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SERMON: "HERE IS YOUR MOTHER" SCRIPTURE: JOHN 19:25-27 DATE: MAY 10, 2015

John 19:25-27 (NIV)

25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, "Woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. ______

I must admit I tend to be a creature of habit. I find security in routine. But, at the same time, I like to think that I am fairly open to change---to new things.

With that said however, I don't know who made the change in our denomination's emphasis on this day, but I want to change things back to the old ways just for this year.

For a long time now we have called this Sunday Christian Family Sunday. It has been an opportunity to celebrate family and that's good. But as much as we can call it something else, it's still Mother's Day.

After all, it wasn't the Dads who got breakfast in bed this morning. It's not them who will be getting presents later today. The members of our families aren't celebrating themselves today---we are celebrating our Mothers.

And I'm glad for that.

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It's true that not everyone has a happy and constructive relationship with their Moms but, generally speaking, I can't think of a more important relationship than that of Mother and child. No other relationship has the potential for nurturing love, character, grace and strength in a person.

Mothers are truly unique. Most of the time they are due our celebration and appreciation.

And so this morning that's what we're going to do.

Our lesson from John's gospel is our starting point.

Jesus was on the Cross. He was near death. The pain and agony were excruciating. The soldiers had just gambled for His tunic. That meant someone was happy.

Almost everyone who had followed Jesus was gone. They had deserted Him just as He predicted they would. Only a handful of supporters were left. Among them were Mary, His mother, and John, one of the disciples.

In the very midst of His suffering Jesus looked upon His mother and His friend and was filled with love and compassion for them. His death would crush them. Even after His resurrection He would not stay long in this world. They would be bereft.

Who was there to understand what it meant for Mary to accept the burden of being the earthly Mother to the Son of God?

To have been pregnant before marriage---even if it was a miraculous God given pregnancy. 3

To have had the responsibility of caring for the Saviour of the world when He was just a helpless, vulnerable infant. To have brought Jesus and His brothers up on her own after the death of Joseph. To have heard the ridicule of neighbours and friends when Jesus began His ministry. Who did He think He was anyway? To have seen His power and love expressed in such selfless ways and felt motherly pride. To have seen her world come crashing down as all the potential and promise of her son seemed to be lost when He was dragged away. To see and feel His wounds. To weep with helplessness.

Mary had been through so much as a result of receiving the blessing of being the earthly mother of the Lord. She had offered so much. She had so much, still, to offer.

Jesus had been the recipient of her love, care and direction. He knew the joy of a wondrous Mother-Son relationship. He knew what He was about to lose. He had needed her and she had needed Him.

Faithful John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, stood nearby. Soon his world would fall apart. Soon he would wander aimlessly for three days. Soon he would fear for his life because he was one of "them."

Jesus looked down upon two people He loved so much and sought to show His care for them.

To Mary He said, "Dear woman, here is your son." To John, "Here is your mother."

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In their need they would have each other. A Mother to care for and nurture her new son. A son to care for and protect his new mother.

The Mother-Son relationship was so important to Jesus that He offered it to two of the people He was closest to on this earth. He offered them a wonderful blessing.

For most of us, our relationship with our mothers is a blessing. No one else has the ability to have the same impact on us. It’s a long term relationship with influence that continues even when we have our own children---even after we have our own grandchildren. The Mother- Child relationship starts from the very beginning of life and stays with us even after our Mothers have died. It manifests itself so deeply within us that our children and their children are given glimpses of it.

Mothers, of course, aren't perfect. They know what buttons they can push to get our attention.

A man called his mother in Florida. He said to his mother, "How are you doing?" She said, "Not too good. I've been very weak." The son then asked, "Why are you so weak?" She said, "Because I haven't eaten in 38 days." The son then asked, "How come you haven't eaten in 38 days?" She said, "Because I didn't want my mouth to be filled with food when you called again."

More often than not, though, a mother can be defined as Tenneva Jordan did when she wrote:

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"A mother is a person who---seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people---promptly announces that she never did care for pie."

Once a year we pay special tribute to Moms. Once a year we make a special effort to show them how we feel. Perhaps once a year we say, "I love you."

It really isn't enough.

Even as we so often take God for granted so too we take our Mothers for granted.

God is always there for us. So is Mom.

God will do whatever is necessary to bring us God’s love and blessings. So will Mom.

God offers healing with God’s invisible touch. So does Mom, only her touch is very visible.

God cares for God’s children as only God can. Mothers care for their children as only mothers can.

Listen to this wonderful anonymous "ode to Motherhood", based on the love passage in 1 Corinthians 13:

"If I live in a house of spotless beauty with everything in its place, but have not love, I am a housekeeper---not a homemaker. If I 6 have time for waxing, polishing, and decorative achievements, but have not love, my children learn cleanliness---not godliness.

Love leaves the dust in search of a child's laugh. Love smiles at the tiny fingerprints on a newly cleaned window. Love wipes away the tears before it wipes up the spilled milk. Love picks up the child before it picks up the toys. Love is present through the trials. Love reprimands, reproves, and is responsive. Love crawls with the baby, walks with the toddler, runs with the child, then stands aside to let the youth walk into adulthood. Love is the key that opens salvation's message to a child's heart.

Before I became a mother I took glory in my house of perfection. Now I glory in God's perfection of my child. As a mother, there is much I must teach my child, but the greatest of all is love."

Is there a more important task in life than to nurture and bring up children?

When our mothers are still alive the significance of what we do as parents is emphasized because we are still children, ourselves. In being shaped in love, we are readied to shape our own children.

What an awesome responsibility! But at the same time, what a wonderful joy!

It was mid-October, and the trees along the Parkway were ablaze with colour. At a lookout, B. G. White tells of standing next to a woman who was showing the view to her elderly mother. 7

"Isn't it wonderful of God to take something just before it dies and make it so beautiful?" the daughter commented as she gazed at some falling leaves. "Wouldn't it be nice if he did that with people?" the mother mused. The younger woman looked at the stooped, white-haired figure beside her. "Sometimes he does," she answered, so softly, that she thought no one heard.

God heard. And God agreed.

Jesus, the Son of God, experienced how beautiful a Mother could be. The beauty of a Mother has nothing to do with physical features. It has everything to do with love offered, received and reflected back.

To all our beautiful Mothers---have a wonderful day!

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© The Rev. Dennis Cook, St. Timothy’s Presbyterian Church, Ajax, ON, Canada