The Value Of A Mother's Faith

Two of my sisters are here with us today, so I must indulge in a few family stories!

The first is the night we thought we lost mom. Just after Thanksgiving last year, the family was gathered for a dinner at my house. Mom had just returned from visiting my sisters in New York. She was having trouble with her asthma and was tired and short of breath. While in NY, she felt poor enough to see the Doctor, so naturally, we were concerned for her.

After dinner I noticed that mom’s hands were blue. Without trying to alarm her, I asked her a few questions such as “Mom, are you feeling all right? Are you having any trouble breathing?” My daughter who has a good deal medical background and first aid training was also concerned. The more questions that we asked mom, the sicker that she started feeling. Finally, she wanted to head home. I didn’t know if she should go home, but I didn’t want to alert her further, so dad took her home.

We all discussed how this could be serious. Should we have let her go? Should we have called an ambulance for blue hands? I got on the phone with my sister in New York to explain the situation. Now she was worried too! But during our conversation the incoming call alert beeped on my phone. I put my sister on hold because it was my dad calling. I was nervous that they were in the hospital with mom and that her blue hands were a symptom that she was not getting enough oxygen. My father’s comments immediately put my fears to rest. “Son, don’t worry about your mother. We figured out why her hands are blue. In fact she’s blue from the waist down. She bought a new pair of blue jeans and had not washed them, and she’s turned blue from the dye in the jeans!” Well I felt relieved, but also embarrassed that I allowed my mother to leave my house looking like a Smurf!!

We really laughed about that story. Mom, were glad that you are here with us today!

Here’s another appropriate story for Mother’s Day. My niece was reciting here bedtime Catechism. The question: How many persons are there in the godhead?

Her answer: “There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spare Rib!”

So to all of our moms here today, we thank you for your love for us.

In honor of Mother’s Day, let’s look at Matthew 15:21-28. Today’s sermon is about “The Value of a Mother’s Faith.”

The SETTING

After the feeding of the 5,000

After the calming of the storm.

After the accusations from the Pharisees that Jesus’ disciples do not “wash their hands”

JESUS leaves Jewish territory and moves into Gentile territory, where the Scribes and Pharisees are not likely to follow.

He encounters a GENTILE, CANAANITE Woman. This woman has come to him to plead for her daughter. She knows that Jesus is the only one that can help her, and her faith becomes the key that saves the life of her daughter. Her faith in Christ is a beautiful picture of the value of a mother’s faith.

A Faithful Mother Finds her Strength in the Lord. V.22

She cries, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David”

Jesus is her LORD

Jesus is her MESSIAH

Like HANNAH, her confidence is in God. “And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.” (1 Samuel 2:1, ESV)

Like the Psalmist her rest is in the Lord. “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.” (Psalm 62:1, NIV84)

A Faithful Mother Knows the Spiritual Needs of her children. v 22

“And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”” (Matthew 15:22, ESV)

The Greek word is kakos. It normally is translated “bad.” Here it has a strong sense of the daughter’s desperate situation. The NIV translates this word, “Suffering terribly.” The NAS uses “cruelly demon possessed.” The KJV says “grievously vexed.”

Faithful Mothers do not try to hid the reality of the spiritual condition of their children.

Sometimes when talking about our children, we are not honest with the Lord.

We are not honest with others.

PRIDE is one of the reasons

PAIN is one of the reasons

A Faithful Mother Prays Earnestly for her Children v. 23

Mat 15:23 “She is crying out after us”

This mother knew that the Lord held the key to the problem in her daughter’s life! She was relentless in seeking Jesus!