reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not arrogant; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, keeps no account of evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails.
13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
--1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, You gave us mothers not only so that Your human creation could continue and grow, but so that we could see Your love reflected in our mother’s face. Thank You, Lord, for giving us mothers. Bless those who are still with us on earth, and cherish those who are now with You in heaven. Please help us to always honor and love our mothers, no matter what may happen. And help us show others the same love You and our mothers show us. Now speak to us this morning, Father, that we may hear and heed Your message this day. This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Anna Jarvis first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation - her mother's favorite flower - to each person who attended. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother's Day became official by an act of Congress on May 9, 1914. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He established the day as a time for "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country". By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living.
I remember as a very young child getting a little red carnation to wear to church on Mother’s Day. You don’t see those much anymore, the red and white carnations. It seems like some of the veterans and church groups would sell them for a quarter or fifty cents, right at the door as people came in, if they didn’t have one, or sometimes even if they did. Maybe it’s a tradition we should revive, as an outward sign of our love for our mothers, those with us and those gone home.
Paul says that love suffers long and is kind, it isn’t envious or arrogant or rude, nor does it seek its own gain. Love chooses to not remember the bad things done to it, but bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
This is true love Paul is talking about, and I think it well describes a mother’s love, and a real-world mother’s love, not the Hollywood version. Let’s face it, Mothers, life hasn’t always been easy for you, has it, especially when it comes to raising children?
Mother's Day sermons often focus on the prestige and glory of being a Mom, and motherhood is indeed worthy of incredible honor. On this day it is easy and natural to focus on Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus. With Mary we see the epitome of trust and faith, beginning with the message from God delivered by the angel Gabriel that she would bear God's Son, bring Him into the world, and raise Him along with Joseph as their own. As any mother would be, she was terrified when she thought Jesus was lost, when they took Him to Jerusalem as a 12-year-old, but found Him in the temple amidst the teachers, listening to them and asking questions well beyond His years.
She trusted in Him even more as He grew into an adult. At the wedding in Cana, she did not hesitate to basically order her Son to help the feast host who had run out of wine, even though Jesus at first showed no indication of caring. At one point the family thought maybe He'd lost His mind and she tried to get Him out of trouble. And then we have the mother who had to stand by and watch as her Son, her first-born, was beaten and nailed to a cross and died.
As a preacher, I am mindful that not all mothers are created equally. For some, motherhood is an accident, and not always a welcome one. For some women, biological motherhood isn’t possible. Some mothers aren’t really all that nice. And even under the very best of circumstances, motherhood is still less than a bed of roses.
But for all its stumbling blocks, pitfalls and broken dreams, for all the soiled diapers, drawn on walls and spoiled plans, motherhood is a beautiful and natural part of God’s creative plan to bring love and caring to light. But yes, motherhood is also a tough task. Fortunately for us, God assigned that task to tough people - mothers.
Our Bible is filled with stories of mothers, most of whom faced extremely difficult times, such as did Mary at her Son's crucifixion. And it all began with Eve, who lost one son at the hands of the other. And then there's Rebekah, Isaac's wife, who struggled with her husband favoring Esau, the elder of their twins, over her own favorite, Isaac. Jochebed gave up her own son Moses rather than see him killed by Pharaoh's decree. Naomi lost her husband and both sons within a very short span, and then one of her daughters-in-law left her also, with only Ruth staying at her side.
I could go on, but I think you probably get the picture. Even in our Bible, motherhood is portrayed as a difficult role, often thankless, painful, and filled with sorrow. All of this should make us especially thankful to our mothers for what they went through on our behalf, and to God for giving us mothers.
The love of mothers… and the love of God. Everything Paul says about love can equally be applied to God as well, especially in that His love never fails. Even when we fail God, He never fails us.
Kind of like our mothers, isn’t it, who God gives us through His love, just as He gives us His own Holy Spirit through His love. In his Letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, Paul tells us that…
Doesn’t this well describe the ideal mother? Can’t we see the fruits of God’s Holy Spirit in a mother’s love, joy, and peace, in her kindness and goodness and faithfulness, in her gentleness and self-control, and yes, in her patience? Motherhood, part of God’s plan, exhibiting the evidence of His Holy Spirit at work.
Remember in our little story at the start that it took an act of Congress for us to set aside a day to honor our mothers? Well, we already had a commandment from God to honor our mothers, and fathers, too. And this was the only one of the ten that also included a promise, that by honoring our parents we may enjoy a long and good life on this earth. The role our parents play in our lives is so important in God’s plan that in Exodus chapter 20 verse 12 He commands…
And then in Proverbs chapter 23 verse 25, King Solomon says that we should…
We should be a blessing to our parents, especially our mother, not a curse or a millstone around her neck. The wise king and teacher also says this of mothers, in Proverbs 31, verses 28 through 31…
If your Mom is still with us, let her know how much she has blessed you. Tell her how much you love her, how thankful you are to be her child, how well she excels in motherhood. After all, she is part of God’s great plan for all of mankind, and especially for you.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mothers everywhere! In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You gave us mothers to nurture us, to see us through our early years when we are so vulnerable. You gave us mothers because You love us. Thank You, Father, for such great love. Thank you for our mothers. Please forgive us when we fail to honor and respect them as we should. Forgive us when we forget to let them know how much of a blessing they are to us. Please help us to remember Your love through their love.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, even You gave Your mother a few frightful moments while growing up. But with Your dying breaths, You honored Your mother by seeing to it that she would be well taken care of by Your beloved disciple John. Please help us honor our own mothers, Lord Jesus, while we still have them with us. Help us love them and cherish them as much as they love and cherish us.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
Anna Jarvis first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation - her mother's favorite flower - to each person who attended. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother's Day became official by an act of Congress on May 9, 1914. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He established the day as a time for "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country". By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living.
