Mother’s Day, which we just celebrated this past Sunday May 8, is one of the most celebrated holidays. Hallmark and FTD look forward to this day annually with salivating anticipation.
So while our regular calendars say Sunday was Mother’s Day, our church calendars say Sundays is the Lord’s day. So what’s a pastor to do? Should he give in to the culture and therefore preach a sermon about mothers? Or should he dismiss the culture and preach about the One whose resurrection we celebrate Sundays, the Lord Jesus Christ, even at the risk of offending people who may think to themselves, “The pastor doesn’t love mothers, probably not even his own.”
Now don’t get me wrong. I love my mother. I surprised her with a bouquet of flowers delivered to her doorstep.(not FTD but flowers.com) I love my wife as the mother of our children. I took my daughters shopping to help them get a gift for their mother.
But, when it comes to the church, we preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified(1 Corinthians 2:3) because He alone is the cornerstone of the church(Ephesians 2:20). We proclaim Jesus Christ because He alone is the head of the church and therefore should have the preeminence(Colossians 1:18).
I asked a friend what his pastor preached this Mother’s Day. He said his pastor preached from 1 Samuel on Hannah. I love Hannah from the Bible. We gave that name to our oldest daughter as her middle name. But, as our pastor said Sunday, Mother’s Day, if you are here to hear a sermon about mothers you will be disappointed. But if you are here to hear a sermon about Jesus Christ, you will be excited.
When you preach verse by verse through a book of the Bible in an expository fashion then even on Mother’s Day you continue preaching the Word where you left off the previous Sunday.
Jesus never drew a crowd to please them. Whenever large crowds would gather He would filter all those just showing a superficial interest by laying down some hardline parameters. On one such occasion, Jesus confronted people with that which they hold most dear and valuable, namely family, including mothers.
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”(emphasis added)
Luke 14:25-26
Jesus is to be a true disciple’s supreme love(Matthew 10:37) because a genuine believer has an unrivalled commitment to his Lord. Someone may point out that Jesus here contradicts some of the other teachings in the Bible because He says to hate even your own wife whereas the Bible teaches husbands to love their wives(Ephesians 5:25). I said it before and I will say it again. Husbands will never be able to fulfil their calling in marriage to love their wives as Christ loved the Church unless they love Jesus supremely more than their wives.
In the same manner, we love our moms, but we love Jesus more. I told both my mother and my wife Happy Mother’s Day. Mothers would lay down their lives for their own children. BUT…God the Father, in His divine justice, will only accept one sacrifice as the perfect substitute to satisfy the demands of His wrath and as the grounds for granting forgiveness of sins.
How about you? Is your love for Jesus so supreme that in comparison it seems that you hate your mom? If not, then come to Him. Is Jesus the one you love more than your own life? If not, then by faith embrace Him. I know my Savior will not turn you away.
“All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.“(emphasis added)
John 6:37
