Mother: our First and Greatest Teacher
Proverbs
1:7-9; 31:30; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:14,15
Introduction: Mother’s Day is a secular holiday, but it is appropriate
for us to honor a relationship created and blessed by God. The struggle I have
as a pastor, is that this day evokes such a wide variety of emotions from us.
Some of you were blessed by the example of a godly mother, and it is a joy to
focus of those wonderful memories that impacted you so deeply. For others,
those memories may be more difficult. It occurs to me that many elderly mothers may not be able to see their children today because of this lockdown. As best as we are able, we are told by God to honor our father and our mother. That is not a suggestion! My own mother wasn’t a believer in my youth (she came to faith later in life), but her faithful care of her family, including 7 children, was evidence of God’s common grace working through her. Others may have more difficult, or even painful memories of their upbringing. Each family is different, some have a houseful of godly children. Others are pained by a prodigal that is far from the Lord. Some have struggled with infertility, others have never married. Too many are pained by memories of miscarriages or even an abortion earlier in life. You get the picture? We need to be sensitive to the people around us. Mother’s day can evoke a wide range of feelings. To every lady I would say, you are loved by God, and He has given you an important role in His church, His family.
In our church, we have tried to emphasize the role all women can have, whatever their past experiences, as part of the church family, in impacting younger women, and in partnering with parents through the ministries and relationships in the church, and so helping to influence the next generation for the Lord. In this message today, I will refer to the end of Romans, where Paul is giving a “shout out” to various acquaintances in the Roman church, he mentions the mother of Rufus, who he says was like a mother to him as well. Whatever the example we had from our own mothers, the best moments, the sacrificial love, the fierce protectiveness, the longing for her children to be safe, to learn and to grow, I think those moments reflect God’s design, and the kind of disciple-making impact a mother can have on her children. And so, we honor our mothers.
It’s been well said, “The lessons learned in the cradle go all the way to the grave.” I remember the story of a London editor trying to organize a list of Winston Churchill’s teachers through the years. He sent the list to the statesman for his approval, but Churchill looked at it and said “You have omitted the mention of my greatest teacher. My mother!”
I thought about how a message on this day can honor mothers, and at the same time hold forth the Gospel, and lift up the name of the Lord. That is what we want to do as a church, right? Glorify Jesus, and point people to Him. Well, think about it: our mission is to make disciples, to influence people toward faith, and to teach them the things of the Lord. Christian mothers do exactly that. Mothers are our first, and potentially, our greatest teachers. A mother’s faith can impact her children in their earliest, most teachable moments, and her prayers will reach the One who can turn their hearts homeward. We’ll look at several texts, my approach today will be more topical than expository, but I hope you’ll see the impact a Christian mom can have as a disciple maker.
The Maine Idea: Mothers have a God-given opportunity and a Great Commission calling to disciple their children for the Lord.
I. Consistent Teaching: Mothers are our first and greatest teachers (Prov 1:7-9; 2 Tim 1:5). The idea of “wisdom” in the Bible, is at it’s core a spiritual commitment to Truth that results in right living. Let’s read the opening verses of the Book of Proverbs…
The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of
Israel: 2 To know wisdom and
instruction, to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness,
justice, and equity; 4 to
give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth- 5 Let the wise hear and increase
in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, 6 to understand a proverb and a
saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. 7 The fear of the LORD is the
beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 Hear, my son, your father's
instruction, and forsake not your mother's teaching, 9 for they are a graceful garland
for your head and pendants for your neck.
Where do we get
the kind of wise instruction that Proverbs is urging us to seek? What is the
foundation? It needs to start with “the
fear of the Lord,” a deep and
sincere reverence for God, and it comes from the instruction of believing
parents in the home. Read verse 8 again,
“…Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and forsake not
your mother's teaching...”
While the responsibility goes to both parents (and the
command is to the child to listen!) the plain truth is that mothers, by virtue of
the time and opportunity they have to teach and guide their children usually
have the greatest impact on them, especially when they are young. A disciple is
literally a “learner.” As Churchill
famously said, “If we want to change our nation, begin by enlisting the
mothers.” The “world” offers powerful temptations to our children and poses
tremendous obstacles to faith, but a godly mother, by word and example, can lay
a solid foundation and guide them toward the truth. Many
great leaders throughout history have acknowledged the influence that their
mother had on them...
- George Washington
said: "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe
to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and
physical education I received from her."
- Abraham Lincoln:
“All that I am, and all that I ever hope to be I owe to my mother…” He also said, “…no man is poor when he has a
godly mother.”
