Our Mother Sets the Example

Scripture: Matthew 20:17-28

Introduction

• Today we celebrate our mothers with their own day.
• Should it only be one day? NO
• Our mothers deserve celebration every day.
• Just because a woman has a child, though, they aren’t always a mother.
• Yes, sadly, some women have children and then just walk away.
• Maybe they aren’t ready; maybe they are self-absorbed; maybe they are just lost.
• Substance abuse is often the cause, but often there are just mental issues.
• Unfortunately, I have seen way too much of this.
• I must say that there is hope because where the mother fails, there is often a grandmother.
• I have seen so many grandmothers (and great grandmothers) step up and take responsibility for being the mother.
• I admire my friend Linda raising her autistic grandson because her daughter is lost.
• Another type of mother who can be a wonderful mother is a stepmother.
• I know in our family, Leslie loves my children like they were her own, and cares deeply.
• So, I think when we celebrate Mother’s Day, it goes way beyond women birthing a child.
• Being a mother is a lifelong commitment and devotion.
• Being a mother is a choice; not just one day, but every day.
• Being a mother is a special kind of love – a love that never ends.
• Our Scripture today talks about just such a mother – a mother trying to help her 2 sons.
• There are three things about this mother I want us to take away from today’s Scripture:

1. Mom knows the risks.
2. Mom wants what is best for us.
3. Mom won’t steer us wrong.

1. Mom knows the risks.

• In our story today, it begins with Jesus telling the disciples what will happen to Him.
• This is like the third time He is explaining it to them, but they still don’t totally get it.
• Nevertheless, the picture that Jesus is painting would give anyone pause.
• Yet, we see this mother of James and John, sons of Zebedee, appealing to Jesus.
• She heard the risks; she heard Jesus say what would happen:

The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.

• Everybody knew what “crucify” meant: it was the worst form of human torture ever devised.
• Zebedee knew the risks that would come from hanging with Jesus.
• But she believed in her sons, and she believed they would be safe with Jesus.
• Our moms know how dangerous the world can be.
• It’s why they made so many rules and worried so much about – well EVERYTHING.
• Like the time I wrecked my car on a Friday night and suddenly had no car to drive.
• On Sunday night, of that same weekend, my best friend Larry (who is probably on the ZOOM call right now) and I wanted to go out to Amelia to see our girlfriends.
• Larry was gonna ride us both out to Amelia on his motorcycle.
• This was something we had done many times before so it was no big deal.
• I eventually got a motorcycle license and bought my own Honda 750 in 1981.
• My mom was worried about us going on the motorcycle, so she insisted that I take their car instead.
• Well …. I took their car and missed a turn on a dark country road and rolled it over.
• No one was hurt, but the car was a total loss. And it was their favorite car of all time.
• The only thing that has finally redeemed me is helping them get Donna Fay’s car.
• Our moms know the risks that we face in the world, and they try so hard to protect us.
• A real mother has this instinct to protect their children – with their own life if necessary.
• Our mothers (or whoever served as our mother) know the risks and teach us to be careful.
• Most of all, our mothers never give up on us no matter what mistakes we make.
• Mom Zebedee knew the risks that her sons faced in this world.

2. Mom wants what is best for us.

• Mom Zebedee instinctively recognized that Jesus was the best thing for her sons.
• She knelt at Jesus’ feet and asked Him to put her boys to work.
• The way she put it was: “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
• Truly, she recognized who Jesus was and she wanted to align her boys with Him.
• She kind of upset the other disciples by trying to secure places of honor for the boys.
• I don’t believe it was about elevating them to a higher level
• I believe it was to secure a place of dedication and loyalty to Jesus
• I believe it was about doing the right things with their lives.
• Think about your mother. Didn’t she always want you to make good choices?
• Are you hanging out with the right people?
• Are you getting the right education?
• Do you have a good work ethic?
• Are you kind to people? Are you honest and honorable
• These are all the things that mothers think about; things they worry about.
• Our moms want what is best for us; and wasn’t one of those things getting us to church?
• I have heard so many stories of mothers and grandmothers pushing their kids to church.
• Indeed, without the influence of our mothers and grandmothers, there probably wouldn’t be many churches left.
• Moms want what is best for us, and clearly, church and learning about Jesus is the best.
• This is why mom Zebedee was leading her sons to a future with Jesus.
• This is why so many of our mothers and grandmothers and great grandmothers lead their children to come to church.
• It is people like Della Hunter who encouraged her great grandsons to come with her to church.
• She urged them to come to Susan’s Bible study and to make a home at Biltmore.
• Because of her encouragement, they came forward for Jesus and were baptized.
• It takes real devotion as a mother to always have our best interests in mind,
• Mom Zebedee demonstrated that devotion and great courage by meeting with Jesus.

3. Mom won’t steer us wrong.

• Mom Zebedee knew that the best future for her sons was with Jesus.
• Jesus asked the “Sons of Thunder” if they were “able to drink the cup that He was about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that He would be baptized with.”
• We now know what that means because, for us, Jesus has already drunk from that bitter cup, and died, and was resurrected.
• Their mother was probably satisfied by Jesus when He honestly said that it wasn’t up to Him who would sit on His right or left hand, but it is entirely up to the Father.
• The future for her sons would be to serve.
• Jesus used Himself as an example by saying the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.
• Our mothers always have our back, and we can always count on them.
• The lesson that Jesus gave to His disciples was service.
• Nowhere is service more apparent than our mothers who live to serve their children,
• He said: “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant.”
• This is the kind of sacrifice that we get from our mothers.
• As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we need to remember the countless sacrifices she makes.
• Special thanks to those Christian mothers who have brought their children to Christ.
• We thank them for all their prayers that we would seek out Jesus and serve Him.
• Being a mother and truly doing the job of a mother is about sacrifice and service.
• Thank you to all the mothers in our lives.
• Thank you for all you do for us,
• Thank you for all the times that you have appealed to Jesus to accept us in His service.