Thank-you Mom!
2 Timothy 1:3-7 Reading
Have you seen the play, Fiddler on the Roof? At one point Tevea’s oldest daughter is getting married and Tevea and Golden sing a song in the background. The last chorus refrain says, “Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years. One season following another, laden with happiness, and tears.”
I’ve been praying for the Lord to give me a lesson for this Mother’s Day, and those words came to mind. For most of us, they well describe the seasons of marriage and motherhood… “Laden with happiness, and tears.” I remember the births of each of my children. I was there with Jenny and the doctor and nurse when each was born. I know that motherhood begins with pain, just as Jesus said, “Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to a child, she no longer remembers the anguish, because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.” John 16:21 I have seen those words fulfilled. Jesus promise in this context is for us. He says that we will have grief and sorrow in this world, there are seasons laden with tears down here. But Jesus calls us to rejoice in this, he has overcome the world, and he will return for us, and when he does, he will wipe away all tears.
Today is Mother’s Day and for today, let us listen and learn lessons from one of many mothers in the Bible. You’ll guess who she is easily.
She was born in obscurity. We don’t know the names of her parents. She had a very common name that spoke of the times. Her name means bitter, which describes the lives of her people under Roman rule and oppression. She was betrothed to a carpenter when she was probably between 14-17 years old. She had an older cousin who got pregnant after child bearing age through the promise of God to her husband. After this cousin was six months pregnant, God sent his messenger, Gabriel, to her to announce an astounding message to her. She, a virgin, was to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit, and give birth to the Son of God. Luke records the event:
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee, called Nazareth,
27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And coming in, he said to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."
29 But she was greatly troubled at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this might be.
30 And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32 "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."
34 And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
35 And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.
36 "And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
37 "For nothing will be impossible with God."
38 And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word."
What do you think of Mary here? Isn’t she precious? Can’t you just see this little young lady bowing before the great angel Gabriel and hearing that she is favored by God and that she is to become the mother of the King whose kingdom will never end, and who is to be called the Son of God.
You’ve got to love her question. How? And her response to Gabriel’s answer. "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word."
This season was laden with happiness. She immediately traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and when she arrives they both celebrate! Mary’s song in Luke 1:46-55 is a song of joy and happiness in God’s blessing.
There is no way this little Jewish maiden could foresee all the tears that would follow.
First, there was the trouble convincing Joseph of her chastity. God had to do it for her. Then there’s the long trip to Bethlehem in her ninth month of pregnancy only to arrive and find no room. So Jesus is born where the animals gather and is placed in a manger for a bed. After Jesus was born, they take him to the temple, and Simeon comes to see the baby. He takes Jesus in his arms and says a sweet blessing, but then he looks at Mary and says these haunting words: 34… "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,
35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."
Those words foreshadowed the next trial. Herod hears from some traveling Magi that a king has been born in the neighborhood. Bethlehem is just four miles from Jerusalem. Herod’s vicious jealousy brings about the slaughter of every male child two years and under that lived in Bethlehem. Laden with tears. Rachel weeping for her children, and refusing to be comforted, because they were no more.
Joseph and Mary take the baby and flee to Egypt. What a tremendous responsibility this child is bringing into their lives. Not until after Herod’s death do they return home. Instead of Bethlehem, they go back up to Galilee to their home in Nazareth.
Jesus turns 12. There are more children now. Jesus is the oldest of several brothers and sisters. The family all goes to Jerusalem to worship. They all head home. All except one. Jesus comes up missing. Surely he’s with relatives. He’s the oldest and most responsible child in the family! Where is Jesus!!! What could have happened to him! Three days pass. Back to Jerusalem they have gone, and searched frantically, I’m sure. What would you parents here be thinking and doing at this point? Your 12-year-old is lost and it’s been three days. Another big question is: what would you say when you found him? If some of us here had been the dad, Jesus might not have made it to his 13th birthday.
We don’t have what Joseph said, but God recorded Mary’s words. And they are laden with happiness and tears…
How do you raise a son like Jesus?
When Jesus entered his ministry, his mother seems to be alone. Did Joseph die? We don’t know, but after all the events in Jesus childhood, you know that his stress must have taken years off his life.
Jesus begins his ministry by being baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist. John was Elizabeth’s child. God called him into a unique prophetic ministry: preaching repentance and baptizing in the Jordan for remission of sins. He was called to prepare the way for the Lord. John knew enough about Jesus to know that when Jesus came to him to be baptized, this was no ordinary moment in his ministry. He wanted to refuse at first. Now think about this. John had yet to see the Holy Spirit fall on Jesus and he had yet to hear the voice of the Father say, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” He says in John’s gospel, that until this happened, he did not recognize Jesus. But he knew enough to know that Jesus was greater than he. I wonder if he had heard about Jesus’ birth from his mother? I wonder if he knew about the shepherds and Magi? Surely he had heard about Herod and the baby boys of Bethlehem. Whatever… Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptist and soon afterward John was arrested and put in prison till the day he was beheaded. More tears.
Mary was a mother who was involved in her Son’s life, and it was hard for her to let go. Jesus has to distance himself from her. John 2 records a wedding where Jesus uses some strong language with his mother. It is easy to miss this, and the NIV really messes it up. John 2:4 records Jesus answer to his mother’s statement to him that the wine has run out at the wedding. Jesus words are: “Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour is not yet come.” The point? While Jesus goes ahead and performs his first miracle, he also makes a statement about his relationship with his mother that is difficult.
Later in his ministry, Jesus has a huge crowd following him and Mark’s gospel records this: 3:20 Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.
21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind."
Then at the end of that same chapter we hear Jesus again distancing himself from his mother and family. Look at this: 31 Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.
32 A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
33 "Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
34 Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers!
35 Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother."
Do you hear what he’s saying here? It’s time to cut the apron strings, mom.
There are few things in life more wonderful and yet potentially more difficult than the relationship between a mother and child. Dads sometimes have an easier time letting go than mom does. Not always, but often. Mary just can’t let go… till the cross.
Look at John 19:25-27. It is hard to imagine the grief and sorrow of a mother’s heart at the foot of her son’s cross. Maybe it’s impossible. Jesus final words from the cross include the care of his mother. “Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years. One season following another, laden with happiness and tears.”
The next time we meet Mary in the scripture is in Acts 1:14. This is also the last time. And it’s a happy time. Mary has moved from mother to disciple.
I haven’t developed and listed the lessons we discover as we survey God’s message on motherhood from Mary’s life. I hope you can see them for yourselves and apply them in your lives. One thing is clear though, that anyone can see. Motherhood is truly a life laden with happiness and tears. There are good reasons to rejoice. And there are also good reasons to weep. Thank God he has promised for those who follow Jesus Christ through the valley of tears that he will one day wipe all tears from our eyes. May we like Mary learn to follow Jesus Christ and let him have his way with us.
