Mother’s Day

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When God wants a job done, a child is born.

When God chooses a child, He first chooses a mother. 

Here are some Bible examples of chosen mothers with chosen children:

·        Jochebed           The Mother of Moses

·        Sarah                The Mother of Isaac

·        Rebecca            The Mother of Jacob who became Israel

·        Rachael             The Mother of Joseph

·        Leah                 The Mother of Judah

·        Rahab               The Mother of Boaz

·        Manoah’s Wife    The Mother of Samson

·        Hannah             The Mother of the Prophet Samuel

·        Bathsheba         The Mother of King Solomon

·        Mary                 The Mother of Jesus

Just to name a few - All of these were young ladies chosen by God to become mothers of others God needed to accomplish His plans. Each one with an amazing story all her own.

King Solomon wrote to us about his mother and the virtues he recognized in her life. One of the things he noticed about the virtuous mother was:

Proverbs 31:28  Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her.

 Not only does God choose mothers, but so do we.

Our text today comes from the writings of the Apostle Paul. Specifically his letter to the congregation in the Church at Rome. Paul had not visited this Church as yet, but he had friends who had.

At the time Paul wrote this letter he was living and ministering in the city of Corinth. The Corinthian Church was exploding in growth and provided the perfect backdrop for Paul’s teachings on subjects like grace, faith, justification, sanctification, and righteousness. (Religious terms)

We continue to rely on Paul’s letter to the Church in Rome as the standard by which we establish and teach Church doctrine. Many scholars refer to the book of Romans as “The heart of the New Testament.”

As Paul concludes the Roman letter, he writes some interesting, yet insightful instructions. He simply says:

Romans 16:13  Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

First: What does it mean to be chosen? The Greek word translated chosen is ek-lek-tos’, which simply put means to be elected, or as we might say today – selected.

The scriptures confirm God picked/selected/chose Rufus.

·        We know that Paul knew Rufus.

·        We know Paul had not visited Rome yet.

·        This means Paul met Rufus somewhere else.

·        The Bible mentions Rufus only twice.

o   Once here in Rome in about the year AD57/58.

o   Once in Jerusalem in about the year AD33 when his father Simon, a citizen of Cyrene, was compelled to carry the cross of Christ Jesus up a hill called Mount Calvary. (Mark 15:21)

·        Many believe Rufus was not just a little boy at that time but was rather a young man.

·        Certainly the father of Rufus was chosen by God and by man … and so was Rufus.

o   Rufus was definitely chosen by God … (Romans 16:3)

o   And Rufus was also chosen by Paul

§  Chosen to be a friend …

§  Chosen to be a co-worker …

§  Chosen to be honored and memorialized throughout the unfolding history of the Church.

Not only was Rufus chosen, but so was his mother.

·        God chose his mother.

·        And so did the Apostle Paul.

Evidently Paul recognized some qualities in this woman that made him want to choose her to be a mother figure in his own life.

One of the greatest commandments is to honor your father and your mother. Jesus said it was the first command which also had an accompanying promise. (Ephesians 6:2)

Deuteronomy 5:16  Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.

This morning we want to recognize the importance of mothers in God’s plan for mankind and also recognize the importance of mothers in our lives. We want to honor the mothers God chose for us and mothers we choose in life for ourselves.

Today is a day we have set aside to honor our mothers. Those who are with us, those who have passed on, those who bore us, those who adopted us, as well as the mothers we choose all along life’s way. When we discover God’s plan revolves around the fact that no one is born without a mother, we can clearly see the importance God has placed on their role in our lives.

Rufus was most likely not from Rome but was a well-known person in the Church, as was his mother. There is no doubt she supported his ministry and calling in life, but there is also little doubt that he supported the role God gave her in his life as well.

I leave you this morning with these instructions, as Paul left the congregation in Rome with his. (I’m speaking to men and women today.)

1.   Thank God for your mothers.

a.   Do this out loud, as did Paul.

b.   In writing if you will.

c.    But definitely in public … be thankful for God’s selection.

d.   Let her know how you feel.

2.   When choosing a woman to exert influence in your life, choose carefully. Remember Proverbs 31 … Choose a virtuous woman with a mother’s heart.

3.   And mothers – thank you! Keep up the good work God chose you to do.

Happy Mother’s Day!