Mother's Day 2023

Call to Worship

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

Sermon

We’ll be continuing this morning through the book of Acts, however, given that it is Mother’s day I thought that it might be appropriate to talk a little bit about mothers as well. Obviously, I am not a mother, however, as I was looking through the next chapter of Acts I found a story that I actually was not super familiar with, I’d read it before, but I think I had really just glanced over it. And as I read it more fully, I found that it shared a really interesting perspective on a maternal figure in the early church.

We’ll be reading from Acts 9:36-43

Acts 9:36–43 ESV

Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

I love this story because it shows how much God and his disciples value mothers, not only people who have biological children, but also those who act as mothers to their community.

I believe that Tabitha is an excellent example of someone who was a really good maternal figure. We’re not told whether or not she had children of her own, but we do know that she loved and took care of those in her community, and that the people she took care of loved her dearly.

One of the things I find interesting is that she is given two names here. An Aramaic (Hebrew) name and a Greek name. Her Aramaic name was Tabitha, and her Greek name was Dorcas. It’s not uncommon for people in the bible to have two names, multiple of Jesus’s disciples did. The apostle Paul even did. He went by both Saul and Paul, Saul was his Hebrew name, Paul was his Greek name. But what’s interesting about Tabitha/Dorcas is that both names mean Gazelle.

Like the really fast animal, and I think it’s interesting that in two different languages, the passage calls her Gazelle, and then talks about how full she was of good works and charity. It’s a really fitting name for her, because I think even her name points to how hardworking and quick she was to give to, and provide for others.

Another thing I found really interesting was that she was living in Joppa, as a Jewish Christian woman.

Joppa was a sea-port city, and so many foreigners lived there. People from all over the Roman empire, and many of them did not deal kindly with Jews or Christians. And so Tabitha is choosing to reach out through cultural boundaries to love people who in her culture she shouldn’t even be getting along with.

What we also see is that Tabitha went out of her way to love and provide for widows. Verse 39, shows how much the widows specifically cared for her. They sent two messengers to get Peter, hoping that this one that they loved may be raised from the dead. And as they were there mourning while she was still alive, they were all wearing clothes that were made by Tabitha.

What’s really beautiful about this is that widows often did not have a lot of resources, in their culture it was difficult for women who did not have a husband to provide for themselves. We’re reminded of this fact in the story of Ruth. Ruth and Naomi both lost their husbands, and Ruth had to go and pick up wheat left on the ground in the fields in order for them to eat. And so here in Tabitha’s case she is providing for many who are likely unable to pay her back, people who many just left to the side and didn’t take notice of.

In that culture, Tabitha exhibitted what James calls pure religion. James 1:27 “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”

Tabitha lived that out, and the effects of her work are able to be seen both in the love that her community had for her, and in the way that it’s obvious that God loved her. There are very few people who are raised from the dead in the bible, and almost every time that someone is, it happens to show an even bigger point. To demonstrate God’s power or His love. And I think that both are on display here. It is clear that Tabitha was an incredible help to the early church, and that she truly cared for those who often got overlooked. And when she died, I think that God allowed her to die temporarily to show the people how much they had gained through her charity, and then He raised her back to life, not for her sake for she was already in the presence of God, but for the sake of the people she was serving, because they still needed to be helped, and her work in helping and loving was not yet done.

One of the biggest takeaways I think we can have from Tabitha is that we can give glory to God through serving others with whatever gifts and talents we have. Tabitha took care of people by making clothes, and it brought God glory.

It reminds me of other women in the bible who used what they had to bring God glory as they served others in a maternal setting.

It makes me think of Ruth and Naomi, how the love between a daughter and mother-in-law kept them alive, and how Ruth and Naomi both loved each other more than was even expected. When Naomi’s husband and two sons died, she told her two daughter-in-laws, Orpah and Ruth to go back to their homes because she knew she had little to provide for them, and Orpah goes home, but Ruth stays with Naomi, because of the love and protection that they felt for one another. And Ruth gives one of the most beautiful declarations of love in all of scripture:

Ruth 1:16-17 “But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!””

