Mother’s Day 2006
MARY: A MODEL OF MOTHERHOOD
JOHN 2:1-11
INTRODUCTION: {Video Clip: Gospel of John - Chp. 3:12:50 - 16:08 - 3:18}
A wedding took place at Cana, in Galilee. Now, weddings are almost always times of great joy, but sometimes, even with the best of planning, things go wrong. So it was at this wedding. Vs:3- “When the wine had given out...” Here the imperfection doesn’t show up in the ceremony but at the reception. The family in charge ran out of refreshments before the party is done. For the man in charge of the banquet, it was a most embarrassing moment! And so, Mary, Jesus’ mother is asked to help.
Now, when we think of the life of Mary, I think our minds would often think of that young girl in Bethlehem giving birth to the Christ child. But at this particular time, as the video clip accurately showed, she is around 50 years old. And Mary, knowing her son, tells Jesus about the problem inferring, as only mother’s can do, that he should solve the situation. Now, it’s important to understand that Jesus is 30 years old and has probably been the head of the home for the last decade. Most think Joseph, Mary’s husband, died when Jesus was a youngster. We read of Joseph for the last time when Jesus was 12 and taken to the temple. After that Mary is always mentioned alone and the assumption, by most scholars, is that Joseph had died. So, Jesus would’ve taken over the carpentry shop and been the provider for the family. So as Mary looks to Jesus, I think, by looking at his response, saying, “My time has not yet come,” that it’s pretty clear she is asking him to provide a miracle. And he does!
But using this incident as a spring board I want us to focus on this Mother’s Day on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Over the years a number of legends have developed about her. There are those that suggest that she was a virgin all of her life. But the Bible says in Mk 3:35 that Jesus had other brothers and sisters. Mary had children after Jesus by Joseph. Some say that instead of dying Mary ascended into heaven and now she’s our mediator in prayer. But the Bible says nothing about such an event and 1 Tim. 2:5- “For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus.”(NLT) But since Mary has occasionally been elevated to a position not found in Scripture there’s a tendency for some to go to the opposite extreme and say little or nothing about her. She is called in the Bible: “The mother of our Lord” and it says she was "highly favored among women." So Mary deserves a great deal of respect among Christian people. And from this passage and others I think we can see 3 things that show her to be: “A model of motherhood.”
I. MOTHERHOOD IS OFTEN A DIFFICULT ROLE:
I want you to see first that motherhood is often a difficult role. You know all mothers have difficulties at times raising their children. It doesn’t matter how smart they are or how special they are - there are always challenges.
{Video Clip: Forrest Gump - Start: Chp. 1:4:27 - Stop: Chap. 1:6:42 = 2:15}
Now Mary didn’t have to deal with leg braces or a low IQ and none of Jesus’ relatives started the KKK but as you trace her life through Scripture it is easy to see that Mary did not have an easy time. Before Jesus was even born she had difficulty. Her husband Joseph, was a frustrated fiancé. Mary had to tell him she was pregnant, not by another man but by God. How would you respond to that news? “Let me get this straight. You’re telling me you’re pregnant but you didn’t fool around. God put a child in your womb.” Who would believe that? Mary knew the truth but in the eyes of others she was guilty of sexual immorality. To Joseph, as much as he loved Mary, this idea about being impregnated by the Holy Spirit had to seem ludicrous and blasphemous. And even after an angel had appeared to Joseph, convincing him that what Mary had told him was true, she still had difficulty.
You would think that giving birth to the Son of God would carry some fanfare and prestige. But the commencement of Jesus’ life was an unglamourous birth that must of been very difficult for Mary. She gave birth to Jesus 90 miles away from home. Not only was she far from home but the baby was not born in a sanitary hospital but in a stable, not laid in a crib but in a feeding trough. And then Mary and Joseph had to flee, for 2 years, to Egypt because their son had a price on His head. And when they came back, Matt.2:21 tells us that Joseph wanted to settle in Judea, which makes a lot of sense. Why go back to Nazareth where the people of that small town thought the worst about this girl? Judea would be a fresh start. But God made it clear that they were to go back to that difficult place and reside in Nazareth. I think Mary may have lived the rest of her life under a partial cloud of suspicion.
