Message
Mother’s Day 2019
The message input today is not so much around a text as it is around a significant Hebrew word.
But you can’t start a great message without a story
Start with Duck Story
Alisha 12 yo … look at ducklings
The Mother Duck saw her … and attacked.
James … older brother … came to protect .. and got attacked.
Everyone retreated from the mother duck protecting her ducklings.
Because it is Mother’s Day you can see where I am going with this example
Mothers are protective
Yes … fathers are also protective … and so are males and men.
That protective nature is also there.
We will focus on this aspect of fatherhood and malehood on Father’s Day.
But thinking about mothers.
What causes them to be so protective?
It is this connection isn’t it.
WOMen
WOMb
None of us had anything to do with our birth.
We received without giving anything.
We were totally helpless.
And some woman somewhere … your mother … brought you into this world.
Her work.
Her labour.
Her pain.
In some cases … even her life.
For your life.
The mother’s protective nature comes because of that connection doesn’t it.
Indeed, such is the protection of a mother that, sometimes when it comes to her children, she may go from protection to idealism.
There is an Australian songwriter and singer called Slim Dusty. He passed away in 2003 … but even now his songs are loved by those who like the Country and Western Genre of songs.
He sang a song called "You Can Never Do Wrong In A Mother's Eyes".
You can never do wrong in a mother's eyes
No matter what you may do
She will always forgive any wrong you've done
And she'll open her warm heart to you
Oh you can never do wrong in a mother's eyes
For she sees her son through her heart
Slim is so right – so many son’s get it easy with their mothers.
Especially if you are the oldest son.
When I just had my license one of my peers, who was a little older than me had an accident at a T-intersection. Not long after that he rolled his car. I also know He had been given a number of speeding fines. BUT when asked about these things his mother was heard saying, "He is still a good driver".
WOMen
WOMb
A woman … a mother whose womb gave life … the one who is compassionate towards you even when you make large life mistakes.
They just all kind of go together don’t they.
And it doesn’t just go together in for English speaking people.
Let’s have a look at the significant Hebrew word I was telling you about.
Quick Lesson On How Hebrew Works.
The vast majority Hebrew words can be boiled down to a three-consonant root word. You can change the word into a verb, or a noun, or an adjective, by adding vowels and consonants before or after the root word. No matter what changes are made, you can still see the root word.
??? (raham) = verb “love”, “mercy”, “compassion”
??? (rehem) = noun “womb”
???? (rahum) = adjective means compassionate and is always used in the OT to describe God's feelings towards humanity.
… …
Whose mind is ticking over at the moment thinking about the implications and the connections.
In Jewish thinking “showing compassion” and “having a womb” find their place in the same thought and word patterns.
When you show compassion to people isn’t there a sense where you are carrying them.
Showing compassion by carrying poorly-verbalized opinions, immaturities and failings.
Showing compassion by carrying those who need forgiveness and acceptance.
Showing compassion by carrying those who have been wounded and whose feet need to be set right again.
Isn’t it true that, when we are the recipients of compassion, you feel protected and nurtured.
Now let’s … cautiously … step a bit further.
Constantly God is described as being a compassionate God.
God created them in his image … male and female.
Both being image-bearers of God.
The combined fullness of what it means to be both male and female … is found in God.
When you see a godly father … living as the one who runs to embrace his returned, disgraced lost son … you are being given a picture of who God is.
Similarly
When you see a godly woman … showing compassion for that child which comes from her womb … you are being given a picture of who God is.
God wants to carry us.
God wants to protect us.
God is willing to overlook all that we have done and set aside the sin.
This is God’s heart
As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?
Ezekiel 33:11
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
But God can’t just blindly overlook our sin … it may be that you can never do wrong in your mother’s eyes. But the wages of sin is death.
We made the mess of our lives.
We chose disobedience.
And the compassionate God looks on … want us to turn … but also having to deal with the just out come that sin needs to be punished.
And so he turns to Jesus … His Son.
And Jesus volunteers to be the answer … the only answer … the unique answer.
Jesus comes to give His life and pay the price.
Jesus does this because compassion was a way of life for Jesus.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36
The most visible act of compassion is the Son of God … on the cross … dead. So that we may have life.
So today I want us all to give praise
As believers we can take this day - a secular holiday – and use it to be thankful for all those godly women in our lives who … in the process of showing compassion for that child which comes from her womb … has shown us a picture of who God is.
They may have been our mother … but they may not.
A carer. A teacher. A Grandmother. A significant woman.
They may not have even been mothers themselves … but the children they care for might as well have come from their own womb.
So let’s give praise for that.
But let’s give all our praise and all the glory to the compassionate God who has sent a compassionate Saviour.
How often have we let our Creator down.
Hurting Him by our actions; hurting ourselves in the process.
How many times has our Lord agonized over our sinfulness?
How many times has He had to close His eyes and let us discover the results of disobedience for ourselves?
How many times have we needed to be carried?
The times when we have hurt people with our words or actions.
The occasions when we must be open to loving exhortation and rebuke.
Those moments when we are in the wrong and others are in the right.
The mess that we create.
And into that space the Scripture speaks.
22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ (Lamentations 3:22-24)
Not just compassion ... but compassions. Many compassions.
What new compassion do you need today?
Prayer
