As I prepared for this morning’s mother’s day celebration, I began to look at how society has formulated our own mind thinking of what a mother is supposed to be. On television, we had June Cleaver, from Leave It to Beaver. Black stilletoe shoes, Crisp linen dress, and a string of pearls…. Cooking and cleaning and taking care of the home. We had Caroline from Little House on the Prarie to Claire Huxtable – from the Cosby Show. All of these women – idolized the position of motherhood – and actually even though they worked hard, made it appear simple. Than we grew up…. Tried to be June – and broke our necks vacuming in high heel shoes. We tried to be Caroline, but found it was easier to go to the grocery store for our actual food and just garden for relaxation. Even Claire made mothering appear as simple as raising an eyebrow, but we found that many times it takes more than a facial movement to get stuff done. In fact many of us though we may not publically admit it could actually see many simalarities in our household and The Clan from Rosanne or even the Bundy’s, or the Simpson’s. Yes many of us fit into the later group. A few extra pounds, frazzled, tired, and oft times broke. Some of us were teenage mom’s – some having a family who made the boy marry you where others just suffered through. Some of us still in relationships with the first baby’s daddy…. Some of us on round two or three. Some of us…. Dealing with babies having babies. Some of us wondering when will we stop having them ourselves. And yes there are even those who never birthed a child, however the mother role still appears to be a part of your life. But June and those other fanciful mothers just don’t tend to fit into our mold. Each of us looking at our families and according to the society in which we live we are each considered a part of a dysfunctional family. You know – absent dads, blended families. Mothers working two three and four jobs. Children coming home to empty houses – cooking there own dinners. Grandmothers raising their children’s children. Not at all like the model “Typical” family that we see painted before us. But I got good news for you this morning… when you look at the word of God and the various blends of folk that God deals with, dysfunctional appears to be the normal. Adam – got his wife from a bone. Noah lived on a boat with his wife – his sons – and their wives – and a whole lot of animals. David was after somebody else’s woman. The children of Israel were just outcast. Yes even the mother of Jesus. She too would fall under the category of abnormal family. She too would be classified by Physiatrist today as dysfunctional. Here she was – the one who would birth to us a child that would saved everyone – an unwed teenage mother. Mary, a teenager who was engaged but not married. Broke, uneducated, just a kid – pregnant.
God came to her and said “Have My Child who will save the world” and she said “OK” Now She knew even if she could tell somebody what was going to happen – who would believe her. She was taking a chance of being stoned to death because back in the day – these folk took it serious about having babies before you got your I do’s out of your mouth. But this kid said “OK” She knew that she was giving birth to a child that would not live out a long life but she said “OK”. She knew that she was giving life to a son that would lay down his life for others, but she said “OK”. Enduring prejudice, judgemental attitudes, gossip. All because she loved God enough to be the best mother despite the circumstance. A teenage mom…… you know one of those we talk about. A teenage mom --- you know one of those we don’t want around our daughters because the pregnancy may be contagious. A teenage mom…. You know the one we frown upon even though it is only because of the grace of God some of us were not in the same situation, and some of us were but are still lying about it to this day….. A teenage mom …. The one that is put out of school now when they begin to show. A teenage mom…… made to feel like she made the worst mistake ever… and unforgivable sin…. Which she passes on to that child who grows up to feel unforgivable and unlovable. But look at this woman named Mary…. A woman who loved her son regardless of what society thought or said. A woman who loved her son regardless of how hard it was or how difficult things were made for her. A woman who was willing to do what was necessary and go where she needed to go to ensure her son’s birth came to pass. Now she could have said no… but then when you and I went to the gates and asked to come in what would the angel’s answer be. She could have aborted the pregnacy = thusly aborting our trip into heaven. She could have stayed around and let her infant son be murdered when the King began to slay male babies – thereby killing our chances to walk up the king’s highway.
A teenage mother’s love has allowed each of us a chance of salvation. A teenage mother’s love for her son and a teenage mother’s love for her God allows each of us the same opportunity to get to the father. A teenage mother – unwed mom – had a baby in a place of stench. A baby born to wash our stink away. A teenage mother – the man she was engaged to could not even be introduced as “My baby’s Daddy” bore her child in a lowly place…. A child birthed to lift us from our low places. A teenage mom…. Laying amongst beast – birthed a child to cancel the beast hold on our lives. A teenage mother – did all of this….. Now what does a mother really look like.
And here we judge folk who make mistakes – but Mary had a baby so that each of us could have some one to stand before God for us. Those who judged Mary, had to be rejoicing when they figured out who Jesus was. Those who ridiculed this Teenaged Mom, had to be thankful when they realized What Jesus came to do.
Here we talk about folks past mistakes – but Mary had a baby to rectify each of our mistakes. Those folk who discussed the possibility of Mary’s indiscretion had to be grateful for their deliverance.
Look around, check out the different shape, sizes, and colors of mothers in this place. Some young, some not so…. Some married… Some not….. Some married over and over again. Some with a few children… some with more than they can count. Some by the same man… some by a few. But guess what…… They each are special. They each have a purpose. They each birthed a soul that Jesus died to save. But the act that is indicated in this story more so than anything else is Love. Mary Loved God enough to do as he requested. How about you. Do you love God enough to let go of something you want but he is whispering to you he has something better. Mary loved God enough to endure being talked about. Can you tolerate folk talking about you – as you decide that you are going to follow the will of God and not the way of man. Mary loved God enough to release some things she liked doing to do what he wanted her to do. How many of us are willing to release who we think we are and what we think we can do to be all God wants us to be. You know that stuff we keep stirring up and then lying to ourselves saying this will be the last time. Mary loved God enough to love her son and follow her son and watch her son be persecuted and lied on. Mary loved her son enough to let Him do his fathers will even though it would cause her heartache. A teenage mother did all of this. Here we are, griping about not being able to put tennis shoes on our children’s feet that cost more than four of my outfits – when what we should be doing is spending more time with them teaching them about the one this teenage mother gave to them. Here we are worried about not having enough cash to pay our cable bill so the kids can watch Showtime instead of making certain that they are aware of the time that God showed how much he loved us all by letting this teenage mother bear our burden bearer. Here we are grumbling about how many times we have to go to the church instead of teaching our children to be thankful because that teenage mom gave us the rock that the church was built on.
Someone ought to be excited because once you were the topic of the town. Someone ought to be excited because like Mary you too had a load that you carried and folk said you couldn’t be nothing and would never be nothing. But I am here to tell you, each of us in here who so chose has the same opportunity all because of a teenaged mom. Each of us have the blessed assurance of being heirs to the King. Each of us, no matter how dirty we may get can get the same level of cleanliness all because Mary had a baby. We each can rejoice that there is no secret – no history – no stuff from our past that can keep us out of the kingdom because Mary bore a child.
