Honor Your Mother

Jesus sets the example.

Among the people with Jesus at the cross were His mother Mary, and John the disciple.

Jesus chose this moment of suffering and grief to publicly honor His mother.

Before we go any farther we need to understand that Mary was undoubtedly the mother of Jesus, and Jesus gave her the honor she was due.

However, some have stretched that title to unbiblical proportions, and give her honor that rightfully belongs to Jesus, not Mary.

The catholics  insist that Mary has been given the position of co-mediator. 

They call her “the mother of God” and “the queen of heaven” However; nothing like that can be found in what Jesus says to her, or anywhere else in the Scripture.

When Jesus says “woman behold your son,” He is breaking that mother-son relationship between the two of them. 

After His ascension, Jesus would no longer be human, but completely God, so that former [mother-son] relationship could not continue.

When He tells her to look at her son, He is essentially saying “From now on, not I, but John, is your son.”

He did not even address her as mother, but woman.

In doing this, he denied any kind of special privilege or position to her, because of their earthly relationship.

He placed her in the same position as the rest of those who He loved.

She was the one person at the cross who might unwittingly steal the attention and sympathy that is due to Him.

This act cements the fact that no one person is closer to God than any other

Mary is no longer His mother, she is now a believer!

As a mother, this must have pierced Mary’s heart, and was undoubtedly painful for Jesus, as well.

However, we need to understand that in doing this, Jesus was honoring His mother. Let me explain.

First, and most importantly, In this time of darkness, Mary lost a son to find a Savior.

For Mary, the cross was a place of reward. She gained a Savior, and Jesus shared His beloved disciple with her.

It was now John’s responsibility to take care of Mary, for the rest of her life. John became a substitute son.

So the second way that Jesus honored her was to ensure that she would be taken care of in His absence.

He did not leave His mother without a means of care or support, He made sure her needs would be met.

We can rest assured that Jesus always makes sure that the details are taken care of.

He fulfilled the last detail of the law “honor your father and your mother”

In this, Jesus sets the example to honor your mother.

The Bible tells us to honor our mothers.

The obligation to honor your mother isn’t found simply in Jesus example, it is an explicit Biblical command.

The Bible commands us to honor our mothers.

Exodus 20:12

Exodus 20:12 NKJV

“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

Ephesians 6:2-3

Ephesians 6:2–3 NKJV

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”

Mothers certainly deserve a place of honor in our lives, so how do we Biblically honor them?

How to Biblically honor your mother.

Honoring your mother is more then just a sentiment, it is concrete action.

It is rooted in obedience, respect and love.

The decision to honor your mother, and the actions resulting from it are intentional.

There is no single way to honor your mother, there are many interconnected things you should do.

These things should all work together to form a lifestyle of honoring her.

Here are some of the ways that the Bible tells us to honor our mothers.

Speak of your mother with dignity and respect, not contempt.

Proverbs 20:20

Proverbs 20:20 NKJV

Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.

Listen to your mother’s guidance and wisdom.

Proverbs 6:20-22

Proverbs 6:20–22 NKJV

My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you.

Do not despise your mother when she is old.

Proverbs 23:22

Proverbs 23:22 NKJV

Listen to your father who begot you, And do not despise your mother when she is old.

Sometimes this is easier said than done. Maybe your relationship with your mother wasn’t the best.

Maybe she wasn’t the best mother.

How do you honor your mother if your relationship is strained?

How do you honor a difficult mother?

It begins with realizing and accepting a fundamental truth… no one is perfect.

No one is perfect.

Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 NKJV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

All too often we expect perfection from others, and that is a very unrealistic expectation.

When we set the bar too high, it will only lead to disappointment and resentment.

It is very easy to expect too much from our parents, and we often tend to idolize them, but that would be a mistake.

Remember Jesus’ example He went to great lengths to ensure that while Mary was appropriately honored, she was not placed on a pedestal.

As always, Jesus sets the example.

Once our expectations are correct, we can better accept the flaws and move forward.

Maybe you have a deeply wounded relationship, maybe the scars run deep, how do you honor your mother in such a case?

Once again, Jesus sets the example.

Jesus endured the cross in order to implement forgiveness.

Luke 23:34

Luke 23:34 NKJV

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Romans 5:8

Romans 5:8 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus forgave our imperfections, no matter how great. We should do the same.

The commandment is clear, honor your father and mother, and Christ is the perfect example.

Even in His death, He saw to it that His mother would be cared for. He honored His mother to the very end.