And as their story continues, Ruth meets a man named Boaz who takes care of both Ruth and Naomi, and they are taken care of by him. And Ruth becomes a mother, to a son named Jesse, and Jesse is the Father of King David.

I love this story, because in it you can feel the love that Ruth and Naomi have for one another and how they choose to take care of one another.

But one of the things that I didn’t realize until recently about this story, is that Boaz’s mother is Rahab. Rahab was the prostitute in Jericho who hid the two spies during the time of Joshua. And after the walls of Jericho fell, she escaped and lived in Israel. And from geneologies we learn that she married an Israelite man named Salmon, and they were Boaz’s parents.

The part that’s so interesting about it though, is that Ruth, like Rahab was a foreigner, she was not an Israelite. And so Boaz is repeating his parent’s love story. I imagine Rahab and Salmon telling Boaz the story of how God had saved his mother, and how his mother and father had learned to love one another and build a family together as God intended for them. And then how Boaz internalized that story, and so when he meets Ruth and sees how deeply a foreigner had loved Naomi who he was related to, he saw an opportunity to be a part of a legacy of family who loved and provided for one another. And of strong women, who did what was right and as it appears, taught their children to do likewise.

And I think that when it boils down to it. Legacy is the best thing that a mother can give to her child. A legacy of faith, one where she teaches them how to live, and sets an example for them in what it means to be a devout follower of Jesus. I can’t give good advice to many of you, I’m sure that many of you would be able to give far more parenting advice or good stories than I ever could. But what I can attest to is the power of leaving a legacy of faith.

My mother is one of the strongest Christians I know, she is kind and generous and loving, but she also is bold and she’s not afraid to stand up for what she believes. And these are qualities that I feel like she has passed down to me and to my siblings. I remember as kid praying with my parents every morning before we went to school, I remember having my mom read us bible stories and explain them to us, I remember the prayers she prayed for me as I went to bed, and the songs she taught us about Jesus. I remember the mornings I would come out of my room and just see her with her bible and a cup of coffee, pouring over the scriptures and praying for her kids and for those in her community.

And I know that isn’t the only one who did this, it was past down to her by parents who loved her and taught her well. She learned how to be loving and kind and how to seek God and earnestly pray for people from her own mother, my grandmother. To this day my grandmother is still one of the kindest and most patient people I have ever met. She has 9 children, and 28 grandchildren, and daily she still prays for each one of them. My other grandmother also continues to pray for me and my siblings and her other grandkids.

I can attest to how a legacy of faith has helped me to grow in my faith, how the prayers of both of these mothers have directly affected my own walk with God. And how I still look to both of them as examples of how I can follow Jesus even better.

I can attest also of what it looks like to be in a community of ladies who take care of people; who like Tabitha, may not be the birth mom of someone, but who loves them and teaches them and provides for them all the same. Growing up I have had a variety of different ladies, who were not my mother, take me in as if I were one of their own children.

Nearly every summer during Middle School and High School I would spend the weekends with my aunts Angela and Rebecca, who are both single, and I learned a lot from being with them and watching their faith, and having them pour into me and my sister.

There was also a variety of ladies at the church I grew up at, whose kids I grew up with, and there are several of them that I came to see as mentors and who have really shaped my faith. One lady, Colleen Delong, is the mother of one of my closest friends, and she did mine and Cass’s marriage counselling.

The reason I bring all of this up, is because the testimony of my faith has been shaped by a number of women, who have maternally helped to lead, guide, and set an example for me in my faith.

And I don’t have experience myself to give any form of guidance as to how to be a good mother, but from the examples that I’ve seen in my own life, and from passages of scripture I have a list of traits that I think can apply to all of us, of what it looks like to love people maternally the way that God designed.

Proverbs 31 is a chapter describing the traits of a godly woman, specifically one who is a wife and a mother.

Proverbs 31:10–28 ESV

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchant. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

So what are some of the traits we can learn from this woman?

First, she is trustworthy (v.11). It’s important that we are people that others can depend on, whether its our neighbours, our friends, our family, or even strangers. It’s important to mimic Christ in this aspect. God is always faithful to us, and so as we try and mimic His character we will become people who are trustworthy and faithful to others.

