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Good morning, Saints, and greetings from Crean Lutheran High School in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ!
A wise pastor once said, “I dare not preach on Mother’s Day without taking the opportunity to give thanks to the Lord for the gift of mothers.” I will heed his advice. Today’s devotion is dedicated to thanking the Lord for the gift of Christian mothers and the gifts Christian mothers provide; Christian mothers who are loving and patiently leading in our homes, communities, and lives.
I can’t pretend to be an expert on mothers. I am not sure I am even an expert on my own mother, and I know I am not an expert on women. So, what qualifies me to do a devotion on the appreciation of mothers? Good question; I guess because I am a son, have a mother, am married to a mother, and have children with my wife, their mother. So, not a proclaimed expert, but I sure do appreciate and value the vocation of motherhood.
Did you know you can’t spell mothers without others? Conversely, there wouldn’t be others without mothers. Others depend on mothers. It is so now and has been so since the creation of time. Since the creation of mothers. The Bible gives us a great background and is filled with amazing accounts of the impact faithful mothers have had on others.
God created Eve because He said, “It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18. Adam named his wife Eve because “she would become the mother of all the living.” Genesis 3:20. Although Adam and Eve (along with all generations) faced everlasting consequences for disobeying the Lord, the Lord blessed Eve to have children. We also know she gave birth to Cain, then Abel, and that Cain murdered Abel. Eve, “the mother of all the living,” must have suffered great anguish to be the life-giver and then lose a child. The Lord blessed her again to bear another son, Seth, Genesis 4:25. We learn from Eve many blessings, the curse of the pain of childbirth, the blessing of childbirth, a reminder about obedience, consequences of sin, perseverance, and hope in trusting the Lord even after a great loss. You could say Eve set the mold for motherhood and perhaps broke it, too.
Mothers since have enjoyed the blessing of motherhood through childbearing, yet being a mother is more than bearing a child. I mean, it certainly is bearing a child, but not all women are blessed to bear a child, which I know is a very tender subject. I do know that although the Lord’s will and timetable are unknown and related to childbirth, it does not diminish or negate, in any way, the ability to be motherly, to nurture, give, share, and love others. I see it all the time; no, I am not just referring to adoption (although that is a great way, too), but the way many women care for and nurture others’ children. I see it daily in the hallways, classrooms, athletic fields, music rooms, art rooms, and counseling offices. Certainly, the world supplies an endless flow of children around us who need to be nurtured, loved, and led by mothers.
Men, on the other hand, despite the confused, zany, and even dangerous streets of our now regendering worldly culture, can not bear children. God has made it clear that it is only a blessing belonging to women - to become mothers. Martin Luther valued the vocation of motherhood highly. He [Luther] recognized the very design of God’s creation, understanding the origin of motherhood stating, “more than a command, namely, a divine ordinance which is not our prerogative to hinder or ignore.”(Luther’s Works, 45:17) Further he said, “The saintly women desire nothing else than the natural fruit of their bodies. For by nature woman has been created for the purpose of bearing children.” (Luther’s Works, 5:355). During Luther’s time the church was instructing women to become celibate and live a cloistered life to remain pure as nuns. Yes, although once a recognized blessing and a badge of honor, now viewpoints on motherhood differ widely - to even include a symbol of disgrace, to merely stay home and rear a child, huh?
No, in the 16th century, the Reformer Luther’s teaching of God-instituted vocations, marriage, and motherhood as holy had a broad impact on women and their worth. When he married (1525), Luther shared his daily life and ministry with his wife, Katharine von Bora, and in many ways, his thinking and theology were tried and tested with real-life experiences. Through his experiences with women in his life, his view of vocation and God evolved. He worked to establish schooling for girls and secured a common fund that would serve the needs of widows, orphans, and poor maidens. Luther understood the value of vocation in motherhood, and I think we would do well to think more deeply about this value and be more thankful for mothers and their priceless role.
Another Biblical example is found in Mary, the mother of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We see an incredible example and model of a humble and faithful servant mother willing to trust and obey. Mary humbly and faithfully believed an angel of God upon receiving the strangest, most unbelievable news that while still a virgin, she would conceive a child, and He would be the Savior of the world (Luke 1:30). She also raised Jesus as she trusted the Lord’s plan as “she treasured'' special moments in her heart. For example, when Jesus left her sight to teach in the temple (Luke 2:19, 51). When things happened that Mary didn’t understand, she let them go, trusting that they were in God’s hands and God’s will was being done (Luke 1:35-38; 2:41-52). Even observing the excruciating crucifixion of her Son on Calvary as the world’s Savior, she trusted He was doing God’s will and then saw Him raised from the dead. Among many things, we learn faithfulness, obedience, and trust from Mary.
Ruth is another example of a mother and woman leader who went against the grain to remain loyal to Naomi, her mother-in-law. Ruth prevailed against loss and culture, and rather than doing what looked right to others, she did what was right as she was convicted. After losing her husband, Ruth refused to follow Naomi’s advice and remained with Naomi. Ruth followed her firmly held conviction and said to Naomi, “Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die - there will I be buried.” (Ruth 1:16–17). She humbly and quietly trusted Naomi, but moreover, she trusted God. God had another plan for her, and she found out that plan by listening to Naomi and humbly serving Boaz, who would care for her and marry her. Together, they had Obed, the father of Jesse and the grandfather of King David. Ruth followed her heart with integrity. Among the many qualities of a mother, Ruth gives us examples of courage, conviction, humility, integrity, trust, and faithfulness.
We look to our mothers to love and patiently lead us. I would guess that you, like I, can think of the many special ways your mom has impacted you. My mom was instrumental in ensuring my sister and I attended a Christian school and church on Sunday. She values education. She is also an example of someone who spent her life caring for the good of others as a social worker (until retiring around age 80) and giving back to people in this world. She is loving but was tough when she needed to be, holding me accountable. Upon complaining about my laundry at age fourteen, she made me do my own laundry after that. I quickly learned not to complain (and how to do laundry). I am sure you have some special memories and lessons learned from the blessing of your mom, too. Saints, I pray you have a blessed Mothers Day celebrating God’s gift to us of mothers. Let’s value our mothers and the very sacred vocation of motherhood. Remember, you can’t have others without m-others! Amen.
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