Series: There’s an App for That
“Motherhood”
Luke 1:26-38
Open
Can you tell me what I’m holding up? [cell phone] Not just a cell phone. It’s a smart phone. In this little device, I have many multiple times more computing power than the computers that guided the first moon landing.
In each smart phone there are “apps” – short for applications. They are downloadable programs for you to use to help make your life easier. Need a stopwatch or a flashlight? There are apps for that. In a strange town and need to find the closest restaurant? There’s an app for that. Want to check Facebook, Twitter, or email? There are apps for all of those. Want to listen to music, play games, or watch videos? Yep, you got it. There are apps for those as well.
It seems as though there is an app for everything on the planet. Need to know where you parked your car, where to get an autographed picture of Elvis, or where to stand if you want to see the Loch Ness Monster? There's an app for that.
In the ancient truths of the Bible, we find downloads for the issues of life in the 21st century. God has an app for every situation that we face. So today, we start a sermon series called, “There’s an App for That.” Predictably, today, we’re going to look at an app for motherhood.
One of my favorite comic strips of all times is Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin is a precocious and adventurous six-year-old boy and Hobbes is his stuffed tiger – his imaginary friend. They get into all kinds of mischief together as they ponder the meaning of life.
In one Mother’s Day strip, Calvin is pictured standing by his mother’s bed. He yells, “Hey, Mom! Wake up! I made you a Mother’s Day card.”
His mother says, “My how sweet of you.” Calvin says, “I did it all by myself. Go ahead and read it.” She begins to read: I was going to buy you a card with hearts of pink and red
But then I thought I’d rather spend the money on me instead.
It’s awfully hard to buy things when one’s allowance is so small
So I guess you’re pretty lucky I got you anything at all.
Happy Mother’s Day!
There I said it, now I’m done.
So how about getting out of bed and fixing breakfast for your son.
Signed, Calvin
His mother sarcastically says, “I’m deeply moved.” Calvin asks, “Did you notice the part about my allowance?”
Some of you here this morning may have felt like Calvin’s mother; wondering if anyone was going to say, “Thank you, Mom, for all the good stuff you do.” Being a mom is a tough job and we recognize and honor you today.
This morning, I want us to look at Mary, the mother of Jesus. What an honor it was to be chosen to be the mother for the Son of God. Let’s see what we can learn from her.
Lk. 1:26-38 – In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
The Difficulties She Faced
First of all, she faced having a tarnished reputation. Mary was pregnant out of wedlock. Now, we know the whole story – that the child in her womb was produced by the Holy Spirit. This child was and is the Son of God. But do you think that they believed that story in the little town of Nazareth?
Juicy gossip is a hot item in small towns. Here is this unmarried teenaged girl expecting a child. I imagine that the town gossips enjoyed talking about Mary’s situation. It was probably the hottest item of discussion around the tables at Nazareth’s version of Rich’s.
But gossip is harmful. It destroys someone’s reputation; their standing in the community. It became such a circulated piece of gossip that thirty years later, when confronted by Jesus as to where their true loyalties lay, they said to Jesus, “We are not illegitimate children.” They thought that their knowledge of this piece of gossip would embarrass Jesus; that it would put him in his place.
But Jesus was right when he told them they were children of the devil. Those who traffic in gossip show who they really are. James 1:26 – Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.
Mary was chosen by God. She was human which also makes her a sinner but she was blameless in this situation. She stood up under the gossip with dignity and grace.
Today, here in church on Mother’s Day, you might feel very uncomfortable. Maybe there are some things in our past of which you are not very proud. Maybe there are some skeletons in your closet and you feel unworthy as a mother. But I want to remind you of something very important: God not only forgives, he also forgets. Encourage your children not to make the mistakes that you did but help them realize that God is a God of grace and mercy. You’ve had a new beginning with Him. Let them know that they can do so as well.
The second difficulty that Mary faced was that of poverty. The book of Philippians says that Jesus was rich but that he became poor for our sakes. When Jesus was born, Joseph and Mary were far from being wealthy. They weren’t destitute but they were definitely on the lower end of the economic status scale. When they brought Jesus to the temple for the first time so that they could make the required sacrifice to redeem their firstborn son, they could only offer two doves – the sacrifice for the poorest people among the Jews.
Maybe you’re here this morning and you’ve experienced the pressure of trying to buy the things your children want: the right shoes, the right clothes, the right electronics, and every other thing they see that their peers have. Through your teaching and your example, teach them that there are more important things in life than material possessions. Teach them that there are things that we can’t see here on earth but they are things that will last throughout all eternity.
