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The world celebrates Mothers Day in May. It is a month in which so many things intertwined in our family - several birthdays - including mother's day.
We may have so many memories of our mothers. Some have memories of mom picking up toys or helping to get you sleep or helping to get you ready for school. The cartoon character Dennis the Menace told his friend Joey, "I don't know what I'll do when my mom gets too old to tie my shoes."
A six-year-old boy, separated from his mother in a supermarket, began to call frantically for “Sally! Sally Sally!” That was his mother’s name and she came running to him quickly. “But, honey,” she admonished, “you shouldn’t call me ‘Sally’, I’m ‘Mother’ to you.” “Yes, I know,” he answered, “but this store is full of mothers.” This world is full of mothers. But each of us has only one mother.
Mothers are the love bonds of the family and make the communication system of the family work. Mothers are teachers and caregivers. A cartoon in a London newspaper showed a young boy about five or six years old talking on the telephone, saying, "Mom is in the hospital, the twins and Roxie and Billie and Sally and the dog and me and Dad are all home alone.". When mommy is not home everybody feels lonely
The woman credited with founding Mother's Day is Anna Jarvis. The Methodist Church in Grafton, WV is called "the Mothers Day Church" because Anna Jarvis was active there; Anna Jarvis was inspired by her mother. She organized "Mothers' Work Day Clubs" in the 1850s in the area. The clubs provided medicines for the poor, inspected milk for children, provided nursing care for the sick, and shelters for children with tuberculosis. When the Civil War broke out she called together four of her clubs and asked them to make a pledge that friendship and goodwill would not be a casualty of the war. In a remarkable display of courage and compassion, the women nursed soldiers from both sides and saved many lives from both sides. As if that weren't enough, Anna Reeves Jarvis became a genuine peacemaker after the war. The wounds and animosity between families who fought on either side were deep and harsh. Anna Reeves Jarvis organized "Mothers' Friendship Days" to bring together families across the Mason-Dixon line. She is considered a hero of her time. Her home in Grafton, WV is a national landmark.
My hero mother in the Bible Jochebed. (mother of Moses)
Jochebed (Moses's Mother) took the chance of her life and saved the life of Moses which changed the history of the world. The mother of Moses (Ex 1:22 – 2:4) By all human standards, Moses never had a chance. Not only was he born to a slave, but there was already a death sentence upon him. When he was three months old, he was placed by his own mother in the river not knowing what will happen to the boy. He was recovered by the King's daughter and eventually became the deliverer of the people of Israel from that King.
I. A mother of deep faith
Hebrews 11:23-24 says, “By faith Moses when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” She not only had faith, she showed her faith to her children.
“Faith is better caught than taught” – The faith of our mothers is caught on by Children. Our children should catch our faith. Dr. Paul Holmer – a great scholar – Yale graduate asked a student, “Why do you believe in God”. His answer: “Because my mother told me”. His mother did not teach faith in God, But he caught it from his mother
II. A mother of strong courage
Jochebed was a Levite – a priestly family. Courage and convictions are very important for a mother. Ex 2:1 "a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi." Moses' father was named Amram (AM-ram) and his mother was named Jochebed (JOK-uh-bed). (Num. 26:59.) Jochebed acted according to her calling as a Levite
She kept the baby rather than giving him to the soldiers.
There was a first grader who stood in front of his classroom to make a speech about “What I want to be when I grow up.” He said, “I’m going to be a lion tamer and have lots of fierce lions. I’ll just walk into the cage and they will roar.” He paused for a moment thinking through what he had just said and then added, “But of course, I’ll have my mommy with me." Mothers are the courage behind their children
Moses also shows the same courage to stand up for justice when he kills the Egyptian for justice.
III. A mother of vision with hope
She finds that the baby is not an ordinary baby. She envisioned a different future
She considered him a “proper child” – (KJV), an unusual child (NLT), a goodly child (ASV), he was no ordinary child, (NIV) She had hope – Moses was raised to grow for God. Jochebed hoped for a different future for his son, unlike other Hebrew boys.
Exodus 1:8 says, "There arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph." Egypt's policy toward the Israelites changed. The Jews went from being guests in the land to being slaves. He ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all of the newborn baby boys to control their population. However, the Jewish midwives feared God.... meaning they believed in God and refused to murder the infants. Then Pharaoh then ordered the Jewish parents to throw all the Hebrew baby boys into the river.
There are several mothers like that who hoped for a different future for their children. Hanna, mother of Samuel is another example – Samuel was raised to grow in God’s temple. Mary, the mother of Jesus is another example – She had visions
The world may be full of destruction and danger, drugs and alcohol. We see the vision of great mothers throughout history who raised great sons with different paths.
