A Mother's Role

***Video – "Kids talk about Moms"

This past week I was previewing different videos and one of them I didn't choose was people being interviewed about their mothers. They said all sorts of nice things about them, but at the end, they were asked to pull out their phones and call their mom and tell them what they just said. It was somewhat emotional for some. After watching, I pulled out my phone and texted my mom. This is how it went...

Me - "I love you", her response, "What a sweet surprise! I love you right back!" - A minute later she added, "Just checking - was that for me or was it meant for Erin and incorrectly sent to me?" I replied, "No, it was absolutely meant for you. Thought of you and just wanted to send it. Now you've ruined the moment."

I happen to have been one of the fortunate ones who was blessed to grow up in a household with a mom who is a Godly woman. And I truly do thank God for mothers. But each year I feel the need to acknowledge that not all of us had such a blessing.

For most, Mother's Day is a pleasant day filled with wonderful memories. For others, it can be a reminder of a rough childhood – a childhood cheated out of the unconditional love of a mother. For others, Mother's Day may be painful because they wanted to be mothers, but couldn't for whatever reason. And for still others, it can be a painful reminder of losing a mother, or as a mother – losing a child.

But even in the midst of all the jumble of emotions - I do want to honor what God intended motherhood to be – a Godly example of a woman! I experienced that as a child looking at my mother, but now I also get to see that wonderful 'mother child relationship' played out again from another perspective - as I watch my kids and their mother.

Despite almost two decades of a lack of sleep, the incredibly long hours and the endless sacrifice - somehow Erin manages to still love our 6 children despite the fact that it appears that much of the time they're out to get her. (Especially the boys...) But I did want to publicly thank her for her work as a Godly mother and teaching our kids God's truth – she's doing a great job in my book!

This morning, however, I want to look at another woman who was a great mother, probably the most well known mother in the Bible, the mother of Jesus – Mary. Mary was given the job of raising The Son of God. It's hard enough to raise your own, but to raise the One and only Son of God? I can't even imagine... I want to start by looking at some of…

I. Mary's challenges

This task that Mary was given was one of unimaginable spiritual consequence. Let's look at the beginning in the book of Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)...

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, (27) to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. (28) The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." (29) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. (30) But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

(31) You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. (32) He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, (33) and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." (34) "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" (35) The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (36) Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. (37) For nothing is impossible with God." (38) "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

This special birth came with its special challenges. The first challenge for Mary was probably one of…

A. Questioned character

In the small town of Nazareth, Mary, a young girl who claimed she was a virgin now became miraculously pregnant. You don't think that started the rumor mill buzzing? She knew it was a miracle of God, and we know it was a miracle – but I'm guessing the people of that town may not have been convinced. You can guess how the gossip probably flew.

Mary started out her journey of being a mother with people questioning her character. I'm guessing she had to live down an undeserved reputation most days. Even thirty years later as Jesus was beginning His ministry, there were still questions. On one occasion the Pharisees and teachers of the law were having a discussion about their heritage as Children of Abraham. They angrily responded to Jesus...

John 8:41b (NIV)

"We are not illegitimate children," they protested. "The only Father we have is God himself."

I think their assertion was more than just establishing themselves as descendants of Abraham. Were they also taking the opportunity to publicly make a dig at Jesus? - To once again bring into question Mary's character and imply that Jesus was Mary's illegitimate son born out of wedlock?

Being a mother is a hard enough job without others ready to criticize perceived mistakes at every opportunity. So not only did Mary face questions about her character, but she also faced the challenge of…

B. Poverty

Most mothers want to provide everything their child wants and needs. For many, that's not always possible. If we look in Luke 2:22-24 (NIV)...

When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (23) (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), (24) and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

In the book of Leviticus, it spells out that an offering of two doves is the offering of the poor; those who can't afford anything else. God chose to place His Son with a couple who were very loving, but apparently poor. They simply didn't have a lot of resources.

It had to have been hard for Mary knowing that she was raising the Son of God - the Prince of Heaven - on a meager shoe string budget. Mary had the challenge of having her character questioned, the very real challenge of poverty and the huge challenge of…

C. Protecting her child

Every decent mother worries about caring for and protecting her child from all the bad things in this world - of which there are many. For Mary, it wasn't just possible 'what if' worst case scenarios; it was a very real threat.

Matthew 2:13 (NIV)

When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."

As a mother, how would you react if you knew, 100%, that a very powerful and evil man was specifically planning to hunt down and kill your child..? Mary knew there were those in this world who were specifically and methodically trying to kill her baby boy. And not only did she have to worry about human threats, but we also see another threat referenced if we look in the book of Revelation. I've pointed this passage out in a few past Christmas messages…

Revelation 12:3-4 (NIV)

Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. (4) His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.