Jean Barron tells about how she spent several years living in a tiny and dilapidated mobile home. One day her son came home and announced that his best friend had run away from home,
She writes: “I looked at my child and said, ‘I don’t understand. He lives in such a nice house and seems to have everything any child would ever want. Why did he rune away?’”
Her son answered: “Well, in their home, they have a lot of environment but not very much love. In our home, we have a lot of love but not very much environment.”
The third difficulty that Mary faced was people’s hatred for her child. It was something she faced from the day Jesus was born.
Following the visit from the Magi – the wise men from the East – we read in Matt. 2:13 – When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
The same thing happens when a child is born today. Satan sees that child as God’s gift to you. Ps. 127:3 – Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
Satan knows that the quickest way to destroy your family is to attack your child. Your child doesn’t have the maturity or power to deal with the hatred spewed from the devil. Jesus said about the devil in Jn. 8:44b – “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
We have to protect our children. We have to take a stand regarding what they watch on TV or video. We have to monitor what they are doing on their phones, tablets, or computers. Sometimes, we just have to shut them off.
Protecting you children might mean that you have to go to school and talk to teachers and administrators concerning what is being taught in the classroom and about the behavior of other kids at school. In might mean that ou have to take an unpopular stand in our community. By whatever means possible, teach your children and be a model for your children so that they grow up into mature Christian men and women.
The fourth difficulty – and the last one we’ll consider today – is that Mary became a single mom. The last scriptural reference to Joseph is when Jesus is twelve years old and confounding the teachers in the temple. Many scholars assume that Joseph died not very long after that because he is never mentioned again. Mary became a single mom – raising Jesus and the rest of her children by herself.
Single moms, I respect you immensely. You have to be both mom and dad to your kids. When you get up early on Sunday morning and go through all of the work of getting your children ready for church, that’s double work for you. In fact, just about everything you do is double-duty and I want you to know that it does not go unnoticed. You continue on trusting in the Lord. I pray a special blessing on you for what you do.
Parenthood, whether you’re a single parent or doing it together with a spouse, is not easy. We, as parents, struggle with the right balance between discipline and affection.
Several years ago, the comic strip For Better or Worse showed the mother lying on her bed tossing and turning, thinking about her role as the mother of a teenaged boy. She asks herself: “Am I too tough or too lenient/ Do I give in too much or too seldom? Do I listen to what he has to say? Do I understand him? Do I nag him too much? Am I really a good parent??
The last frame of the comic strip shows her son lying in bed thinking: “The problem with grownups is they think they know everything.”
Here is the bottom line for our children: We don’t know it all. We just know what leads to heartache and what leads to joy. We know the things that are foolish and the things that are wise. We want you to find joy and be wise in what you do.
It’s difficult to be a Christian mother today. But as hard as it may be, we need to realize that difficulties are not unique to our time. In every age, motherhood has had its share of difficulties.
The Resources She Had
While Mary had difficulties, she also had some good resources at her disposal. Her first resource was a strong commitment to God’s will. It says in Lk. 1:35 that the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Mary knew that the baby in her womb was God’s only begotten Son AND that by giving birth to Jesus, she was doing exactly what God had commissioned her to do.
James Keller: “Every mother has the breath-taking privilege of sharing with God in the creation of new life.” When God places a child in your arms, His will for you is to bring that child up in a home where they will know God and His word – the Bible. They will know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Deut. 6:4-9 – Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Mary had a great resource because she had a wonderful blessing of an obedient child. How do we know that Jesus was obedient to his parents? Heb. 4:15 – For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Sin is doing things that displease God. Col. 3:20 – Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Sin is when you do what is wrong in God’s eyes. Eph. 6:1 – Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. So, if Jesus never sinned, He did what was pleasing and right in God’s eyes. That means that He was obedient to His earthly parents.
The best thing children can give their moms on Mother’s Day, and every other day, is obedience. It’s better than cards, better than flowers, better even than chocolate. Kids, just be a lving and obedient child. Your mom will appreciate that more than anything else.
Mary’s third resource was that she had a supportive husband. For at least 12 years and maybe a little longer before he died, Joseph was with Mary as husband and father in the household. Whatever period of time God allowed them to have together, it’s obvious that Joseph was supportive of his wife.
When Mary first told Joseph about her pregnancy, Joseph considered divorcing her. An angel appeared to him in a dream and encouraged Joseph to continue his relationship with Mary and that the child was produced by a work of God not by any human. Matt. 1:24 – When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. Joseph’s character and integrity was demonstrated by his faith in God and his faith in his wife. So, I’ve always imagined that Joseph was a caring, supportive husband to Mary – that he was there for her whenever she needed him up until his death.
