A Mother's Love

Intro

As I begin I want to make sure it is clear that not everyone may relate to the content within this message. Just like some of us have grown up with bad fathers, some of us have grown up with bad mothers.

That being said we are not here to talk about exceptions and those that have succumbed to the depravity of the flesh resulting in a poor and incomplete love of children.

We can all be thankful and give the Lord praise that even amongst the hurt and heartache of a less than ideal childhood, our Father who art in Heaven loves us unconditionally, Amen.

Body

As we get started I want us to spend our time today in the Book of Ruth.

As we begin this story it is important for us to understand the hopelessness and sense of despair that is around the situation of losing all the men in one’s family.

Tell the story of Naomi and her husband and sons

Read Ruth 1:11-17

This is the first example of a mother’s love for their family. While Naomi was grieving not only for her sons, she had compassion and love for her daughter-in-laws. She was well aware of her age and the unlikeliness of her finding another husband; she was beyond child bearing age. She could have manipulated and encouraged her daughter-in-laws to stay with her and use them to find another providing husband but she released them.

Read Ruth 2:17-23

As they journeyed back to Naomi’s home land they find themselves arriving in Bethlehem. Let us remember the significance of the little town of Bethlehem. As they arrived Ruth decided she would go out and glean from the fields to find favor and provision from a man.

While she was in the field gleaning the man who owned the land came out and asked who the woman was who was following behind and gleaning in the fields. Little did Ruth know, the landowner was Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband. So she instructed her to stay and remain in that field.

Read Ruth 3:1-7

After Ruth followed the instructions of Naomi she finds herself at the feet of Boaz, making quite the impression on him. Up to this point I can’t imagine that Ruth had any idea of the blessings and the significance of what was about to happen in her life.

Read Ruth 4:11-17

At this point in the story, Boaz has gone through the legalities to make sure the redemption of Ruth and Naomi was legitimate and valid.

Taking Ruth as his wife continues the story in the life of Israel. Ruth gives Boaz a son, as we read and the lineage and story continues.

Read Matthew 1:5-16

As we read here, the significance of Ruth’s obedience and loyalty to Naomi and Naomi’s care for Ruth had kingdom and salvific importance.

Conclusion

As we close I want to communicate the importance of honoring and respecting your parents and your mother. Often times the mother is the one who stays and nurtures and teaches the young children, even still today. The Father is there and share in the provision and instruction, but a good mother cannot be overstated.

Had Ruth decided to leave and decided not to follow Naomi back her lands, where she would be a foreigner and somewhere that she didn’t have family or knowledge of the customs, she would have been forgotten and among the lands her great-grandson would have conquered.

When we read these stories we are able to see the end right after we read the beginning, but let us remember that it was likely Ruth never even knew the significance of her obedience and loyalty until her life was nearing the end, if she knew at all.

It’s not to say that everyone has experienced the love of a good mother, but for those of us who have let us not take for granted the blessing.

Sometimes those times of discipline or teaching seem unfair or out of line, but the end will bring light to the reason and justification of their instruction.