Second, she does good, not harm (v.12). Like Tabitha this woman is filled with charity and good works, what she does she she does well. And she seeks other’s wellbeing. We mimic Christ in this aspect as well, He is always good to us, and so we need to seek ways to be good to others. To take care of them, love them, provide for them, show them grace and mercy, and seek their wellbeing.

Third, she provides for her family. As people who are parents, spouses, or even as single people, it is important to look out for those in your care, to make sure that they have all their needs met. Christ is the one that supplies all of our needs, and so part of being a godly caretaker whether that’s a mother, father, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or even just a mentor is seeking to point the person under your care to Christ. Both so that their needs are met spiritually, and so that they can learn to rely on him for all things, and grow in their faith.

Fourth, she has strength and dignity, but she also laughs easily (v.25). She can stay strong for her family, in hard times she provides them hope, she also leads them in morality; teaching her children how to have dignity and integrity. But her strength and dignity don’t make her hardened, instead she continues to lead her family in having joy, and in laughing. I know this can seem like a strange trait, but I think that it is really important if a parent can lead their family in having joy and in having fun.

Fifth, she speaks wisdom, but simultaneously she teaches kindness (v.26). Over the past several weeks, in the youth group that I help with mid-week we have been teaching the teenagers about the balance between grace and truth. John 1:14 says that Jesus was filled with both grace and truth. Which means that he was not afraid to call people out on their sin, or to authoritatively point them towards a better way, but he also was always gracious, and he forgave people and gave them second chances far more than they deserved.

One of the best examples of this is the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8. The Jewish religious leaders have caught a woman in the act of adultery, and they take her to Jesus and rightfully say that the punishment for that sin according to the law of Moses is to stone her to death, and they try to trap Jesus because they know He can’t go against the law, but also if He allows the woman to die He’ll become very unpopular, and it looks like a moment where Jesus is going to have to choose between grace or truth, either He’ll have to show grace and go against what’s written in the law, or He’ll have to speak truth allowing her to be stoned and forgoing giving her a second chance. But Jesus does something astonishing, He sets an example of what it means to be completely filled with both, and He says to them “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And one by one the religious leaders get up and walk away because they understand that each of them is guilty of sin. And then when it’s only Jesus and the woman left, He turns to her and says “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.””

Here He shows the perfect balance of grace and truth. And I think that the trait of the woman in Proverbs 31 is similar. She speaks wisdom to her children, she isn’t afraid to tell them truth and to call them out where they have gone astray, and yet also “kindness is on her tongue”. She leads her family with both grace and truth, just like Jesus exemplified.

Each of these traits, points to verse 28, a woman who possesses each of these traits, will be counted as blest by her family. And that is one of the biggest honours that I think a person can have.

In conclusion, it would be really easy for me to just list these five traits and say there that’s what a mother’s character should be like, but as all of you know being a parent is not nearly that straightforward. Life can get messy, sometimes your kids rebel and they don’t end up where you want them despite your best efforts, sometimes family members pass away and you need to learn how to carry on through that grief, sometimes finding the balance between leading with grace and truth can be the hardest thing you feel like you’ve ever done. And for each of you who have done these things for years, and have gained more wisdom than I may ever have I commend you.

I’ve listened to several of you share your hearts for your children and your grandchildren and I can see how much you love and care about them. I also think that many of you live like Tabitha, I’ve heard from you and others how many of you have taken care of people, provided for them, how you’ve been filled with good works and charity, and I’ve seen first hand the desire that each of you have to serve the Lord and His work, and for that I am thankful, I’m proud to get to work with you, and I commend you for that desire.

I really cannot give you wisdom beyond what you already have, but I can encourage you in these two ways. First, continue to pray for your families, for your children and grandchildren, as I know that each of you do. Prayer is often the greatest tool we have for helping people even if it isn’t always apparent. And second, continue to set an example of what it means to lead godly lives devoted to Christ, as you lead and take care of your families with both grace and truth. If you continue to do these two things, I can’t guarantee that everthing will work out perfectly, only God knows that, but I do know that you will be changed because of it, and you will change the lives of those you love by doing that.

Thank you for everything that you do, and continue to seek Christ as you do it.

Let’s pray.

Benediction

Numbers 6:24-26 “‘May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.”