Now the book of Revelation is kind of a difficult one with all of its apocalyptic language and symbolism. And many commentators see this 'child' as representing the birth of the Church. But this passage could also be recalling the birth of Jesus and the hatred that Satan had for the Christ child and His coming Kingdom. Mary was very aware that she had to protect Jesus from human threats as well as Satan Himself. Can you imagine that...?

Mothers face huge challenges in raising children and Mary was no exception. But Godly mothers, those who choose to follow God's Will can do amazing things out of love for their children. We've looked at Mary's challenges, but now let's look at…

II. Mary's resources

In being a mother to the Son of God, Mary had plenty of challenges, but fortunately Mary was not alone.

Luke 1:35 (NIV)

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

Mary had God's Holy Spirit to help her with her incredible task. And Moms, those who are believers - so do you! You have God's Holy Spirit working in you as well. It may not be in the dramatic way that Mary experienced - but God wants to encourage, guide and direct you, too, through the power of His Holy Spirit in you! But to access that resource, we need to follow Mary's lead and respond to His Spirit in the same way as we see in Luke 1:38 (NIV)...

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Mary had God's Spirit and something that's required to be able to receive the blessings and guidance from God's Spirit. And that is a…

A. Submissive heart

It's one thing to have access to God's Spirit; it's another to choose to follow His leading. Mary was willing to forego her plans and dreams and follow God's plans. It wasn't Mary's plan to watch her son be beaten and crucified. But Mary submitted her will to God's Will.

Author James Keller wrote, "Every mother has the breath-taking privilege of sharing with God in the creation of new life. And when God places a child or children in your arms, His will for you is to bring them up in a home where they will know God and His word, and Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord."

Just having a baby doesn't automatically make a woman a wonderful mother. It's a selfless choice to be a good mother. We have God's Holy Spirit just as Mary did – but it is a conscious, constant, daily choice to follow His leading, to follow God's will over our own. To be a Godly mother, you need a heart that's submissive to God.

And yet one more thing Mary had going for her, was the fact that she had…

B. An obedient child

Every mother wishes they had that! The author of Hebrews writes…

Hebrews 4:14-15 (NIV)

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. (15) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin.

Jesus was sinless. That doesn't mean He didn't cry as a baby or didn't keep her up at night or drive her crazy with questions or worry His mother sick at times – but the Bible tells us that Jesus was obedient to God's will in every way. That certainly has to help in raising a child.

That being said, I don't want to diminish Mary's role. God chose Mary to raise Jesus to be sinless. Even though Jesus was the Son of God, He was tempted just as any boy would have been. I guarantee that God worked through Mary, who had a commitment to God's Will, in order for Jesus to become who He did.

And not only did Mary have a commitment to God's Will and an obedient child, she also had something else that is extremely important…

C. Support

Being a mother can be an exhausting job and a mother certainly needs some support, someone to help. And in scripture we again see God's design for family as God gave Mary, Joseph. We see a bit of the character that Joseph possessed in Matthew 1:24 (NIV)...

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Joseph was a man of conviction. He, too, was obedient to God's leading just as Mary was. He was there to support Mary in raising the Son of God.

Now, the last mention we see of Joseph is in Luke ch. 2, when Jesus was age twelve. What happened to Joseph after that? We're not really sure. Scholars and early tradition suggest that Joseph died sometime between the time that Jesus was 12 and when Jesus started his ministry at age 30. Not sure when it happened – but based on his commitment to God, I'm pretty sure that as long as Joseph was alive he continued to follow God's leading and was a source of support for Mary.

Mary had a huge challenge in being the mother of Jesus, but she also had a lot of resources to help her as well. And the best of those resources can be God's blessing!

I try to do my best, my part in helping to raise the kids - but without Mommy and all of the hard work she does - we'd be sunk. And as it's Mother's Day today - men, sons - we need to do our part in honoring our wives and mothers. As we struggle through as parents, I frequently find myself telling Erin, "Thank you for being a good mother and I apologize for everything in our marriage up to this point."

So What?

Mother's Day is one of those days that can bring a lot of different emotions out of us. It can bring a lot of joy, but it can also bring sadness. Every one of us here has a mother, or had a mother. Some of us are still blessed to have our mothers, others don't have that blessing.

I don't know what emotions this Mother's Day may bring to each of you, but one thing I do know is that God adores a Godly mom and I also know that it's not an easy challenge. And I'd like to encourage all of us to remember the blessings that we have been given. Even if this is a day with mixed emotions – focus on God's blessings rather than your circumstances. "Thank you" to all of you who are mothers, and may God bless you!