And then when Joseph died Mary had to take on a very demanding assignment: the role of a single mother. Life was difficult then, as it is now, to run a household without a partner. How Mary must have longed for some public sign, some miracle to exonerate her, to show to all that her son was special, that He was the Son of God. How she must have anticipated the start of a wondrous ministry. So here they are, maybe a month or so after the official start of his ministry, at this wedding in Cana of Galilee. I wouldn’t put it past a mother to think that she needed to get her Son started on the road to notoriety. So I think when she asked Jesus to do something about the problem she was asking Him to do the spectacular so all of her friends could know how special Jesus was. But Jesus basically said “No,” in vs:4 when he says, “My time has not yet come.” Maybe He was saying, "Mother, I know how long you’ve waited but my ministry is not going to be like that. There will be many that continue to doubt even though I do miracles. No, my time is yet three years away when I shall die and be raised again. Then your story will be verified." Mary had to endure a lot of things as a mother.. stigma from society, being a single mom and anxiousness for her Son.
But being a mother is still a difficult role. Maybe not in the exact same way as Mary’s but I think there are several things that make it difficult for a Godly mother in the 21st century. (1) One of the greatest burdens put on Mom’s from our society is the pressure to pursue a career. A recent article in “USA Today” revealed that first-time mothers receiving maternity leave has nearly tripled in recent years. It said that during the years of 1961-1965 nearly 60% of pregnant women quit their jobs to stay home with their children. But between 1981-1985 that has dropped to only 28% and in the last decade to 20%. That means lot of mothers are performing the difficult juggling act of handling motherhood and a career outside the home. Now, it is true that the pendulum is starting to swing back to mother’s quitting jobs in order to be with their children and that some corporations, to keep mothers working, are providing child care at work. But there are still a number of working mothers who feel guilty on Mother’s Day when they hear about the ideal mother.
I think there are a couple of things that have contributed to this problem One is our own fault: materialism. We have gotten so bogged down in the desire for things that we have become buried in debt and so Mom must go to work no matter how many children she has, or what she would like to do, because it is the only way to make ends meet.
But there’s another contributing factor to this problem that is not our fault. There is still a social stigma for Mom’s who stay home. Many “stay-at-home Moms” are made to feel inadequate because they don’t have a career. If you don’t pursue work outside the home it’s as if you are wasting your talents. It is no surprise that when mothers who are able to stay at home with their children are asked what they do for a living, they almost apologetic say, "Oh, I’m just a housewife." As though, if it weren’t for these children, I would really make something of myself. I love the story Tony Compolo used to tell about his wife Peggy, when they had small children. She chose to stay home even though she is a brilliant women who has a Doctorate in Genetics. But he said that often when they would go out to a snobbish educational affair there would be some woman with a successful outside career that would kind of look down their nose and ask his wife, "What do you do?" Mrs. Compolo would reply, "I am socializing 2 homo-sapiens in the dominate values of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they may be instruments in the transformation of the social order, and might realize the eschatological potentiality of utopia. What do you do?" They say, "I’m just a lawyer, a Doctor."
Now, I’ll be honest with you. I wish that every Christian mother could stay home with their children, especially when they are young, because I think that is both the Biblical and practical ideal. But please, don’t misunderstand.. I am not pulling reverse discrimination here.. I nor this church will ever look down on you because you choose or have to work outside the home. I know that for some of you, because of today’s economy that it is a necessity. And if you are wrestling with this I counsel you to pray for wisdom, talk to other Christian mothers to see how they are doing, lean on the Church & do the best you can. On the other hand, if you’re able and have chosen to stay home don’t consider yourself a second class citizen. God doesn’t! For example, the Prov. 31 mother is described as one who: ".. watches over the affairs of her household.. her children call her blessed; her husband also praises her." It looks like she may have run a business out of her home- Vs:16- “She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard..” Vs:24- “She makes linen garments and sells them..”(NIV) Probably on e-bay! Okay, maybe not, but it looks like she may have been earning money out of a home business and being with her kids. Now, I think there is a different application for families with young children, school age children and older children as far as staying home. But it’s clear that one of the pressures making today’s mothering difficult is the juggling of responsibilities of work & home.
