Mary A Model Of Motherhood

"MARY, A MODEL OF MOTHERHOOD"

LUKE 1:26-38

We’ve come together this morning for 2 primary reasons. One, is to honor the Lord Jesus Christ with our worship. The other, is to honor our mothers. Both are lifetime tasks, neither of which can be confined to a one hour worship service.

I struggled this week to put together a Mother’s day sermon - because I don’t suppose that anything has ever been said or ever will be said that is eloquent enough, or expressive enough to articulate the true value of a mother...

One mother says, "The joy of motherhood is what a woman experiences when all the children are finally in bed."

A mother talking to an old college friend said, "Remember, before I was married I had 3 theories about raising children? Well, now I have 3 children and no theories."

Another woman who had three children was asked, "If you had it all to do over again, would you have children?" "Yes," she replied, "But not the same ones."

One mother wrote this poem;

"Some may climb Mt Everest, in search of thrills galore,

But I scale peaks that rival it, just past the laundry door:

Slopes of socks and underwear, sheer cliffs of shirts and pants.

Oh, yes, I live in mortal fear of a laundry avalanche"

Mothers are interesting. Not only do they seem to be - at tines, `superhuman’ but they also speak the same language. It’s not written in any book nor is it taught in any college but every mother seems to know the dialect. Perhaps you too have heard:

"Don’t be smart with me." (have you ever wanted to say okay then I’ll be dumb).

"Just wait until your dad gets home"

"If you break your leg, don’t come running to me"

"You ARE going to have fun"

"Where’s my change"

"That’s the last time I’m going to tell you."

And this one "Call when you get there"

Mothers not only speak the same language but they also share many of the same qualities: inquisitiveness, tenderness, sympathy, compassion, mother’s intuition.

Few things are more powerful than the tears and prayers of a mother. Few things are more tender than a mother’s hug or compassionate touch. Someone has pointed out that of the 69 kings of France only 3 were really loved by their subjects and that these 3 were the only ones reared by their mothers, instead of by tutors of guardians. It just may be true - what Napoleon said, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world." If you were looking for the perfect mother to leave your one and only child with who would she be? Would she be wealthy? Would she live in a nice place? Would she be famous, well educated? mature? experienced? What would be her characteristics?

You wouldn’t leave your child with just anyone would you?

Today I want us to look at the characteristics of the mother that God choose to raise his son. And as we look at Mary we will see that she is a model of motherhood.

LUKE 1:26-38

I find it very interesting that God went to a little town called Nazareth (a town with a bad reputation "Can anything good come out of Nazareth" Nathaneal) and went to a humble cottage and tapped a girl on the shoulders who was probably barely a teenager and choose her to be the mother of Jesus.

2 times in our text Gabriel told Mary that she was highly favored by God. Why? What was there about Mary that had so caught the creators attention?

Now we are not told the answer to this directly in scripture -but nevertheless the answer is there hidden in the very few and very brief accounts of Mary recorded by the inspired writers.

As I studied and reflected this week I believe I found part of the reason why God choose Mary -- it was because of what Mary already had and because of who God knew Mary would become.

And as we develop these concepts today, we will see that Mary was indeed a true model of motherhood.

MARY WAS HIGHLY FAVORED BY GOD:

I. BECAUSE OF WHAT MARY ALREADY HAD

A. MARY HAD THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE

When Gabriel tapped her on the shoulders that day Mary was greatly troubled. She was no doubt a little on edge having an angel of the Lord speak to her, and the message that Gabriel brought her was a very troubling one.

After all, she was engaged at the time to Joseph - and engagements in that day were much more serious than they are today. (For instance; An engaged woman could not be divorced w/o a "bill" of divorcement; if suspected of unfaithfulness she could be divorced or even put to death, if her fiance died she was considered as a widow and a child born during the engagement was considered illegitimate).