There was a cartoon some years back that showed a mother in her home. Her hair is in disarray, the kids are everywhere in the house, and the house itself is in absolute shambles.
The father comes home from work and has a look of surprise on his face. He looks wide-eyed at his wife while she’s glares back at him. She finally says, “You come home every evening and ask what I do all day. Well, today I didn’t do it and here it is!”
To all of the husbands and fathers here today, I say this: The best thing you can give your wife, the mother of your children, is not flowers or gifts or cards. The best gift you can give is to be supportive of her, to pray for her, to encourage her, and to always be there for her.
Guys, if we need to make changes, maybe we’d better not do it so suddenly. Maybe we need to do it gradually so we don’t shock our wives.
One husband recognized that he wasn’t very attentive to his wife. He felt guilty and decided that he would make some changes. On his way home from work he bought a box of candy and some flowers to surprise his wife when he got home.
He decided to really surprise her so he walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. She opens it and there he stand with the flowers, the candy, and a big grin on his face. He decides to take it up a notch so he starts to sing her a love song.
His wife begins to sob – big tears rolling down her cheeks. She chokes out, “Oh, Joe! Everything went wrong today! We had a leak in the plumbing, the kids were terrible, the house is a wreck! And now you come home drunk!”
The last resource we’re going to mention today that Mary had was a close friend to encourage her. Mary was close friends with her relative Elizabeth. Elizabeth was an older woman who had been barren but was now pregnant with John the Baptist – another miracle baby. When the angel told Mary that she was pregnant with God’s Son, she went to spend some time with Elizabeth.
Lk. 1:39-45 – At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Then a little later in Lk.1:56 – Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home. Mary and Elizabeth spent extended time together encouraging on another.
Moms need friends. The main reason we all need friends is that they help you de-stress. It’s easier to handle the tough times when you’ve got friends by your side. Heb. 3:13 – But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. If we become discouraged, it becomes easier for sin to harden us and the deceitfulness o sin to take over our lives. So we need to encourage our moms today and help them to see that they are doing a job that no one can do quite like them.
The Response She Made
When Mary heard what the angel had to say, how did she respond. At first, she was a bit incredulous. But as the angel gave her the message of God’s work and power in her life, she gave an incredible response. Lk. 1:38 – “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
Mary reminds me of Isaiah, who when the Lord asked, “Who will go?” he responded, “Here am I. Send me.” God said to Mary, “I’ve got to have someone be the mother to the most important person ever born. Will you do it?” Mary replied, “I will do whatever you ask.”
Mary made a choice. She would do what the Lord had asked of her. She would respond in faithfulness and obedience.
Mary was rewarded for faithfulness as a mother. She was there when Jesus came back from the dead. She was in the upper room on the day of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit came. And she lived to see all of her children accept Jesus as Messiah and Lord, too. And the God who rewarded her has promised to reward us as well.
Close
Mother’s Day is a Sunday when I feel a bit awkward. Number one, I’m not a mom so I can’t speak from personal experience. But I had a wonderful mom who made life fun and somewhat unpredictable. She worked hard at being a good mo and looked for ways to surprise her children with unexpected gifts and experiences. She passed away almost eight years ago.
The second reason why I struggle with preaching on Mother’s Day is that there are folks like me whose mothers have passed on and this day can be a mixture of joy and sorrow. Mother’s Day can be a day of mourning and grieving as you remember her, as you deal with how much you miss her – how much you would like to talk to her again. God knows your anguish. Lean on Him.
The third reason that Mother’s Day is tough to preach on is because there are those who are childless. You might feel empty and unfulfilled. Again, God knows your anguish. Lean on Him.
Finally, Mother’s Day is hard for those who have poor relationships with their mothers. You don’t really know what you feel about her or you have a desire that something could be done to restore the relationship. Still, God knows your anguish. Lean on Him.
Here’s the good news. We may have imperfect families here on earth but one day, we’ll have a perfect family in heaven with God as our Father. We’ll live in a oerfect environment with all of His children who have gone on before. So hang in there, moms! God’s power is yours and He will help you as you mother your children. God bless you on this very soecial day.
If you’re here today and you’re not a Christian, we extend the invitation of Jesus to you – whether you’re a mom, a dad, a single person with no children, or even a young person – whoevever you might be. He invites you to come to Him and accept Him as Savior and Lord.
