Mothers Day: “Dear Woman”

Ephesians 6:2-3 “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”

What does it mean to honor your parents?

What are words to describe a mother?

John 2:1-12 - The Wedding at Cana

The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.

John 19:25-27 - Jesus on the Cross

Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

What truths do we see about godly mothers in these passages? (Note: not everyone had/has a godly mother; exhort to think of mother figures God has placed in people's lives)

• Mothers see the best and believe the best in their children
• Mothers recognize, call out, and nurture their children's gifts and character
• A mother's love is unconditional, unshakeable, self-sacrificing
• A mother always seeks the best interest of her children
• A mother's passion for her children stands in the face of fear and adversity (think Baltimore)

A true godly mother exemplifies the sovereign grace of God. All other relationships in life result from the meeting and mutual affection of two separate people. A mother, however, loves her child from the start, and such love burns strong through the course of their life.

God made man AND woman in His image.

• Genesis 1:27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
• Isaiah 49:13-16a Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. Yet Jerusalem says, “The LORD has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands."

APPLICATION: Honor a mother today. Though you may not have had a godly mother while growing up, can you think of other "dear woman" whom God may have sent into your life to help fill that role? For some, this is a difficult day, grieving for mothers who have since passed on, or for children who have never been born, or for any number of other reasons. Honor the memory of your mother. Honor the sacred institution of motherhood. Honor those who have imparted the love and grace of God in your life as only a true mother could.