“BEHOLD THY MOTHER”
JOHN 19:27
INTRO: Today as we honor our mothers and what they have contributed to
our lives let us ever be mindful of how special and precious they truly
are. When God made mothers he made a jewel of the rarest value and
a flower of fadeless beauty. It is hard for mankind to put into words
the greatness of the virtues and excellencies of motherhood. Our
world today is a much better place because of the influence of godly,
Christian mothers. Mother’s tears have watered it, their prayers have
strengthened it, their love has nurtured it, and their kindness has
mellowed it.
Amidst all the differences and disagrees of men today, there is one
thing we can all agree on, our praise and adoration of mother. As
our Lord Jesus hung dying on the cross His love and appreciate for
His mother is truly seen by His concern for her welfare after He is
gone. He tells John in John 19:27—“Beholdthymother! And from
that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.” I want us to
consider this day the words—“Behold thy mother!” I want you to
consider with me…
(1) THE DIGNITY OF HER POSITION
PROVERBS 31:10—“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far
above rubies.”
A. A PRECIOUS POSITION. When women truly and fully realize the dignity of
womanhood, wifehood, and motherhood, then Mother’s Day will truly take
on a new meaning in our world. Someone has said, “Motherhood is the
greatest privilege of life.”--May R. Coker. The most important occupation
on earth for a woman is to be a real mother to her children. It does not
have much glory to it; there is a lot of grit and grime. But there is no
greater place of ministry, position, or power than that of a mother. --Phil
Whisenhunt (Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian
World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry #7856).
B. A PURPOSEFUL POSITION. God truly had a wonderful and gracious
purpose in mind when He created mothers. Consider:
- HER POSITION IN RELATION TO MANKIND. In Genesis 2, Adam calls his wife, Eve, because she is “the Mother of all living.”
- HER POSITION IN RELATION TO HER HUSBAND. Eve was the perfect help-mate to Adam. She was not taken from Adam’s neck to turn and control him. Nor was she taken from his feet to be trampled and abused by him. But she was taken from his side to be near to him, to walk with him, to comfort and console him.
- HER POSITION IN RELATION TO THE HOME. Mothers are truly the Queen of their homes. The home is their royal domain. Mothers fulfill their mission best in the home. The father is the head of the house; the mother is the heart of the house. (Vern McLellan, The Complete Book of Practical Proverbs and Wacky Wit (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1996)).
- HER LOVE UNIFIES THE HOME. Friends, there is no love like a mother’s love! She serves as peacemaker in the home. In a pediatrician's office there was a form which had beside the blank marked "occupation" these words: "If you devote the greater part of youtime to loving, caring and making a home for your family, put a big star in this place." (Reader's Digest_; May 1980; p. 200).
- HER EXAMPLE INSPIRES THE HOME. A godly influence is of tremendous value. Paul wrote to Timothy to encourage him in 2 Timothy 1:5—“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” When the will of Henry J. Heinz, wealthy distributor of the famous “57 Varieties” line, was read it was found to contain the following confession: “Looking forward to the time when my earthly career will end, I desire to set forth at the very beginning of this will, as the most important item in it, a confession of my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I also desire to bear witness to the fact that throughout my life, in which there were unusual joys and sorrows, I have been wonderfully sustained by my faith in God through Jesus Christ. This legacy was left me by my consecrated mother, a woman of strong faith, and to it I attribute any success I have attained.” (7700 Illustrations. Paul Tan).
- HER WORDS OF WISDOM INSTRUCT THE HOME. Her words encourage as well edify. Mothers, it seems, always know the right things to say just at the right moment. Proverbs 31:26 tells us—“She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”
ILLUS: "Do not forsake the law of your mother" (Prov. 1:8).
The law of your mother-unwritten, but indelibly stamped upon your
mind! It's the law of love, of kindness, of selflessness, of giving!
Motherhood-just think of its blessings, joys, sorrows, challenges and
triumphs. There's no greater ecstasy than holding her newborn, and
no greater anguish than the broken heart a child may cause. A
mother's love is the nearest thing on earth to God's love.
The wisdom of God is exhibited in motherhood. We are not the
byproduct of some impersonal biological process. We were not made
on an assembly line by the combination of chemicals. Our mothers
nurtured us and formed an intimate relationship with us before we
were born. She jeopardized her life for us. The greatest lessons we
have ever learned have come from loving, caring, sacrificing mothers
who were always available to us.
A woman's greatest, most fulfilling and far-reaching role is expressed
in motherhood. LET US THANK GOD FOR CHRISTIAN MOTHERS! Let
us be sensitive and grateful, not only on Mother's Day-but everyday
for our mothers and the mother of our children.
BEHOLD THY MOTHER in THE DIGNITY OF HER POSITION and also in…
(2) THE MAJESTY OF HER PERSON
PROVERBS 31:28—“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her
husband also, and he praiseth her.”
