Mary - Our Holy Example of Motherhood (2)

Greeting

Good morning! A blessed Mother’s Day to all Moms and Grandmothers. God bless you!

I wish today I could hear all the mom stories. No doubt there would be laughter…and tears. Mom’s are not only where our life began, but they are much of who life happens around. Mom’s we love you, even if we don’t say it enough, to don’t come see you enough, don’t talk enough, or don’t hug enough. We absolutely love you. There’s a reason that a grown man will cry for his momma when life’s pains are real. Because there is nobody like momma.

This weekend as I searched scripture, the concepts of love, admiration, compassion, kindness, adoration, and sacrifice all seemed anchored around one’s relationship with their mother. Today we celebrate mom. And I know I’m not alone when I say, “Mom, you’re not only loved, you’re longed for.”

Mother’s have such a significant place in our life. We’ve built idioms around them to convey meaning for things.

When you’re ugly, we say, “That’s a face only a mother could love.”

When everybody shows up, we say “Everyone and his mother was there.” (Because if anybody is there, your mom is.)

When nature’s power is so great that it thwarts all of man’s ingenuity and strength, we classify it as “Mother nature.”

When its the very best and greatest of all things, we say, “This is the mother of all things.” (Because it don’t get any greater.)

When it’s a secret and you’re to tell no one, we say “Mum’s the word.” (Because if mom catches you talking…it’s over.)

And when homeboy can’t let go of momma even though he’s in his 30’s and got a family of his own, we used to say, “He’s tied to his mother’s apron strings.”

Nowadays, when you’ve failed to get a job, embrace adulthood, and still live at home with momma, we say “Yeah, he lives in his momma’s basement.”

I read a job description of mother’s the other day and have concluded that may be the most difficult, undervalued, underpaid job in the world.

A Job Description

Motherhood is…

· A full time job; with little…to no pay, no vacations, benefits, health insurance, or retirement

· The Work is challenging and chaotic, with frequent disruptions, extensive travel, and you will be required to work nights and weekends.

· Must be able to chauffeur children to endless recitals, practices, games, pageants, school activities and plays, dances, and tournaments…without ever getting any reimbursement for expenses, food, or mileage.

· You are the on-call nurse and nanny, expected to change diapers, clean up after sick children, be thrown up on, endure sleepless nights…where you stay awake to make sure you baby can sleep, and you will stink with the aroma of motherhood.

· Applicants must possess excellent communication and organizational skills; gifted in conflict resolution; and willing to be hated for being a good mom, until your children need something from you/ because most kids are only nice when they want something.

· Must be willing to be overlooked, undervalued, unappreciated, taken for granted, ignored, criticized, and taken advantage of…while keeping a kind, positive, and loving attitude.

· Must be able to make small gadget repairs, do homework, and science projects…without ever calling in sick.

· Must be willing to handle frequent embarrassment, and possess the quality of frequently biting your tongue, and holding back your temper.

· Skilled at painting, yard work, laundry, house work, cooking, maintenance, and janitorial duties

· Must be flexible, patient, tolerant, loving, kind, gentle, forgiving, protective, faithful, encouraging, and tolerant/ always hoping for the best, while being prepared for the worst.

· No previous experience is required. On-the-job training is available on a continual and exhaustive basis; and you must expect to work hard without receiving any promotions, salary, hourly pay, dental, paid holidays, pensions, or bonuses.

· Job satisfaction is the best you can hope for.

· You will financially support the people you work for – until – they graduate school and become financially dependent, after which, THEY WILL NEVER REPAY YOU FOR ANYTHING YOU’VE DONE FOR THEM.

· In fact – when you die – they will expect you to give them everything else that is left.

And, the STRANGEST THING ABOUT THIS JOB – is that you will grow to love and value it as the happiest days of your life – and if you ever lose even one of the people that you’ve worked so hard for – it will be the saddest day of your life.

Who is like our mom?

PRAY

Every good and perfect gift is from you God, thank you for our moms.

For their patience, their love, their kindness.

For representing what unconditional love looks like.

For believing in us against all odds.

For forgiving us without restraint.

Shifting of Culture

Although it may seem clear to you what a mother is and does, our culture would like to have us believe that the place of motherhood is no longer special. As just recently, culture has tried to redefine the role of motherhood. But that’s what culture does, it seeks to redefine what it fails to create.

Yet this world, and in particular, our culture, seeks to minimize, even dishonor and diminish our mother’s as classifying them as nothing more than “birthing persons”.

Birthing persons! If Jesus failed to do many miracles because their expectation of Him was nothing more than a carpenter’s son, how much more do we minimize the impact of motherhood, by degrading it down to a baby factory?

Even a dumb beast of the field understands the importance of its mother.

But I would remind you that motherhood is something that only God grants.

