Honor Thy Mother

Honor Thy Mother EX. 20:12

Perhaps it is unethical to preach a mothers day sermon, beings some do not know what a good mother is, some don’t know what it is to have a loving hand brush away their childish tears or comfort them after they have had a bad dream or pick them up after a fall, or look down on their little form at night, stoop down and plant a loving kiss on their little forehead and whisper a little prayer that Jesus would protect them and help them to grow up to serve them. Some have no idea of what a real mother is, I pity those, and wish so badly I could change that part of their life, However beings there are so few in the world today, I would like to spend a few moments this morning and encourage the few that are left, that they would continue, that they would press on, there are great rewards at the end. No it may not pay in financial success or luxurious homes, but it pays it bringing upstanding, productive Citizens of society, and may even help souls make it to heaven.

I have seen my Mom (I call her that because that is what she has always been) Not the old-woman or old-lady etc. I had a relative who at school was asked by their teacher wanting to find out his mother’s name, what his dad called his mother, so in childish innocence he blurted out, “HAG.” I recoil every time I hear that story. NO CHILD SHOULD EVER HEAR THEIR FATHER OF ALL PEOPLE CALL THEIR MOTHER THAT.”

There is a reason God commanded from the rumbles of Mount Sinai to “HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER” They are both included but I want to speak of the MOTHER this morning.

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: "My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?"

When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word Mother.

What is a mother? Often we think of a mother as a biological female parent, but that is so cold and technical sounding. A Mother whether biological or adoptive is one who takes responsibility seriously. Notice I said takes it seriously not PERFECTLY. I have yet to meet a perfect mother, although mine came pretty close. Spanish proverb: An ounce of mother is worth a ton of priest.

I. We honor them for what we they’ve done and do -

1. Their labor and their love -

A little boy one morning at breakfast handed his mother a piece of paper that he had beren writing. After she wiped her hands on her apron she took the little note and read it. This is what it said, “For mowing the lawn $5 for making my own bed $1 for going to the store $.50 for playing with little bro while you went shopping $ .25 for taking out the trash $1 and for getting good report card $5 for raking the yard $2 the total is $14. 75 “ the mother stood their thinking a thousand memories flashing in and out of her mind. She picked up a pen turned the letter over and this is what she wrote; “ For the 9 months I carried you growing inside me - no charge, for the nights I spent up with you doctored and prayed for you no charge, For the time and the tears and the cost thru the years - no charge. When you add it all up the real cost of my love is no charge. For the nights filled with dread and the worries ahead, no charge, for advice and the knowledge and the cost of your college no charge for the toys food and clothes and for wiping your nose there is no charge when you add it all up the cost of a mothers love is no charge. When that mother finished talking to that little boy he looked up at her with great big ole tears in his eyes and said, “I sure do love you mamma,” Then he took the little slip of paper from his momma and scrawled across all he wrote, “PAID IN FULL”

2. Their prayers and concern- Don’t ever ask a mother to quit praying for you. I seen my Mother’s prayer’s answered with my brother (all of us) But he went even left home for a while and tried to partake of the world. I’ve seen him stagger in at night and Mamma would try to sober him up, in tears. But her love her concern oh they set rules, there was to be none of that in the house, but Mamma held on till one day for some strange reason Jeff went to camp meeting with us. We couldn’t get him to go to church but he went to camp. God sent a preacher back during that service and broke him all up and it wasn’t too long after that God delivered him and saved him and cleaned him all up. Mamma never gave up. Sometimes it’s not always so easy. But Don’t ever dishonor your mother’s prayer’s and concern.

II. Honor Mother’s in their old age - I’ve seen some people treat their mother’s as if they were in the last stages of Alzheimer. God said to honor your mother not just till you’re 18 or on your own. No you don’t have to do everything the way they think you ought to do it, but you still honor them. President McKinley