A MOTHER’S LOVE AND CARE
(Selected Verses)
In 1914, a woman from West Virginia named Anna Jarvis spearheaded a campaign to help persuade U.S. president Woodrow Wilson to set aside May’s second Sunday as a national day for recognizing mothers all over the world. She orchestrated a letter-writing campaign to Wilson, lobbied influential politicians and clergymen and distributed brochures arguing about the importance of a national day for mothers.
Jarvis’ cause came from admiration for her mother, Anna Maria, and others like her who had been an inspiration. But by the early 1920s, she was sickened by the commercial circus around the annual event. She felt the day had nothing to do with celebrating the real achievements of women. “She simply wanted a day to honor and remember mothers, but in her mind it didn’t turn out that way," says William Pollard, an archivist at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia, where Jarvis bequeathed her letters and other writings.
It turned out that the one who was credited for giving us Mother’s day was the same woman who campaigned to have it removed from the calendar. The reason was due to commercialism. She believed the spirit of Mother’s Day has been spoiled by the commercialism of cards, flowers and once-a-year sincerity.
Jarvis spent her latter days crashing floral company conventions to protest and urging card companies to give the money they made from Mother’s Day to the poor. At one Mother’s Day convention where flowers were being sold she was arrested for disturbing the peace. She even launched a lawsuit to stop a Mother’s Day festival from being held.
In the end, Jarvis lost the fight. The woman, who was never a mother herself, exhausted her financial resources and ruined her mental health in that fight. She died alone in 1948 in an asylum at the age of 84. Just before her death Jarvis told a local reporter: "I devoted my entire life to Mother’s Day and the racketeers and grafters have taken it over." (Source: Thestar.com)
Anna Jarvis’ motive for having a recognition day for mothers was to honor and remember mothers for their achievements. I believe her motive for fighting for its removal was for the same reason: to honor and remember mothers for their achievements. Mothers do not deserve to be honored for one day only to be neglected the rest of the year. God’s creative plan to bring love and caring to light is through the mothers. Mother’s Day has a very special place in the hearts of the majority of people.
STATISTICS:
• Hallmark estimates that 150 million Mother’s Day cards will be sent this year but only 95 million Father’s Day cards;
• Mother’s Day is the third largest greeting card holiday of the year.
• U.S. Americans spend an average of $105 on Mother’s Day gifts, $90 on Father’s Day gifts.
• The phone rings more often on Mother’s day than Father’s day.
• The busiest day of the year at car washes? The Saturday before Mother’s Day.
What mom thinks still matters. (“A Mother Who Dared to Dream Again” by Ray Ellis on Sermon Central)
Children what have you done that can make your mom really be very proud of you? Not only today or this week but rather something that you have been doing on a regular basis that would make your mom really proud of you?
Today I would like for us to open three passages in the bible where we can read about women or mothers who performed greatest feat that would make a man shudder if put in the same situation as these women.
TEXT: Exodus 1:15-22
1. THE WOMEN WHO FEARLESSLY DEFIED THE KING
They were in the midst of enemy territory and yet were bold and courageous in their convictions. They were willing to face whatever consequences that may result from their actions because they knew with confidence and deep conviction what they were doing was the right thing to honor God.
A display of bravery. If only they were soldiers or warriors in armor their behavior was a display of courage.
Midwives Shiphrah and Puah were given the task to help the Hebrew women in childbirth. But the king of Egypt ordered them to kill every boy that was to be born. This infanticide, the killing of an infant, was far from the heart of Shiphrah and Puah because they feared God so they fearlessly defied the king of Egypt. They did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys lived.
1. Reverence to God
They defied the king’s order for the sake of obeying God. They feared God (v.17) that is why they did not do the ungodly deed that they were ordered to perform.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov 1:7)
To fear God is to hate pride (Prov 8:13);
To fear God is hate arrogance;
To fear God is to hate corruption;
To fear God is to hate perverted speech
To fear God is to understand what God wants us to do (Prov 9:10). And in turn, we understand what God wants us to be. We hate to hurt people. We hate seeing people get hurt. We hate to take advantage of others.
Proverbs 9:11,12 say:
“Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life. If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.”
Because Shiphrah and Puah feared God, the people of Israel increased in numbers multiplying, growing more and more powerful (1:20). God blessed Shiphrah and Puah with families of their own. (v.1:21)
2. THE WOMAN WHO HAD A CHILD-LIKE FAITH (1Samuel 1:3-20)
Elkanah had two wives: Peninnah who was fruitful and Hannah who was childless (v.2). But Elkanah loved Hannah more than Peninnah (v.5). Back then under the Mosaic Law, plural marriages were permitted. But in Matthew 19:4-8 Jesus made it clear that God’s original plan was the marriage of one man to one woman.
Elkanah was a very religious man. Every year, he would take his family to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifices to the Lord (1:3). Peninnah would repeatedly taunt Hannah for her barreness until she cried and refused to eat. In the mind of Hebrew women, to have children was a sign of God’s blessing and to not have children was a source of shame. So Hannah would cry because of Peninnah’s continues ridicule. Hannah did not fight back but this time, she decided to take the matter to the Lord. In her deep anguish, she presented her frustrations before the Lord crying bitterly as she prayed. (v.10)
1. Humility Before God
In a submissive way, Hannah humbled herself before the Lord saying, “. . . look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son . . .” (v.11) Hannah was sorrowful for her childlessness—which every Hebrew woman dreaded. This passage captures the agony of a Hebrew woman in deep anguish and sorrow over the fact that she, being a wife, felt so useless. Like a child, she bowed and cried unto God “look upon your maidservant” what a humble, submissive way of referring to herself in the presence of her superior, sovereign God.
