Gen
3:20 The man called his
wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
…her offspring shall crush the
serpent’s head.
Gen 3:15-20
Luke
1:37 For nothing will
be impossible with God.” 38 And
Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of
the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
Luke 1:45 And blessed is she who believed (see verses 46-48).
Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured and pondered in her heart. (see Luke 2:3, 48, 51)
What
can we draw from these verses about motherhood: Mothers persevere through the
pain in producing new life. Mothers
believe the promise and power as they go through that pain, in order to be part
of God’s ultimate purpose. Mothers feel deeply the words about their children
and ponder their meanings in their hearts. Mothers long for and search for sons
and daughters who are lost. Mothers treasure the joy of seeing them grow
although it also means letting go of them into the greater good. Mothers are
beside their maturing children into adulthood to encourage and boldly exhort
them. Mothers desire to be present at the most painful moments of our lives.
Mothers need cared for by sons and if the son cannot provide for her then
another must step in. And if a mother outlives her child, she will never forget
the promise and purpose of that life. Her child will always be in her heart and
she will be devoted to God through all these events. Mothers will receive the
same power and presence of the Holy Spirit as any man because God so honors the
mother of Jesus and all mothers throughout the ages.
We
live in an age that has lost the distinct honor mothers so deserve and a
culture that fails to appreciate the unique cost of motherhood. Can two men
produce a daughter to be a godly mother? Can two women produce a daughter who
will become a godly wife? Can test tubes and contracts produce a family as if
it is a commodity to be bought and sold? God have mercy on us for dishonoring
mothers and motherhood.
A
blessed Mother’s Day to all and may all bless their mothers, the living and
those at rest.
“Thou
shalt honor they father and mother, that it will go well with you and you live
long in the land.”
The verses in detail:
About
4,000 years after the promise see the fulfillment
in Mary, the mother of Jesus. Listen in on her conversations with the
angel, with Elizabeth:
Luke
1:37 For nothing will
be impossible with God.” 38 And
Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of
the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel
departed from her.
Elizabeth said to Mary: Luke 1:45 And blessed is she who believed that there
would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies
the Lord, 47 and
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble
estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will
call me blessed.
Imagine mother Mary’s ponderings and
the things she treasured in her heart after the proclamations of the
shepherds, of Simeon and Anna and even Jesus’ own declaration that He will do
Father God’s will (after he had been with the teachers of the law for several
days alone in the temple).
Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these
things, pondering them in her heart.
Luke
2:34 And Simeon blessed
them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the
fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce
through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be
revealed.”
And
when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why
have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been
searching for you in great distress.”
51 And Jesus went down with them
and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them.
And his mother treasured up all
these things in her heart.
Jump ahead
to Jesus at age thirty:
John
2:3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They
have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what
does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His
mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Then to the
fulfillment of “a sword shall pierce your own soul” at the cross
John
19:25-27 25 but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and
his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When
Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he
said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”27 Then he said
to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the
disciple took her to his own home.
Finally be with Mary in prayer at the fulfillment
of his promised Holy Spirit:
Acts 1:14 All these with one accord were
devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of
Jesus, and his brothers.
