"A Love Without Limits”

In Jesus Holy Name May 12, 2024

Text: Psalm 127:3;128:6 John 15:12-13 Mother’s Day

“A Love Without Limits”

We are all aware that Mother’s Day is a National holiday. A day we dare not overlook. Happy Mother’s Day! On this mother’s day, as a community of believers we rejoice in the knowledge that the Savior’s tomb is empty, while at the same time we give thanks for the love our mothers demonstrated in our lives.

Let me ask: Why do you, mother’s love your children?

Would you do anything for them, to keep them from the dangers in the culture?

1st The reality is that without our mother’s, none of us would be here.

2nd I’m sure that most of us, as we grew up, tested the patience of our mothers, yet we knew she loved us without limits.

The love of a mother for her child . . . can be and often is a reflection of God’s love for us. Woven throughout the scriptures, like the ribbons on a newborn’s quilt, we can find gentle reminders that God’s love is like that of a mother: deep, unrelenting, without limits. If we as human beings, have experienced a mother’s love, then it is possible to transfer that experience to an understanding of God’s limitless love for us

On August 16th 1987 a Northwest Airlines flight took off from the Detroit airport. Soon after the take off the plane crashed on the highway. 155 people died. When rescuers arrived among the carnage of cars and aircraft they found a 4 year old girl. She said her name was Cecelia. Because of Cecelia’s almost perfect condition it was thought she had been a passenger in a car rather than the plane. A quick check of the flight’s roster showed that had been wrong.

Cecelia had been on flight 225. Cecelia had explained how in the plane’s last moments her mother, Paula, had unbuckled her seat belt, knelt in front of her daughter and held Cecelia as tightly as she could.

The mother put herself between her daughter and death. Love without limits. This is exactly what God has done for us. Jesus put Himself between us and the wrath of a holy God against our broken commandments and broken ethics, for which, we deserve both His punishment and eternal death. The writer of Psalm 103:6 understood God’s love without limits. “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

Most of you know that I love the way Max Lucado uses words to help his readers visualize God’s love and forgiveness. On Mother’s day, in 1995, his daily devotion was titled “Bold Love”. Let me share with you His words and reflections on the limitless love of mothers.

He writes: “Moms, I have a question: Why do you love your newborn? I know, I know, it’s a silly question. Indulge me.

For months your growing baby has brought you pain. She (or he) made you break out in pimples and waddle like a duck. That baby infant made you crave sardines and crackers and caused you to throw up in the morning. She punched you in the tummy. She occupied space that wasn’t hers and ate food she didn’t fix.

You kept her warm. You kept her safe. You kept her fed. But did she say thank you? Are you kidding? She’s no more out of the womb than she starts to cry! The room is too cold, the blanket is too rough, the nurse is too mean. And who does she want? Mom.

She didn’t even tell you she was coming. She just came. And what a coming! She rendered you a barbarian. You screamed. You swore. You tore the sheets. And now look at you. Your back aches. Your head pounds. Your body is drenched in sweat. Every muscle strained and stretched.

You should be angry………………… but are you?

Far from it. On your face is a for-longer-than-forever love. This new bundle in your arms has done nothing for you, yet all you can talk about are her good looks and bright future. She’s going to wake you up every night for the next six weeks, but that doesn’t matter. I can see it on your face. You’re crazy about her.

Why?” No one else can love your newborn more than you. Love without limits.

Max Lucado then makes this comparison. “God, I have a question: Why do You love your children? I don’t want to sound irreverent, but only heaven knows how much pain we’ve brought You. Why do You tolerate us? You give us every breath we breathe, but do we thank You?