7 Faces of Motherhood
Gtcotr/ss051020
Motherhood
… Women are God’s most amazing creations and mankind’s greatest gift. Today we
are going to see seven faces of motherhood in the life of Mary the
mother of Jesus. These seven faces of motherhood are not the seven qualities of
a mother nor are they the seven things a mother should strive to become.
These
seven faces of motherhood are just that, seven observations drawn from the life
of Mary which are taken from her experiences and how she dealt with being the
mother of the Son of God. Mothers experience life a little different than
others who may be standing right beside them.
We
all have our part to play in the plan of God. However, without taking away from
any other group, let’s focus our attention and give honor to our mothers … we
all have one.
The
first face of a mother we are going to survey today is the face of:
1. Concern
Several
times we can identify Mary with reasonable concerns and at other times we can
imagine her being concerned.
Mary
was concerned when Gabriel showed up in her private moment.
·
Luke 1:29 And when she saw him,
she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation
this should be.
Mary had more concerns when Gabriel delivered
his message to her.
·
Luke 1:34 Then Mary said to
the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
No doubt Mary realized and was concerned what
would happen when Joseph and others found out she was pregnant.
·
Matthew 1
o
18 ¶ Now the birth of Jesus
Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before
they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.
o
19 Then Joseph her husband,
being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was
minded to put her away secretly.
o
20 But while he thought about
these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph,
son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.
·
Luke 2
o
43 When they had finished the
days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph
and His mother did not know it;
o
So when they saw Him, they
were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us?
Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
Concern
does not indicate a lack of faith or willingness, but perhaps a lack of
knowledge. Concern may simply mean I have some unanswered questions that are
giving me trouble. Women are the most amazing creations of God by far. It is
not that they aren’t willing to work hard and wonderful at anything they decide
to do … they just want to make sure they understand what they are signing on
for.
2. Dedication
Mary
made a decision. Like all mothers, and indeed all women, once their minds are
made up … that is it. You are better off never convincing a mom of something
you do not want her to commit to. Dedication and commitment come along with her
decision … even if it might be a stretch for others.
·
Luke 1: 38 Then Mary said, “Behold
the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel
departed from her.
That
settled it! It was settled in the eyes of God, good enough for Gabriel and Mary
moved on. I both love and am a little afraid of the ability a woman possesses
to make a decision and just move on. It is a God quality.
3. Trust
We
have no record of Gabriel telling Mary to take a verification trip. but I bet
he knew she would. That “Let Me See It For Myself” quality does not mind
checking up on what you say. Mothers are willing to commit their lives to
something or someone they can trust. But you better be telling the truth, or
you will have to answer for it. They do not mind getting in your face.
With
a man, if you are wanting to earn his trust or respect, you are only as good as
your word. When it comes to earning the trust and respect of a woman, you are
only as good as your work. If you say you did or you will, you better have done
or do!
Empty
promises have a shelf-life.
·
Luke 1
o
39 ¶ Now Mary arose in those
days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah,
o
40 and entered the house of
Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
·
Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all
these things and pondered them in her heart.
4. Joy
·
Luke 1
o
46 And Mary said: “My soul
magnifies the Lord,
o
47 And my spirit has rejoiced
in God my Savior.
·
Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased
in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
What
mother does not stand by proud and happy when she hears such wonderful things
being said about her children. When she sees them growing up and increasing in
wisdom and stature, and in favor with both God and men.
5. Sadness
There
were so many times in Mary’s life when she must have been sad or hurt,
disappointed, fearful, anxious or unhappy with life at that moment. Sometimes
family hardships can seem so unfair and at other times we feel the pain of
letting go, giving in or getting along. King Solomon said time happens to all
men (Ecclesiastes 9:11).
Time
is that precious commodity God has given us into which He places all of His
promises … perhaps none so precious as the hopes and dreams of a mother. Mary,
like all mothers, had reasons to be sad.
·
Matthew 1
o
24 Then Joseph, being aroused
from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his
wife,
o
25 and did not know her till
she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.
·
Luke 2:7 And she brought
forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
·
Matthew 12
o
46 ¶ While He was still
talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside,
seeking to speak with Him.
o
47 Then one said to Him,
“Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak
with You.”
o
48 But He answered and said
to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
o
49 And He stretched out His
hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!
o “For whoever does the will of My Father in
heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
We
cannot forget that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a real person.
People
in the Bible did not know their lives would end up being written in the Bible. They lived their
lives on a daily basis just like you and I do with no more benefit or blessing
than we have today.
Faith has always made things possible … Faith has never made life
easy!
6. Pain
·
Mary,
the mother of Jesus, was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover when her
firstborn son was arrested, tried, sentenced, beaten and crucified. It happened
right before her face.
·
John 19
o
25 Now there stood by the
cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of
Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
7. Hope
·
John 19
o
26 When Jesus therefore saw
His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother,
“Woman, behold your son!”
o
27 Then He said to the
disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to
his own home.
Yesterday
I was reading from the first few chapters of Genesis. I wondered how sad and
painful it must have been for Eve when her oldest son Cain murdered her younger
son Abel. It must have been so horrible, more horrible than I dare to imagine.
Then, in the 4th chapter, verses 25 & 26, Eve must have finally
gained hope.
The
Bible says that Adam knew his wife again and Eve bore another son she named
Seth. Through the sadness, through the pain, through the concern, Eve trusted
again and found hope in the future. And … we are all so fortunate that she did
because through the lineage of Seth came Mary the mother of the Messiah, and
ultimately came Jesus the Savior of all mankind.
Of
course, the face of a mother can be summed up in only one word – that word is Love. Love is most often expressed by giving. That
is what a mother does … She loves and she gives. Mary, the woman God chose to
be the mother of our Savior is our example today. Mary gave her whole life to
become the mother of Son of God. It’s just what mothers do. And for that, we
all thank you so much. Every son and every daughter thanks you. Thank you for
showing us the love of God.
