"BEHOLD THY MOTHER"

“Behold Thy Mother”

“When Jesus saw His mother there, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Dear woman, here is your son,"  and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.”  (John 19: 26-27)

Mothers have an incredible job w/no pay. No position in the business world compares to the physical, emotional, and spiritual commitment she has in motherhood.  Love her patiently, because she’s tender to your needs.  If anyone you have ever met deserves Honor, it is your Mother.  How much should a “Stay-At-Home Mom” be making?  According to salary.com:  Mom’s salary should be $131,471 a year.

“Honor your father and your mother: that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God has given you.”   (Exodus 20:12) 

Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world.  Mother’s Day 2018, occurs on Sunday, May 13, in the United States. The American celebration of Mother’s Day was started in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. 

This is an interesting thought about Mothers:  “The moment a child is born, the mother is also born.  She never existed before.  The woman existed, but the mother, never.  A mother is something absolutely new.” (Osho).

We can become very sad this time of the year because of not being able to be with our Mothers.  Mothers can be sad because of not being able to be with their children, because of death, broken relationships, or distance.  It is also a sad time for Grandmothers and Grandfathers who cannot be with their grandchildren.  God has given us a way to turn our grief into joy.  “Women, behold your son!”  Son or Daughter “Behold your Mother!”  Grandmother or Grandfather, “Behold all of these children who have no one to love them!”

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God” (1 John 4:7).

Many of you today have a living Mother while many of us don’t.  I would encourage the first group to “Behold Your Mother”.  Take care of her and spend time with her.  If you have been given a Mother that has taught you about the Love of God, you are very blessed.  If you have a Mother that stayed at home with you while you grew up, you are very blessed.  If you have a Mother living today, you are very blessed.

If your Mother has already gone to be with the Lord,  then there is a word for you.  “When my father and my mother leaves me, then the LORD will take me up....I would have fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD, in the land of the living.  Wait on the LORD, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, wait, I say, on the LORD.” (Psalm 27: 10-14). Look around to those women who do not have a son or daughter to give their love to.  Maybe they did not have any children, or have lost them through death, or their relationship has been broken.  

There is someone out there that Jesus is saying to you “Behold Your Mother”.

Jesus identified the Holy Spirit as the one who comforts us.  The person most of us have gone to in our lives for comfort has been our mothers.  She was there to hold us in our emotional hurts and heal us in our physical hurts, and listen to us when we needed someone to talk to.  The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to you and me to provide this “mother’s touch” when our Mother is no longer with us.  He lives within us and is always with us.  When Jesus said I will never leave you He was talking about the Holy Spirit being with us and in us. “For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5).

Mothers, there is a word for you in this message.  Maybe today you do not have any living children or maybe you have never had any children.  The Lord may be speaking to you to look around and see someone who could use a Mother’s love.   It could be a soldier away from his family.  It could be a little child in Church who doesn’t have a grandmother.  It could be a young lady or man who has been disregarded by society because they have made some mistakes in their lives.  Could it be that there is someone in your path today that needs a hug from a Mother, a word of encouragement from a Mother, or even a home cooked meal from a Mother?

How can you “honor” your Mother today and many other days of the year.  First you can tell her how much she means to you.  What greater words does a Mother want to hear than “I love You”?  The Bible tells us not to just show our love in words, but also in deeds.  Demonstrate your love by some visible action.  One of the greatest gifts we can give anyone is our time.  Slow down, and spend some time with your Mother.  Your Mother will not always be here with you on Earth.

“Jesus answered and said unto him: Who is My mother? and who are my brothers and sisters? (Matthew 12:48)  His answer to His question was “whosoever shall do the will of my Father, which is in Heaven”.  Let us live like our Lord did by honoring others.  “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do god unto all people, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10).

Remember love is not just a feeling it is an action.  God bless all of our Mothers today both here and in Heaven!!