A. SHE IS A PERSON OF STRONG CONVICTION. She speaks the truth and
expects the truth from others. She knows what she believes and why she
believes it. She is a prayer warrior and a Bible student. She believes in the
power of prayer and rests in the promises of the Word. Proverbs 31:25
tells us—“Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to
come.”
B. SHE IS A PERSON OF DEEP COMPASSION. We may question others love
for us but we never doubt our mother’s love for us. The Scripture shows us
that God pardons like a mother who kisses our offenses into everlasting
forgetfulness. Mother’s arms are a place of sanctuary. When we were
youngwe would flee to her instinctively when we were frightened or sad or
lonely. Mother never failed to show us she cared. She never turned us
away or made light of our problems. If it concerned her child it concerned
her. If her child was hurting she was hurting also. A mother understands
what a child does not say. --Jewish Proverb (Edythe Draper, Draper's Book
of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers,
Inc., 1992) Entry #7842).
C. SHE IS A PERSON GENUINE CONTRITION. She prays not only for her
own sins but also for the sins of her family also. She believes the word
which promises—“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;
and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18).
BEHOLD THY MOTHER in THE DIGNITY OF HER POSITION, THE MAJESTY OF HER PERSON and lastly…
(3) THE NOBILITY OF HER PURPOSE
PROVERBS 31:11-12—“The heart of her husband doth safely trust in
her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.”
A. HER PURPOSE IS TO LIVE GODLY. Proverbs 31:30 says—“Favor is
deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall
be praised.” A godly mother will point her children to God by the force of
her example as much as by the power of her words. (Croft M. Pentz, The
Complete Book of Zingers (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1990)).
B. HER PURPOSE IS TO SERVE FAITHFULLY. Proverbs 31:27—“She
looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of
idleness.” My Mom always kept a spotless home when we were growing up.
She couldn’t stand for her home to get messy. When we were kids the only
time we could lay on our beds was if it were nighttime or either we were
sick. She made us pick up our clothes and clean up after ourselves.
C. HER PURPOSE IS TO GIVE SACRIFICIALLY. We read in Proverbs
31:20—“She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her
hands to the needy.” The Bible gives us some examples of godly women who
gave sacrificially:
- HANNAH GAVE HER SON TO THE LORD.
- RUTH GAVE UP HER HOME AND FRIENDS.
- THE WIDOW GAVE ALL SHE HAD.
Sacrifice is one of the characteristics of Motherhood. I can remember at
home mom always gave Dad and us boys the biggest piece of dessert, the
best cut of meat, and if there was not enough left for all of us she would
say, “I am so full I just can’t eat another bite.”
ILLUS: About 6:00 A.M. on a Wednesday morning James Lawson of Running
Springs, California (in the San Bernardino mountains) left home to
apply for a job. About an hour later his thirty-six-year-old wife Patsy
left for her fifth grade teaching job down the mountain in Riverside—
accompanied by her two children, five-year-old Susan and two-year-
old Gerald--to be dropped off at the baby-sitter's. Unfortunately, they
never got that far. Eight and a half hours later the man found his wife
and daughter dead in their wrecked car, upside down in a cold
mountain stream. His two-year-old son was just barely alive in the
forty-eight-degree water. But in that death the character of a mother
was revealed in a most dramatic and heart-rending way. For when the
father scrambled down the cliff to what he was sure were the cries of
his dying wife, he found her locked in death, holding her little boy's
head just above water in the submerged car. For eight and a half
hours Patsy Lawson had held her beloved toddler afloat and had finally
died, her body almost frozen in death in that position of self-giving
love, holding her baby up to breathe. She died that another might live.
That's the essence of a mother's love. (James S. Hewett, Illustrations
Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988), p. 375).
If one wants to see genuine beauty, he will find it in the tender lines that
sacrificial love has drawn upon a mother's face.
CLOSING: Countless times each day a mother does what no one else can do
quite as well. She wipes away a tear, whispers a word of hope,
eases a child's fear. She teaches, ministers, loves, and nurtures
the next generation of citizens. And she challenges and cajoles her
kids to do their best and be the best. But no editorials praise these
accomplishments-where is the coverage our mothers rightfully
deserve? --James C. Dobson (1936- ) and Gary L. Bauer (1946- )
(Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the Christian World
(Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry #7844).
BEHOLD THY MOTHER in THE DIGNITY OF HER POSITION, THE
MAJESTY OF HER PERSON, and THE NOBILITY OF HER
PURPOSE. Friend, if you had or have a godly mother you have
truly been blessed! Abraham Lincoln said, “No man is poor who
has a godly mother!” Mothers, we honor you today for what you
have contributed to our lives, for the examples you have shown
us, for the compassion you have showered on us, and for the
convictions you have instilled in us. Today we just want to say,
THANK YOU!
PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OF BEECHMONTBAPTISTCHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR MOTHER’S DAY (MAY 11, 2008).