- Andrew Jackson
“There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a
lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only
capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way.” I like the story Laura Bush told on her husband, then president George W. Bush. They were visiting former president Bush and Barbara,
"George woke up at 6
A.M. as usual and went downstairs to get a cup of coffee," Laura says.
"And he sat down on the sofa with his parents and put his feet up. And all
of a sudden, Barbara Bush yelled, 'Put your feet down!
"George's dad replied,
'For goodness' sake, Barbara, he's the President of the United States.'
"And Barbara said, 'I
don't care. I’m his mother and I don't want his feet on my table.'"
The president promptly did as
he was told, for as Mrs. Bush observes, "Even Presidents have to listen to
their Mothers.”
We can
certainly agree that the early teaching of a mother has a key role in the
formation of her children, including laying a foundation for their spiritual
formation. It is interesting that as far as I can tell, the apostle Paul does
not mention his own mother in his writings. But we do read this in Romans
16:13,
“Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his
mother, who has been a mother to me as well.”
Among all
the acquaintances to whom he sends greetings to the church in Rome, is the
mother of Rufus, who was also, according to Paul, a mother to him. It is
possible that Rufus was the son of Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross of
Jesus In Mark 15:21 Simon is identified as “the father of Alexander and
Rufus,” which implies those men were known to the Roman church. Excuse me
if I engage in some sanctified speculation. Could it be that Simon came to
faith, and when he returned home he won his wife to the Lord? Did Simon then
win his sons, or was it his wife who led them to Christ? Speculation,
but maybe. In any case, the mother of Rufus, was known to Paul, and she had
been like a mother to him. We can have relationships like that in
the church, and they can be cross-generational: caring, loving, encouraging,
building each other up.
A believing mother can have that kind of
influence on her children. 2 Timothy 1:5 alludes to Timothy’s spiritual
lineage,
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt
first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure,
dwells in you as well.”
Timothy’s
father was Greek rather than Jewish, and the fact that he is not mentioned here
as part of Timothy’s spiritual lineage would seem to imply that he was an
unbeliever. Just as Lois (Timothy’s grandmother) had impacted Eunice (Timothy’s
mother), their faith and faithfulness had impacted Timothy since his childhood.
There may be encouragement here for
single parents, and for those who don’t have the enthusiastic support of a
spouse in teaching the Word to their children: God knows your situation, and
loves your child even more than you do. Be faithful, do your best with the
time you have and prayerfully seek to sow the seeds of truth into the lives of
your kids. Devote yourself to prayer. And trust God to bring the
increase. Mothers are our first and
greatest teachers, because a mother’s faith can impact her children in their
earliest, most teachable moments. The Maine Idea: Mothers have a God-given
opportunity and a Great Commission calling to disciple their children for the
Lord. So, the they teach consistently, specifically…
II. Consistent
teaching of the Truth - The Gospel is the most Precious Truth she can impart (2 Tim 3:14,15).
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and
have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you
have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you
wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out
by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for
training in righteousness, 17
that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Godly mothers
teach the Bible: Here we see the example of Eunice and Lois. The key truth here is that Timothy had the
example of a mother, and a grandmother, who knew that the Scriptures pointed to
Jesus, our Savior, the promised Messiah. The Bible is the Word of God,
through it we know God, and we learn what He expects of us. I read the story of a little girl sitting
next to her mother in church. Mom had an open Bible on her lap. The little girl
looked closely and then asked, “Did God really write that?” Her mother
answered, “Yes dear, He did!” Then the little girl responded, “Wow, he has
really neat handwriting!” Oh well.
A woman of
faith is in the Bible, internalizing it, and looking for opportunities to teach
it to their children. And we in the church, come in alongside of parents, as a
help in that process. Mary Ann and I, and I know many of you, miss our Sunday
School and WOL Olympian program. Mary Ann has often talked about how some kids
in her Sunday School class, and some in the Olympian group, are learning the
Bible at home. Sometimes we’ll start teaching a Bible story, and a few of the
kids chime right in, recalling what they have already heard and learned. These
are seeds that God can use to mold a life for eternity.
A believing mother teaches the Bible from the perspective of faith. This is important.
The faith that Timothy embraced was the faith that first dwelt in his
mother and grandmother. Your kids will
see how seriously you take the Bible. Do you treat it like the Word of God? Or
is it just a book of stories? Do you value it, and get excited about the
lessons that God is teaching you? That
excitement is contagious!
