Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
wpfc_sermon
wpfd_file

Mothers have shed many tears over their children. There are different reasons for that. The most famous of such mothers is certainly Mary, the mother of Jesus. As a young girl, an angel appeared to her and said (Luke 1:30 – 38): “Don’t be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. Mary then said (Luke 1:46 – 49): “I am at the disposal of the Lord. Let what you have said happen to me.” Later, Mary sang a song of praise. She said, “My heart praises the Lord; my soul is glad because of God my Savior, for he has remembered me, his lowly servant!  

But then happened to Jesus what was prophesied hundreds of years earlier by Isaiah (Is. 53:3-5): He was despised, and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefBut 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. 

We are often upset when a child of ours is only slightly injured. Imagine how Mary must have felt when she had to watch her Son being crucified. In those days, the cross meant only one thing: death in the most painful and humiliating way people could imagine. Despite his excruciating pain, Jesus was concerned about his mother (John 19: 26 -27): When Jesus saw his mother and his favorite disciple with her, he said to his mother, “This man is now your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “She is now your mother.” From then on, that disciple took her into his own home. Jesus sees to it  that his mother is cared for and does not call her “mother” but “woman” to prevent her from being insulted as the mother of the crucified one.

Of the well-known evangelist DL Moody, Wilbur Chapman writes (shortened): “When at home in Northfield, he never failed to look in upon his mother in her cottage early every morning, to give her a hearty greeting, and to see that she was provided with every comfort and many luxuries. When away, no matter how many times a day he preached, nor how many informal meetings he personally conducted, a letter was posted to his mother at frequent intervals. During the last years of her life, when failing health prevented her from attending public worship, the devoted son never forgot his aged mother, and he often arranged for her to hear the noted speakers and singers of the conferences. Mr. Moody stressed that he did that out of love for her, not out of duty.”

Sunday 14 May 2023 is Mother’s Day. This is the special day when your mother should be spoiled because you love her – she who gave the best part of her life to you. Leo Buscaglia said: “If there is something to be done, do it now, because tomorrow may never be there. And it is especially true with human relationships. Don’t wait. The time for love is now, not tomorrow.”

 

Thank you, Lord, for our mothers. Help us to treat them with love and compassion. They are your gifts of love to us. Amen.

Free email and/or WhatsApp messages weekly from gertberning@gmail.com.   Gert Berning at https://sites.google.com/view/Gert-berning-sites, YouTube and Christian Literature Fund.