A Mothers Request

A Mothers request

Matthew 20:20-28

Introduction-

Again Happy Mother’s day!

I would like to take this time to thank all the women that have made an impact in my life.

I do not want to limit it to my mother, my mother-in law, and the mother of my children

May 14, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mothers day. He established the day as a time to publically express our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.

So if my math is correct, we are celebrating 98th Mothers day today.

I am still blessed to still have my mother and mother in law still alive and active in my life. They are both getting up in years but the respect and the wisdom they still offer me is priceless.

I believe that mothers are:

teachers, disciplinarians, doctor, nurses

Cooks, counselors, gardener, chauffeurs.

I see mothers as soft voices that say I love you like no other person

I see them as being a child’s first impression of how they see God’s love.

I see nothing but God’s love as we look at the text this morning.

Turn with me to Matthew 20:20-28.

I read this text and it has mother written all over it.

I’ve shared that I had no father growing up.

I easily see my mother tenderly telling my brother and me that she loves us, telling me every day of my life that her two boys were the most important things in her life.

I can also relive the disciplinarian side of her.

She only said something once and there was little room for error.

Honestly, I was not always as nice as I am now.

I still have visions and nightmares of looking down at my mother and being scared to death as she directed my life as a teenager.

Small but mighty, and meaning everything that she said.

I have no problem seeing this mother’s request in verse 21

“Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

In fairness to the text:

Matthew, Mark, John, all account for women with Jesus at the cross.

Matthew calls her the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Mark calls her Salome.

John calls her Jesus mothers sister.

That means that James, John, the sons of Zebedee full cousins of Jesus.

This mother is asking Jesus to show some love to your cousins.

These special relationships entitled them to have a special place in His kingdom.

This mom was trying to watch out for her boys. She was just being mom!

Illustration-

A newborns conversation with God

A baby asked God, “They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless god said “your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you. The child further inquired, but tell me, here in heaven I don’t have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy. God said, “Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel you angels love and be very happy.” Again the small child asked, “And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me, if I do not know the language? God said, “Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.” And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you? God said, your angel will place your hands together and will teach you to pray.” “Who will protect me? God said your angel will defend you even if it means risking his life. But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore. God said, your angel will always talk to you about me and will teach you the way to come back to me, even though I will always be next to you. At that moment there was much peace in heaven, but voices from earth could be heard, and the child hurriedly asked, God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel’s name. God said, you will simply call her mom.”

There are a few things that we can gather as we look at this mom and her conversation with the Lord.

I. She was a praying Mom

Mrs. Zebedee as I would like to call her, raised both of her boys before the Lord by name.

While she recognized that Jesus did not immediately grant her request, He didn’t deny it either. He just reminded her that the decision was God the Father’s decision, and that there was a cost to being seated at the right and left of Jesus.