(2) That makes it difficult to be a Godly mother today is the pressure on the child to forsake their values. There is so much anti-Christian influence today and it is really frustrating for a Godly mother to attempt to train a child in the way that he should go only to be countered by anti-Christian philosophy on TV, peer pressure and a myriad of other worldly influences. And it is getting more difficult because so many of your children’s friends are from deteriorating homes broken sometimes by multiple divorce and often by spiritual neglect. That is why it is so important for your child to be filled with Biblical standards from the home and the Church because if they’re not, the world will give them it’s values. The toughest responsibility for Christian Mother’s & Father’s today is to successfully combat the world’s influences. But take encouragement from Mary. She was a single mom with difficulties that we will never experience and yet she is called “blessed” and did a pretty good job raising Jesus.
II. MOTHERHOOD IS A CONTINUOUS ROLE:
Mary also demonstrates for us that motherhood is a continuous role. Isn’t it interesting that when you look at this passage Mary is still trying to tell Jesus what to do when He was 30 years old? "The hosts are out of wine, Jesus, please help them out." And when He resisted she seems to just ignore Him and maybe even manipulate the situation a little bit. Vs:5 - “Jesus’ mother then told the servants, `Do whatever He tells you.’” In other words, "Listen to Him, He won’t let me down."
Being a mother does not stop when your child becomes 18. There is always that instinct to continue to promote, protect and guide. In Matt.20 there is a Mom, the mother of James and John, who comes to Jesus asking for a favor, "Jesus asked, “What do you want?”She said, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right side and the other will sit at your left side in your kingdom.”(Mt.20:21 NCV) Now, wait a minute. Why aren’t they asking? Why is “mommy” coming? And she’s not asking for much.. ".. just make my boys the top dogs in the Kingdom, you know they deserve it." Isn’t that typical of mother’s? All Mom’s are protective and it is their “motherly instinct” to want the best for their child. There is a natural and God given inclination to continue to be a mother to your children as long as they live. And that’s okay, but if you’re a Mom with older children will you recognize that can be either positive or negative? Mother’s can use this instinct positively and be a tremendous encouragement to their aging son or daughter. Nobody gets so old that they don’t need boosting up from their Mom. But that instinct can have negative effects too. There is the temptation to become a "Smother" not a mother. And it is sad to see Mother’s who want their children to remain children for the rest of their lives. The failure to release and give space to a child can have devastating results. All of us have heard of manipulating mother’s who attempt control long after they should. "Oh, go ahead and do that, I’m just your mother, my opinion doesn’t count." "Sure, take that job, it’s better for your family. I’ll be alright here.. all alone. You’ll probably not even write. And I’ve only got a few years left anyway." It’s sad when mothers refuse to release the child. That child will either rebel or never mature. Mother’s who are wise slowly alter the relationship as the child grows older. From dependency, to responsibility, to freedom, then to friendship.
III. MOTHERHOOD IS A REWARDING ROLE:
I want you to see finally that motherhood is a rewarding role. Mary did have the satisfaction of seeing Jesus perform His first miracle. The water was transformed to wine. And this was not Mogan David 20/20 or Ripple or any inferior wine! The master of the banquet compliments the bridegroom and in Vs:10b- “Everyone else serves the best wine first, and after the guests have drunk a lot, he serves the ordinary wine. Bu you have kept the best wine until now!” When Mary saw what Jesus had done and saw the quality of the wine that He had provided she must have been so proud. I have always thought that Mary must have been pleased with her son’s ministry. It wouldn’t be too far fetched to think of Mary as she stood on the sidelines and watched Jesus meet people’s needs or preach that she would nudge the woman next to her and say, "That’s my son, you know!"