I remember as a very young child getting a little red carnation to wear to church on Mother’s Day. You don’t see those much anymore, the red and white carnations. It seems like some of the veterans and church groups would sell them for a quarter or fifty cents, right at the door as people came in, if they didn’t have one, or sometimes even if they did. Maybe it’s a tradition we should revive, as an outward sign of our love for our mothers, those with us and those gone home.
Paul says that love suffers long and is kind, it isn’t envious or arrogant or rude, nor does it seek its own gain. Love chooses to not remember the bad things done to it, but bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
This is true love Paul is talking about, and I think it well describes a mother’s love, and a real-world mother’s love, not the Hollywood version. Let’s face it, Mothers, life hasn’t always been easy for you, has it, especially when it comes to raising children?
Mother's Day sermons often focus on the prestige and glory of being a Mom, and motherhood is indeed worthy of incredible honor. On this day it is easy and natural to focus on Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus. With Mary we see the epitome of trust and faith, beginning with the message from God delivered by the angel Gabriel that she would bear God's Son, bring Him into the world, and raise Him along with Joseph as their own. As any mother would be, she was terrified when she thought Jesus was lost, when they took Him to Jerusalem as a 12-year-old, but found Him in the temple amidst the teachers, listening to them and asking questions well beyond His years.
She trusted in Him even more as He grew into an adult. At the wedding in Cana, she did not hesitate to basically order her Son to help the feast host who had run out of wine, even though Jesus at first showed no indication of caring. At one point the family thought maybe He'd lost His mind and she tried to get Him out of trouble. And then we have the mother who had to stand by and watch as her Son, her first-born, was beaten and nailed to a cross and died.
As a preacher, I am mindful that not all mothers are created equally. For some, motherhood is an accident, and not always a welcome one. For some women, biological motherhood isn’t possible. Some mothers aren’t really all that nice. And even under the very best of circumstances, motherhood is still less than a bed of roses.
But for all its stumbling blocks, pitfalls and broken dreams, for all the soiled diapers, drawn on walls and spoiled plans, motherhood is a beautiful and natural part of God’s creative plan to bring love and caring to light. But yes, motherhood is also a tough task. Fortunately for us, God assigned that task to tough people - mothers.
Our Bible is filled with stories of mothers, most of whom faced extremely difficult times, such as did Mary at her Son's crucifixion. And it all began with Eve, who lost one son at the hands of the other. And then there's Rebekah, Isaac's wife, who struggled with her husband favoring Esau, the elder of their twins, over her own favorite, Isaac. Jochebed gave up her own son Moses rather than see him killed by Pharaoh's decree. Naomi lost her husband and both sons within a very short span, and then one of her daughters-in-law left her also, with only Ruth staying at her side.
I could go on, but I think you probably get the picture. Even in our Bible, motherhood is portrayed as a difficult role, often thankless, painful, and filled with sorrow. All of this should make us especially thankful to our mothers for what they went through on our behalf, and to God for giving us mothers.
The love of mothers… and the love of God. Everything Paul says about love can equally be applied to God as well, especially in that His love never fails. Even when we fail God, He never fails us.
Kind of like our mothers, isn’t it, who God gives us through His love, just as He gives us His own Holy Spirit through His love. In his Letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, Paul tells us that…
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, meekness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
--Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
Remember in our little story at the start that it took an act of Congress for us to set aside a day to honor our mothers? Well, we already had a commandment from God to honor our mothers, and fathers, too. And this was the only one of the ten that also included a promise, that by honoring our parents we may enjoy a long and good life on this earth. The role our parents play in our lives is so important in God’s plan that in Exodus chapter 20 verse 12 He commands…
12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”
--Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)
25 Let your father and your mother be glad,And let her who bore you rejoice.--Proverbs 23:25 (NKJV)
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
--Proverbs 31:28-31 (NKJV)
Happy Mother’s Day, Mothers everywhere! In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You gave us mothers to nurture us, to see us through our early years when we are so vulnerable. You gave us mothers because You love us. Thank You, Father, for such great love. Thank you for our mothers. Please forgive us when we fail to honor and respect them as we should. Forgive us when we forget to let them know how much of a blessing they are to us. Please help us to remember Your love through their love.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness and Your help…
Lord Jesus, even You gave Your mother a few frightful moments while growing up. But with Your dying breaths, You honored Your mother by seeing to it that she would be well taken care of by Your beloved disciple John. Please help us honor our own mothers, Lord Jesus, while we still have them with us. Help us love them and cherish them as much as they love and cherish us.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord, our Master, our Savior. Amen.
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