First, the science of motherhood is actually found in your genes. Mother’s go through transformations in their bodies that are only rivaled by babyhood. DNA is a clear advocate that motherhood is something you don’t choose, it chooses you. So whether you adopt your children or birth them, the very basis of your nurturing capabilities actually bound to your DNA. I won’t digress this morning as to the reasons why, that’s another conversation we will have. Maybe on Father’s day!

Second, motherhood is also expressed by the giving of life, and is bestowed upon from the giver of life. Women do not have the choice in choosing to become mother’s, for women only possess the ability to conceive. The word conceive literally means to grasp, or take hold of. It is God who gives life, it is the womb of woman that grasp and nurtures it.

No, motherhood is not available to all.

Motherhood is reserved. And because it is reserved, it is revered.

Today, I want to look at Mary, A Godly example of Motherhood.

Here’s what the enemy will tell you today:

That was Jesus’ mother, you’ll never be like that.

You’ve already failed, why start trying now.

Motherhood is not that simple, there is more that is required of you.

You didn’t have a mother like that so how could you possibly be one of Mary’s caliber.

But I would remind you Satan’s natural tongue is lying. He knows what’s capable in a mother who loves her God and her children. Satan wants failure to be the only thing you see because he knows your strength is love. And love is a perfecter...

which means he only wants you to see your failures, by looking past the successes. Even Jesus who is perfect tackles the issue of, the successful 99 while dealing with the failure of the 1. Mom, don’t believe the lies.

Here’s what I want you to see:

Motherhood can be simplified through the lenses of sacrifice, discipleship, discernment, and dedication.

I didn’t say made easy. But we can find clarity.

Motherhood is not perfectionism.

Motherhood is rooted and grounded in love.

Motherhood…is sacrificial love on display.

Motherhood is the ability to see greatness...in its infancy.

Motherhood is the ability to endure the hardest of times, for hope...in the greatest of moments.

We begin this morning in looking at motherhood in the book of Luke.

Luke 1:30–38

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” 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.

The first thing Mary teaches us is..

Sacrifice

Godly mom’s always put God’s will above their own desires.

Notice the response of Mary in this verse, “I am the servant of the Lord..” She further intimates this in verse 46-55

Luke 1:46–55

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

For Mary, Motherhood was not an intrusion. Motherhood was not a stigma to be shunned, or a responsibility to rebel against, or a fearful invasion of the body snatchers. Her response was not, rush down to Planned Parenthood, to discuss how she could undo what God had done.

RATHER…SHE WORSHIPPED AND REJOICED

What we don’t see in Luke’s account is the sacrifice of Mary.

Mary was in the last stages of planning her wedding.

Jewish weddings were/are a BIG DEAL!

Her pregnancy would bring disgrace to her/family/Joseph/family.

Mary would not be celebrated in her betrothal. Something she had dreamed about and celebrated inwardly for months, perhaps years.

She would not get to celebrate Jewish feasts with her family and they would feel robbed.

All the joy in the procession, the marriage supper, the dance and all the elements were lost.

She would live under an umbrella of suspect. You know how we do math in our heads when we hear of the child’s age and your wedding anniversary.

Everything that would celebrate her as a wife was lost in the sacrifice of being a mom.

What God asked of Mary -- disrupted everything…her plans, desires, reputation, and dreams.

God wasn’t just asking Mary – just -- to give birth to a Child…rather, to give her life to RAISE her CHILD FOR GOD.

You see, God was calling Mary to something greater!

God’s call of motherhood is God’s greatest call on earth.

God’s Great Plan

You need to know that according to Genesis 1-3,

As a mother…you are your child’s first teacher, first influencer, first glimpse at the loving heart of God, first love, first kiss, first fan, first smile, first encourager, first follower, and first fingerprints in the clay of their lives.

For if, man is made in the image bearer of God. 1 Cor 11:7 “For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God...”

Then it is through the woman, that God’s glory is multiplied.

So we see that motherhood was God’s plan for His glory to fill the earth.

God’s elaborate plan to populate the earth with His Glory begins with your obedience to His Plan.

And according to the prophecy of Gen 3:15,

Genesis 3:15

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

Motherhood was God’s process to usher in the plan of all ages.

Motherhood was a part of the greatest prophecy ever made, and the first prophecy ever stated.

And so what we see in Mary’s model response to motherhood, at great cost to her plans and desires, is the fulfilment of that prophecy.

Mary is saying – I Praise God that He chose me to be Jesus’ mom.

I Praise God – He considered me worthy to be His partner to bring an eternal soul into this world and shape that soul to be a World-changer…redeemer…and…Savior.

Mom’s – God has chosen you – to raise your child for Him.

The second thing we see in Mary’s life is discipleship

Discipleship

Godly Moms develop in their children a sensitivity to God’s call upon their lives, from an early age.

Read with me Luke 2:41-49

Luke 2:41–49 (ESV)

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 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.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Let me touch on two things here:

Mary was not a perfect mother.