Susannah Wesley had 19 children. Well, her mother Mary White had 25 children. Susanna Wesley was the 25th of 25 children. Both she and her mother were busy mothers. Out of the 19, Nine of her children died as infants. Four of the children who died were twins. A maid accidentally smothered one child. At her death, only eight of her children were still alive. She had a vision for her children. Among them were John and Charles Wesley, who spearheaded the evangelical revival in 18th-century England. Yet if you were to read the letters she wrote to each of her children, you would marvel at her concern for their unique personalities and problems. It was as if each child was her one and only offspring. She would pray for each by name. How do you remember the names of 19 children? Although she never preached a sermon or published a book or founded a church, (she) is known as the Mother of Methodism.
A sociologist interviewed the mother of 13 children. After several questions, he asked, "Do you think all children deserve the full, impartial love and attention of a mother?" "Of course," said the mother. "Well, which of your children do you love the most?" he asked, hoping to catch her in a contradiction. She answered, "The one who is sick until he gets well, and the one who is away until he gets home." )))
You don’t have to give birth to be a mother. Or, you can’t be a mother just because you gave birth. It is a commitment to a greater cause; a cause that germinates from deep faith, strong courage, and vision for a higher calling.
Mother’s Day can be a painful day for some. Someone told me one time when the pastor of his church said on Mother’s Day, that we should take a white flower if our mother had died and a red flower if our mother were still living and I never knew which flower to take because my mom died when I was 6 and my father re-married. To those who desperately want to be parents, but have been unable to, this day can be confusing. Or for those whose mothers passed away, this day may be painful. Mother's Day can be stressful for mothers who have lost a child. Or painful for a mother to see children getting lost in drugs and destruction.
Paul writes in Romans 16:13 that Rufus’ mother also was like a mother to him.
Jean Thompson, a fifth-grade school teacher helped bring about change in one of her students named Teddy Stoddard. Teddy didn’t play well with other children, his clothes were always dirty and he constantly needed a bath. Teddy was a sad, sullen little boy. One day Mrs. Thompson reviewed his school records and was surprised at what she found. His first-grade teacher wrote: “Teddy is a bright, inquisitive child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners; he is a joy to be around.” His second-grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student well-liked by his classmates, but is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness, and life at home must be a struggle.” His third-grade teacher wrote, “Teddy continues to work hard but his mother’s death has been hard, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps are not taken.” Teddy’s fourth-grade teacher wrote: “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school. He doesn’t have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class. He is tardy and could become a problem.”
It was nearly Christmas time and the children brought her presents wrapped in colorful paper, except for teddy’s, which was wrapped in heavy brown paper from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson opened his present and found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing and a bottle that was ¼ full of cologne. The other children in the classroom began to laugh, but Mrs. Thompson put the bracelet on and commented how pretty it was. She also put some of the perfume on her other wrist. After the party Teddy Stoddard stayed behind just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my mom used to.” When the children left, the teacher cried.
That very next day Mrs. Thompson took a new interest in teaching her children. She worked especially hard with Teddy. As she worked with him he seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him the faster he responded. By the end of the year, he had become one of the smartest children in the class.
A year later she found a note under her door at school from Teddy telling her that of all the teachers she was his favorite. Six years went by and she got another note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school and was third in his class and she was still his favorite teacher. Four years later she got another letter saying he had graduated from college with the highest of honors and assured Mrs. Thompson she was still his favorite teacher. Several years later she received another letter telling how much he had appreciated her as his teacher and she was still his favorite. The letter was signed, by Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D. A year later Mrs. Thompson received a letter stating he was getting married. He explained his father had died a few years earlier and wondered if she would sit in the pew usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Mrs. Thompson did attend the wedding on that day she smelled just like she had smelled many years before, on that last day of school, before the Christmas holiday began.
Dr. Teddy’s teacher became his mother. Transformations come when you believe that “With God all things are possible.” And act on it with courage and have a living hope.
God is like a mother “ I have called you by the name”. Is 43:1. As a mother comforts her child, so too God comforts those who lament (Is 66:13). God carries us as a mother carries a child in her womb Is 46:3. 3 John :4 “There no more joy than to hear my children walk in the truth.”Is 54:13 “your children shall be led by the Lord and your peace shall be great.”
Let us honor our mothers today by 1. be thankful for the faith we caught from them. 2. let someone else catch that faith from me. That is the greatest honor you can do to your mother.
May we have the simple faith of those courageous women and mothers and always do your will.
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