Today is Mother’s Day!
(Open for testimonies among the congregation)
How did your mother or grandmother impact you spiritually for Jesus?
(Personal testimony of how my Mom, Grandma Char and Great Grandma Mary influenced my walk with Jesus.)
What are the two greatest commandments? (One of our memory Scriptures)
Matthew 22:37-40
“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
With that in mind please open your Bibles to Luke 14:25-27 which we will read shortly ...
Now, when we read this you are certainly going to think that this is the weirdest Scripture ever used for a sermon on Mother’s day!
So let’s go ahead and read Luke 14:25-27
What? Hate your father and mother and brothers and sisters and even your own life?
How can that be? How can that possibly be reconciled with:
Exodus 20:12
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”
Leviticus 19:3
“Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.”
And Jesus, the greatest example of all, while hanging on the cross, dying from blood loss and dehydration and suffering unimaginable pain made the effort to provide for His own mother.
So, how can Jesus say we need to hate our father and mother and sisters and brothers?
What does the Lord hate?
Proverbs 6:16-19
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.”
Proverbs 11:1a AMP
“A false scale and dishonest business practices are extremely offensive and shamefully sinful to the Lord.”
So, is Jesus confused?
- Jesus knows the two great commandments
- Jesus' last commandment was to love one another
- Jesus is God and we know that there are things God hates
- Are we to hate our father and mother and sisters and brothers in the same way that God hates sin?
Jesus often used a literary device called hyperbole which is an exaggeration given to make a point.
Examples:
The sermon lasted forever! (No ... it only seemed that way ...)
I'm so hungry I could eat a cow!
So, when Jesus was saying in
Luke 14:26a
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters …” He was using hyperbole
He was really saying what He said in Matthew 10:37 when He said:
Matthew 10:37
“Anyone who loves their father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
(Move to the right side of the platform)
What the Lord hates and what we should really hate (sin) is over here.
(Now move to the left side of the platform.)
What we should really love is over here. (Matthew 22:37)
(Now move one step to the right)
So, the love for our mother or father or other family members or our neighbors or for ourselves should be right here.
We need to love the Lord more!
More than anyone or anything else
More than we did yesterday
So, again, what does that have to do with Mother’s Day?
Being in this of loving the Lord the most and others right next to the lord is where the Lord can make us into what we should be and when we are what we should be we will be the best mother or father or sister or brother of grandmother or grandfather or aunt or uncle or neighbor that we can possible be.
Why?
When the Lord is King of our lives and we are as close to Him as we can get,
then we get:
Your personality will improve
Galatians 5:22-23 (The fruit of the Spirit)
THAT is a building block in becoming a great Mom
You will become diligent in your tasks as a mother
Colossians 3:23-24 (Whatever you do …)
THAT is a building block in becoming a great mother
When you are uncertain as to what to do
Proverbs 3:5-8 (Trust in the Lord with all your heart …)
THAT is a building block in becoming a great mother
It’s amazing how simple it is to become a great mother or father or whatever!
Seek the Lord with all of your heart.
- In His word
- In prayer
- In worship
- In obedience
In Deuteronomy 33:8-9 Moses is pronouncing blessings on the tribes of Israel before His death.
About the tribe of Levi he said:
“You (Lord) tested [Levi] at Massah;
You (Lord) contended with [Levi] (fought beside Levi) at the waters of Meribah.
He (Levi) said of his father and mother,
‘I have no regard for them.’ (I did not consider (or hate) them but I put YOU first)
He did not recognize his brothers (Nor did he acknowledge (or hate) his brothers but he put the LORD first)
or acknowledge his own children, (Nor did he regard (or hate) his own sons but he put the LORD first)
but (Levi) watched over Your word and guarded Your covenant.
(but (Levi) did observe Your word and kept Your covenant)
Levi's obedience of putting the Lord first showed his love for his mother and father and sisters and brothers.
Do you want to be a great Mom or Father or whatever position the Lord has placed you into in life?
Love the Lord your God and put Him first in all you do!
Concluding remarks and prayer.