“Remember me” a request for special attention and care from the Lord. A very personal request.
2. Persistency Before God
With persistency Hannah pleaded with God, “give your servant (her) a son, then I will give him back to you (God).” She vowed a vow–Hannah was so determined to do something about her anguish. Hannah was pleading with God, to give her a son not for herself so she could laugh at Peninnah but a son who will serve God all his life. Hannah promises, she will give him back by dedicating him to God’s service at the tabernacle.
In the course of time, the Lord answered Hannah’s prayer. She conceived and gave birth to a son and she named him Samuel (1:20).
3. THE MOTHER WHO WAS COMPASSIONATE (1Kings 3:16-28)
Although the main theme of this passage is the wisdom of King Solomon but it underscores the love of a mother. The passage is not in any way advocating prostitution for as long as one exercises compassion. What the passage helps us see is the principle of maternal love as the basis for King Solomon in finding the truth. And that is what King Solomon appealed to when he made his decision as to who the real mother of the living child was. It would have been a lot easier for king Solomon to come up with a decision if there was DNA test back then. But he employed an unconventional method and yet ingenious was to solve the matter.
This passage recognizes TWO KINDS OF MOTHERS and let us look at the differences between the two.
One was:
1. Negligent (v.19)
Apparently she lay down her child by her side without thinking that she might roll over him. She didn’t care if she lay on her child or not. She was a heartless, cruel, careless mother.
2. Deceitful (v.20)
She lied to her room-mate by tricking her making it appear that the living child was hers. She was not only deceitful she was also a thief, robbing the first woman of the most precious possession that anyone can ever have.
3. Cold-hearted (v.20)
What else can you call a mother who found her own child dead in bed instead of giving her baby a decent burial what did she do? She switched the two babies. And when king Solomon asked for a sword to cut the baby in half, although we know that was not the the king’s real intention, she heartlessly said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two.” (v.26)
These are the kinds of mothers who are characterized by the spirit of selfishness and heartless cruelty. These are the mothers who you can never please. They are bitter with life. Hateful and armed with a thousand reasons why life is unfair, they pour out their vengeance on their friends and families. These are the mothers who walk out on their children when things get hard. They leave the family high and dry. They don’t care who they hurt, just so long that others close to them aren’t happy either. They would take advantage of others whenever they get the chance to do so.
The other one was:
1. Caring (v.v. 20,21)
She had her baby on her breast even at sleep. That is why when the other woman’s son died she put the dead baby on this woman’s breast. We can surmise that this caring mother would always nurse her baby, who is always wrapped in her loving embrace. Her habit was to feed her baby as soon as she wakes up in the morning (v.21).
2. Compassionate (v. 26)
Upon hearing the king’s verdict was to cut the baby in two, she pitied her son. Her genuine love for her son was to see that no harm will come near her baby.
3. Self-sacrificing (v.26)
She was willing to give her baby up to the other woman for as long as he stays alive. The real mother would rather see another woman raise her child than to see the baby split in two. She said, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him.” (v.26)
These are the kind of mothers who are characterized by the spirit of self-sacrificing love. No price is too great – even if it meant separation from her child she was willing to give up her own desire to keep the child alive.
Mothers can’t offer perfect love but they can offer sacrificial love.
ILLUSTRATION: (“A Mother’s Love” by Joey Nelson)
This is a true story that happened during the Holocaust. Solomon Rosenberg, his wife and their two sons were arrested and placed in a concentration camp. The rules were simple. As long as they did their work, they were permitted to live. When they became too weak to work, they would be exterminated. Rosenberg watched as his own father and mother were marched off to their deaths and he knew that his youngest son David would be next because he had always been a frail child. Every evening Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of hard labor and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another and thank God for another day of life. One day he came back and didn’t see those familiar faces. He finally discovered his oldest son, Joshua, in a corner sobbing and praying. “Josh, tell me it’s not true.” Joshua turned to his dad and said, “It’s true. Today David was not strong enough to do his work and so they took him away.” Mr. Rosenberg then asked, “But where is your mother?” Joshua could barely speak and finally uttered, “When they came for David, he was afraid and cried and so mom took his hand and went with him.
Conclusion:
• How many times have you bought yourself new clothes while your mom wore the same old ones?
• She would wake up in the middle of the night and all you ever thought of was milk.
• In difficult times, when there were 8 hungry people at home, you only see 7 plates on the table and then she would say she was not hungry after all.
• She not only ironed your clothes, she also ironed out the problems you have with your brother or sister.
• She stayed awake at nights listening for coughing, crying or you coming in too late from the party.
• She’s up very early the next day to make sure you have your breakfast before you head for school
• She is as gentle as a dove yet she had an eye of an eagle and the roar of a lion.
• Who assisted you in your assignments when you can’t seem to find the answers?
• Who instructed you on your first date?
• Who protected you from the next door’s mean dog?
• Who guarded you from the terrors of thunderstorms?
• Who washed your clothes though her hands were wrinkled from the water?
• Who scratched your back when it itched like “hell”
• Who carried you for 9 months and made sure that you are here today?
I don’t know what your situation with your mom is. Here’s what I know. All of us are fallen and sinful being. We all stand before God in need of grace. And that grace which He bestowed on us through Jesus Christ erases all of our past and future sins. No one is better than anyone. We all exist under God’s sustaining grace. No one is perfect but God alone. Be reconciled with your mom if ever there is a conflict between the two of you. If Christ has reconciled you back with the Father in heaven, so did He reconciled you with others. Go home and tell your mom those four little words, “Mom, I love you” as if you’re saying it to Jesus.
