Mother's Day

Mothers day is worth pausing and celebrating because scripture does it over and over, highlighting women of faith and how they are responsible for bringing about God’s plan of salvation for this world.

Intro

Happy Mother’s Day! I know it can be a complicated day, but we want to pause and celebrate. If you are a mother please stand if you are able and we want to clap for you.

Before we continue, I want us to remember that on days like this, we celebrate the role, not the identity. Can we stack hands on that? What I mean is that no matter mother, father, wife, husband, daughter son, orphan or widow, our identity as followers of Christ are in Christ and Christ alone. Today we pause and celebrate the role God has placed some of into, not the identity the world places on that role. We can get into that later. Stack hands with me on that.

Passage

Luke 1:39–45 NIV

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

1:39-40: Mary hurried, she was excited

41-42: baby leaped, Elizabeth was filled, lean in because God is going to do something awesome.

43-45 Blessed is she who has believed.

Women: Are you worth celebrating today? Men: Is your wife, mother, sister, neighbor, worth celebrating today?

Q) Why does Luke include this in his Gospel? Why does no one else?

luke interviewed people, mary would have been in her 70’s or 80’s

We are about to read the Praise of Mary, not the lament of a failed mother.

If you feel like a mom who is a failure today reread this hymn of praise for a week or two every day. Mary’s son was a blasphemer and killed as a political rebel and religious trader on a cross. Anyone else failed that bad here?

Mary’s Song

My Soul Glorifies the Lord

46-47 Magnificant: Who I am brings glory to God. Who i am rejoices in God.

Mary see’s God for what he has done, not what she does.

Mary recognizes she has brought nothing to the table except her faith in God. Luke chooses to paint her as a beautiful portrait of faith. God is fulfilling his plane despite our inability to complete it.

Part of the gospel is horrifying because not only do we not deserve God’s love and grace, but we can’t earn it.

Being a good mother or wife, while it might make your children love you more, does not make God love you more. How hard is that to understand.

I feel guilt all the time for how i treat my children or wife, how I choose to show love

48-49

Why does good choose a teenage girl who has now power or position within her community or religion to bring about God’s plan?

God chooses to use a, based on ancient jewish and middle eastern culture, a teenage woman who was essentially worthless, to fulfill his mission to humanity. If you think you need to do better at being a parent, or have a better job, or more money, or a bigger house, or whatever idol you are chasing, remind yourself that good looks upon the humble state of his servant. Humility, not royality is where Jesus is found.

Luke points to the powerless over and over because God uses the powerless over and over. The upside down kingdom.

50-53

God’s Mercy is realized from Generation to Generation.

Are you pausing within your family and recognizing God’s mercy? Scripture says his Mercy is new every morning. Are you recognizing it yourself and teaching your family to?

53-56

Elizabeth was about to give birth and she finally leaves.

What I love about Luke’s account of this is how much time they spent together acknowledging God’s plan.

Being a mother is absolutely a key piece in God’s grand plan of redemption. In fact without mother’s we would still left in our sin.

Are you worth celebrating?

It is an honest question, not a classic theraputic celebrating of meaning and worth. Does God celebrate you?

“Discipleship starts first with acknowledging the wonder of God and how it affects yourself and family.”

Behind many of the greatest men in Christianity are strong mothers who raised them.

7 Women and the secret of their greatness by ERix Metaxas :Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More-John Newton and William Wilberforce, Saint Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks Mother Teresa, all loved Jesus and most were mothers.

Ephesians Ch 6

Paul connects spiritual family, real family, and spiritual warfare.

Satan’s greatest strength is making you bored or bitter with the ones closest to you. His desire is for you to go love the world while hating the husband or wife you sleep next to.

God’s plan for restoration begin with you, and slowly moves out. For goodness sake, pause and recognize and reconcile with those closest with you

Let’s Pray