But Mary must have been devastated when she saw her Son despised and rejected. I remember when Zach was about 4 or 5 that I was swinging him around by his arms and lost my grip! In an effort to keep him from falling I grabbed his arm incorrectly and heard it snap! Zach was not smiling! I had broken my son’s arm. In the E.R. as I watched the Dr. examine him tears began to well up in my eyes and when the Dr. was done Zach noticed. He looked at me, his eyes full of wonder and said, "Daddy, are you hurt too?" I told him no, not physically, but how I wished that it was me with the broken arm, not him. Nothing hurts more than seeing your child hurt. And Jesus’ ministry was beset by brokeness. He was criticized about His birth. "Where is your Father?" the Pharisee’s asked Him, in John 8, while He was teaching in the streets of Jerusalem. "We were not born out of wedlock.." (Jn 8:41 LB) they cat-called. He was condemned for His teaching. In John 7 the crowd called him demon-possessed and later wanted to kill Him for telling the truth! How that cruelty must have hurt Mary. She knew who He was, why couldn’t they see it? And finally He was crucified for His claims. John 19 tells us the charge of blasphemy, calling Himself God, was why the death penalty occurred. And in John 19:25 there is this short but incredible statement- "Jesus’ mother stood beside his cross.."(CEV)What must of it been like for Mary at the foot of the Cross? To see her Son writhing in pain and unable to soothe Him. To hear His enemies gloat over their victory and be unable to silence them.
And quite frankly, the biography of Mary would be sad if it were not for this one verse in Acts 1:14. Following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven, we read: "They gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus..." Mary had seen the empty tomb! Mary had seen the resurrected Jesus, her story had finally been vindicated and He was not just her son, He was the Savior of her soul. Yes it was difficult and she never stopped being His mother, even at the cross but how rewarding it must of been to realize that it had all been worth it!
And certainly for all of you Mom’s today.. You have a difficult role that never ends, but oh, on occasion it is so rewarding. Mom’s do you know that you and Mary have something very important in common? Just as she raised God’s Son, you too are raising God’s children. Psa. 127:3- "Children are a gift from the Lord, a reward from him."(NLT) And Mother’s you have the unique opportunity to be a predominant influence on that child. And when you see them take their first steps or achieve in school that’s satisfying. But most importantly, when you hear that child confess that Jesus Christ is their Savior and the Leader of their life and you witness that commitment as they are baptized into Christ - that’s the greatest reward of all! You see of all the tasks you have, the most important is transferring your faith to your child. Like Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Tim. 1:5: “I know that you sincerely trust the Lord, for you have the faith of your mother, Eunice, and your grandmother, Lois.”(NLT)
And just a word to us as children as we close. Do you know what you can do to make this difficult & continuous task rewarding for your Mom? Express your gratitude to her. In his book, "Come Before Winter," Charles Swindoll tells the story of Marian Anderson. She was the famous black contralto who won world wide acclaim as a concert soloist. She was once asked by a reporter, "What was the greatest moment in your life?" She had a lot to choose from. In 1955, Marian Anderson became the 1st black woman to ever sing at the Metropolitan Opera in NY. Then came that night when she gave a private concert in the White House for the Roosevelt’s and the Queen of England. In 1963 she was awarded the coveted Presidential medal of freedom. To top it all off there was an Easter Sunday when she stood in front of the Lincoln monument and sang for 75,000 people. But when the reporter asked, "What is the greatest moment in your life?" Marian Anderson said, "The greatest moment of my life came on that day when I was able to tell my Mother that she didn’t have to take in laundry anymore." Being a mother is a difficult role but you can help it be a rewarding one by finding some fresh way to say, "I love and appreciate you." Vs:11 says that here Jesus revealed His glory. He also revealed an example of respecting His mother and then He expressed that love and respect continually. I challenge you this morning.. If you’re able, make sure you let your mother know today that you realize her role was and is difficult and that you appreciate and love her very much. Jesus did, even making her care a priority while He hung on the cross. He made sure John, who wrote our text, took care of Mary.
But the most wonderful thing about this story is that the way Jesus loved His mother is the way that He loves you. And maybe the most important advice she ever gave comes down to us even today when Mary said... “Do whatever He tells you.”