I don’t know about you but if I lost my kids for three days I could possibly be looking at jail time for neglect.

How would you like it to be known for thousands of years that you lost God’s one and only son, Jesus?

Supposing to be in the group…Mary don’t you know it’s not what you expect it’s what you inspect?

they wen’t a day’s journey…Mary how in the world do you go a whole day? This is like the original Home Alone, where the boy is schooling people in His own house!

For some reason, I keep seeing that part of the movie where the mom goes, “KEVIN!” and I just keep thinking of Mary saying “JESUS!” and Joseph saying “Hey....let’s watch what names we’re taking in vain here.”

What are you going to tell God next time you pray?

So Mary was not a perfect mother…but she was a practicing mother.

Mary was a practicing mother.

I want you to notice how the scripture points out the boys age. Without getting into it too much, number 12 was a big deal, because 13 was the passing of boyhood into manhood. Everything learned from 12 and earlier was a direct reflection of the boys upbringing. I know He was the son of God but at what age did Jesus obtain all that divine knowledge? Just for thoughts, remember Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit until He was grown. I would argue that everything Jesus knew here was because of His parental upbringing.

Scripture tells us that it was mother’s who taught in the home.

Proverbs 1:8

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

Proverbs 31:1

The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

Song of Solomon 8:2 (ESV)

I would lead you and bring you into the house of my mother— she who used to teach me.

Jesus knowledge was most assuredly given to Him through Mary. And teaching is not knowledge based, it’s life based. You know how your kids don’t just listen to what you tell them but rather to what you show them.

Mary raised her son – to know that God had great plans for His future/ and she instructed Him so well in the Word that He was able to confound the experts in the law and the Pharisees with His understanding of the Law/ she gave Jesus a sense of destiny from early on.

Mary raised Her son to know who His real Father was; His true Father was God.

Oh, that we would raise our Children to understand

Who they are in God;

God has a plan that is bigger than any other plans which man can make; and

THEY ARE TO BE ABOUT THEIR FATHER’S BUSINESS.

The third thing we see Mary demonstrating is discernment.

Discernment

We talked last week on the important of discernment and how discernment is the ability to see things as God would view them.

Look with me at one of the only two times Mary is mentioned in the book of John.

John 2:1–5

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Here’s the scene:

Scholars state this is a family affair and Mary is overseeing the affairs in the back on which is most likely the last day of the celebration.

If the family does not have enough wine to last the whole 7 days, it is a disgrace on the family.

Mary is family. Jesus is family.

Not only is it family, but Mary looks to be in charge as she gives commands to the servants.

Mary understands the gravity of her situation and knows the potential of her son. Jesus responds to her:

“Mom! It’s not my time.” I’m not going to get into the semantics of the use of “woman” here, just know Mary knows what is possible.

What I love is Mary’s discernment of her child’s potential and then uses that discernment to create an environment for them to be who they were called to be.

Godly Moms know their children’s full potential and use their influence to help them reach it.

Because mother’s see things in their kids when they whole world is oblivious to it.

Even when her child:

Feels it’s too early to try

Feels incapable for the task

Is unworthy of the calling

Is insecure about themselves

or whatever deficiency we kids wrestle with…MOM KNOWS WHAT WE WERE MEANT TO DO!!!

Listen to me kids, your mom can see your purpose long before you can.

The last thing Mary teaches us about motherhood is unrivaled dedication.

Dedication

It is of no wonder and no doubt, one thing that makes a woman a mother is her ability to endure.

Not all mother’s have endured the hardship of bringing life into this world, but enduring the hardship of life for her and her children in this world...is her calling card.

Godly Moms go with you through life’s most difficult moments.

John 19:25–27

but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.

At the foot of the cross – in Jesus’ darkest hour on earth His mother and her closest friends refused to leave Him.

Moms are the first to kiss you and the last to leave you.

Moms are valley walkers. When everyone else leaves, you can count on Moms to be there, holding vigil, standing guard.

When all the other disciples except John the Beloved had fled – His mother and her friends – stood at the bloody cross…watching over her son/ where she finished the assignment God gave her from the cradle to the grave.

And, Jesus’ last assignment before his death – was to give John the responsibility to take care of His mother after his death.

Mom’s, what would we do without you? Nothing.

You know that…we know that.

To all the momma’s today, birth, adopted, or spiritual…we are forever in your debt and love today.

CLOSE

Today, can we just end with prayer over our momma’s today. How many prayers have they prayed over us?

Before we do, listen to me momma:

Just like your love for us longs for to perfect our lives, know that your Father in heaven longs to perfect you.

Don’t let the enemy tell you, you haven’t made a difference. Your love carries us more days than you know.

Right there at your seat, will you rally around the momma’s today and pray over them. Mom will you raise your hand so we know who we’re praying for around us?

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