“The Greatest Love of All”

Text: 1 Kings 3:16-28 (Key verses 23-26)

23 And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”

26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!”

This morning on this mother’s day I am so grateful and thankful for my mother who taught me how to love and respect others, especially the elders. The Bible Cleary tells us that our days will be long if we honor and respect our parents and elders. During this Covid 19, we are seeing so many people who have lost all respect for others and themselves. So many people are proving that they only care about themselves by they way they are acting: refusing to wear mask, not practicing social distancing, pushing one another around and killing one another. But real Moms have always taught us to love and respect other people. In so doing this, we could be saving or extending our own lives.

In the Bible there are several tremendous examples of mothers. Just to name a few there were women by the name of Eve, Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mother Mary. Eve was the mother of the human race and we know from scripture, she was married to Adam and she was the mother of Cain and Abel. Later on she also birthed Seth in the world. Seth reestablished the godly seed of Jehovah in the earth and men began to reverence God again. Sarah was married to Abraham and they had a son by the name of Isaac and Isaac married Rebecca and she was the mother of Esau and Jacob. Hannah was the mother of the prophet Samuel and she devoted her son back unto God after God had so graciously blessed her. Elizabeth and Mary were mothers in the New Testament. They were related to one another and both would give birth to the greatest historical figures of all time. Jesus said there was none greater than John the Baptist and we all know that Christ is the Son of God. The scriptures say that John leaped in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary the mother of Jesus approached her and Mary remained faithful to her Son, Jesus throughout His childhood and adulthood. Mary was highly favored of God. She brought the Messiah into the world and along with Joseph she raised Jesus to become the God-Man, fully human but fully God. This is called the hypostatic union by many theologians. She hid many things in her heart, for she knew one day she would have to give Him up to take on the sins of the world and die a horrible death for all humankind that we all might be saved from our sins.

On this mother’s day, I believe this statement is true, there’s nothing like the love of a mother, but Jesus’ love for us is even greater.

The 31st chapter of Proverbs gives us a picture of the Godly mother and wife. As a matter of fact, the chapter starts out with this mother instructing her son the king. She admonishes him not to get involved with prostitutes, not to drink strong drink or alcohol.. “Proverbs 31:10 says “who can find a virtuous woman?” Her price is far above rubies. Her husband trusts her. She willingly works with her hands. She makes sure her family is fed. She’s a conservative shopper and she makes sure her family looks good. Then in Proverbs 31:28 it says, “Her children rise up, and call her blessed. Her husband also and he praiseth her.”

However; probably one of the greatest displays of a mother’s love in the O.T. is displayed when Solomon judges between two women. It was in Gibeon, I Kings 3:5-13

5 the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask! What shall I give you?”

6 And Solomon said: “You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

7 Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

8 And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.

9 Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”

10 The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

11 Then God said to him: “Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,

12 behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.

13 And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.

Our main text show us Solomon’s wisdom, but more important a mother’s love for her child. In this passage you will notice a great dilemma, great wisdom, and great love. There’s nothing greater than the love of a mother except the love of Jesus for us all.

SO GREAT A LOVE

The text says, 16 Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him.

(Both of these women were prostitutes. Their profession was selling their bodies to acquire money for their daily living.) 17 And one woman said, “O my lord, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house.

18 Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together;

(Both of these women delivered a child) no one was with them in the house, except the two of them in the house.

(Both of these women had their babies together without anyone else around. There was no third party to verify anything. Everything was strictly word of mouth. One person’s word against another.

And the scripture says, 19 And this woman’s son died in the night, because she lay on him.

( This was an accusation about the other woman’s unworthiness to even have a child. For a woman to lay on her baby in he sleep was just total negligence and ridiculous. What kind of mother would do something like that? She killed her own child.) 20 So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.

(At this point it just gets worst and worst and things were to a point of being totally ridiculous.) 21 And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne.”

22 Then the other woman said, “No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.”

And the first woman said, “No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.”

Thus they spoke before the king.

23 And the king said, “The one says, ‘This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one’; and the other says, ‘No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.’ ”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.

(What could the king possibly want with a sword. Solomon was about to get to the bottom of this. He knew there was nothing like the love of a mother. A mother will love and cherish her child. A mother will fight to protect her child.) 25 Here it is: 25 And the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other.”

(This child was about to lose his life. These two women of the night life were losing it about who’s child this was.) 26 Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, “O my lord, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!”

(THE REAL MOM had spoken. The real mom was willing to give up her child so it might live rather than be selfish and allow the child to die.) But the other said, “Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him.”

(At this point it was quite evident this other women had lost her mind and she was willing to hurt anybody including another child.) 27 So the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother.”

(She’s the real mom.) 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.

News of Solomon’s wisdom spreads throughout Israel. Rather than see her child suffer or die, a real mom would give up her child first.

The love of a real mom is so great.

Real moms have been there for us through the thick and the thin. Without the love and the teachings that our real moms taught us, we could not make it through pandemics like this Covid 19.

People have lost all respect for human life just like that prostitute who killed her own baby and was willing to see the other baby die.

People have lost respect for God, other people and themselves.

People are hurting one another and killing one another.

People have lost their feelings for one another.

People are living in fear because of Covid 19.

People are disrespecting the poor, the disenfranchised, the African American, Native American and the immigrant. God’s house and God’s moral values are being disrespected.

But I praise God for real Moms who taught us the right things.

Who taught us to love and respect and not hate.

Who taught us to be fair and honest.

Who taught us to be just and wise.

Because of a real mom, my days may be long upon the earth, because she taught me how to respect the elderly.

The love of a real mom is great, and according to John 15:13,15 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends...Romans 5:8, says, “His love toward us, in that wile we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

There’s no greater love than the love of Jesus…

There’s no greater love than the love of my Savior…

There’s no greater love than God coming in the flesh…

O praise God for real moms.

Praise God for a mother that loves.

Praise God for a mother that cares.

Praise God for a mother that protects.

Praise God for a mother that’s blessed.

Praise God for a mother that’s sacrifices.

All that’s good but I will praise God for a Savior that looked beyond all my faults ands saw my need.

A Savior that picked me up and turned me around,

A Savior that gave me another chance,

I Don’t know how you feel about but,

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever, believeth in Him would not perish but would have everlasting life.

Therefore I feel like the Psalmist this morning: “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord! The humble shall hear thereof and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together...O taste and see that the Lord is good... and His mercy is everlasting”

A mother’s love is wonderful but there’s no greater love than a man lay down his life for his friends, but while we where yet sinners, Christ died for us…

And I’m glad about it.

Aren’t you glad about it?

Didn’t He make a way for you?

Didn’t He bring you out too?

Didn’t He open doors for you?

Come on and help me praise Him this morning!

And when I think of the goodness of Jesus and all He’s done for me, I can’t help but give Him praise. My Soul cries out hallelujah, I thank God for saving me...

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL