A Example of Motherhood’s Difficulties

Introduction

A lot of Mother’s Day sermons focus on the prestige and glory of being a mom. And while motherhood is worthy of incredible honor, not everyone can identify with these messages. There are plenty of biblical women who demonstrate the difficulties of motherhood, and that’s a discussion that everyone can recognize.

Moms can identify with them through their own struggles, and for those who need to be reconciled with parents or forgive mothers who have passed, it’s an opportunity to see challenges from another perspective. Here are some examples of biblical women who understood the adversities of motherhood:

Eve: The first mother who lost one child at the hands of another.

Rebekah: Isaac’s wife who struggled with favoritism of her son Jacob over Esau.

Jochebed: A caring mother Jochebed gave Moses everything she could, then gave him up—twice: once when she set him afloat in the river and once when she returned him to be raised by the princess. Both times Jochebed probably thought she'd never see her son again, but she entrusted her child to God's hands.

These—and stories like them—help reinforce the hardships experienced by even the best mothers. It’s hard enough to take care of yourself, but when you add on the responsibilities and implications that those decisions have on our children, it can be overwhelming. Our great assurance is that God is at work redeeming our biggest mistakes and accidents—for both parents and children alike

These—and stories like them—help reinforce the hardships experienced by even the best mothers.

It’s hard enough to take care of yourself, but when you add on the responsibilities and implications that those decisions have on our children, it can be overwhelming.

Our great assurance is that God is at work redeeming our biggest mistakes and accidents—for both parents and children alike

And here we find Mary, the text reads she is at the foot of the cross, not only as a loving mother, but also as a follower of her Master unto the hour of His death.

I cant even begin to imagine what she must have felt that day.

I life that started with so great of praise. Do you remember?

Luke 1:46–55 KJV 1900

46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him From generation to generation. 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, And exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, In remembrance of his mercy; 55 As he spake to our fathers, To Abraham, and to his seed for ever.

What about the time when Jesus calmed her worry by changing water into wine at the wedding?

She watched Him heal the sick, raise the dead, open up blind eyes, death ears, mute, demon possessed and the lame to walk.

Now she is broken. The son that she knew was called by God, the Messiah, the Christ has been in the words of Isaiah:

Isaiah 53:3–8 KJV 1900

3 He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Yet the text reads:

John 19:25 KJV 1900

25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

John 19

Mom In Your Difficult Times Stand.

In the original Greek, the verb histemi, which means “straighten up,” “stand,”

Placing ourselves in the scene, we can see Jesus, three women, and the beloved disciple. They are five persons altogether. They are joined by the love they have for the one that is on the cross.

“stand,”

the beloved disciple. They are five persons altogether. They are joined

When confronted by suffering, it is hard to stay firm, that is, to “stand.”

We are not just talking about the physical aspect, but the spiritual one, especially for a mother who is watching her son die.

by the love they have for the one that is on the cross.

Standing is her witness position

especially for a mother who is watching her son die.

witnesses of Jesus’ love for the Father and for us, fulfilling His Father’s

will

That She Loves Her Son and Master

Her Example to others (Jewish Mothers Culture was to teach)

Mom In Your Difficult Times You Can Stand Knowing Christ See’s You.

John 19:26 KJV 1900

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

John 19:

Another interesting word to analyze in this text is the word horao which means “to see,” “to observe,” to perceive.”

which means “to see,” “to observe,” to perceive.” The verb horao is

The verb horao is present three times in :

present three times in :

a) Jesus sees His mother and the disciple.

b) Jesus asks His mother to see the disciple.

c) Jesus asks the disciple to see His mother.

Jesus knows what is inside of both of them. He knows them well.

inside of both of them. He knows them well.

Mom In Your Difficult Times You Can Stand Because Christ Speaks To Your Condition.

John 19:26–27 KJV 1900

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.

John 19:26 KJV 1900

26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!

John 19:26

I want to focus on is the verb lego that means “say,” “speak,” “command.” The verb appears twice in the text:

means “say,” “speak,” “command.” The verb appears twice in the text:

a) Jesus “says” to His mother,

b) then He “says” to His disciple.

In the creation narrative when God “says,” it comes to exist. When God was creating the World, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (). The narrative states that after God sees light, He said that it was good.

He fixed the problem. He replaced that which was going away and would be missing.

that it was good.

was creating the World, “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was

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light” (). The narrative states that after God sees light, He said

that it was good.