She teaches by word and example. Our life, and
particularly the life of a believing mother, will be a constant reinforcement
of the teaching we would want to pass on to the next generation. By what they teach and model, moms help
develop the character and faith of her children. Faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of Christ. Notice
2 Timothy 3:15, “...from childhood you have known the holy scriptures…” Archbishop
Leighton said “fill the bushel with good
wheat and there will be no room for chaff and rubbish.” The world will offer
plenty of garbage, we need to take responsibility as Christian families and as
the Church helping our families, to add the good wheat! Kids are like little sponges, and that can go
two ways: Cardinal Wolsey spoke of Henry 8th and said, “Be well advised
and assured what you put in his head, for you shall never pull it out again.”
Mothers are our first and greatest teachers. A mother’s
faith can impact her children in their earliest, most teachable moments. The Maine
Idea: Mothers have a God-given opportunity and a Great Commission
calling to disciple their children for the Lord.
III. Persistent
Prayer: may be the most enduring tool a mother can use to impact the life
of her children. The passages we’ve highlighted don’t
specifically mention prayer, but it is such a fundamental part of our faith it
is assumed. The privilege of prayer is a foundational element of our faith. Last
week we looked at a series of exhortations Paul gave in I Thessalonians 5:16-18.
He said in v.17, “…pray without ceasing...” It doesn’t mean you are praying 24/7, but it does
imply consistent, ongoing prayer. That persistent prayer is part of a mother’s
impact of the life of her children. Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher,
said “I cannot tell how much I owe to the prayers of my good mother.”
Prayer
motivated by love – There is nothing selfish
in a mother’s prayers, the motivation is an intense desire for her children to
experience God’s best. We want our kids
to avoid some of the mistakes and the hard lessons we’ve learned. And so godly
moms pray without ceasing.
Prayer that teaches by example – One of the amazing lessons about prayer in the New
Testament is that Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, and He also shows them,
by going apart at key moments of his life and ministry, and praying. He taught
his disciples, and us, by word and example. Prayerfulness is one of those
lessons that is better caught than taught.
Some of the kids in our church, young kids, like to pray. They
aren’t just getting that here! It’s what they are seeing at home. How many
mothers, day by day, and sometimes hour by hour or minute by minute, are
offering up prayers for their children?
Prayer that
never ceases – It doesn’t stop when they leave nursery, or when they
graduate from High School. It doesn’t
end when they go to college or leave the nest. In fact, if you have a
believing mother who is still alive, I can almost guarantee that she is still
praying for you daily! My paternal grandmother was widowed at the age of
29, when her husband, my grandfather, was killed in a coal mine cave-in. She
was pregnant with her sixth child, my father. She came to faith in Christ the
summer before, in 1929, around the beginning of the Great Depression. After I came
to faith, about 50 years after she did, I drove my motorcycle down to Kentucky
to visit her. She told me that she had prayed for her six children, their
spouses, and her grandchildren, every day. Maybe in eternity we’ll know the
results of the prayers of Godly mothers!
You remember
the story of the Prodigal Son? The Father, the Prodigal, and the Older son are
the main characters in the story Jesus told. But that story has been lived out
a thousand times in the lives of real families, (and in some of your families!)
and a mother’s persistent, unrelenting prayer is almost always a factor that
God uses to bring back a wandering sheep. Christian mothers have a God-given opportunity and a Great
Commission calling to disciple their children for the Lord.
IV. The
Goal of making disciples is to lead someone to a point that they can impact
others for the Lord. Remember when Paul said to Timothy, “The things you have
heard from me… those entrust to faithful men who will teach others also…”
(2 Tim 2:2). That is essentially what a godly mother is doing. Proverbs
22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he
will not depart from it.” That is
not a guarantee that every child of a believer will come to faith, but it is a
principle that we can rely on. Yes, the lessons learned in the cradle go all
the way to the grave. It is a blessing to us to see our daughter and son-in-law
raising their children in the way of the Lord.
In a context of announcing impending
judgement we read in Joel 1:3, “Tell your children of it, and let
your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” Disciples
making disciples, in the family! It’s the same principle, teach your children,
so that they can teach their children. That is basically the 2 Timothy 2:2 paradigm,
“The things that you have heard from me… these entrust to faithful men...”
Tell your children, so they can tell their children, and them,
theirs… If the family is the building block of the church, it makes sense that
it is also a small unit that should carry out the church’s mission!
Notice that Paul mentions not only Timothy’s
mother, Eunice, but also his grandmother, Lois.
In referring to the faith of Timothy, it seemed important enough for
Paul to mention two generations of believers in that family. As a godly mother by word and example teaches
her children, she is potentially affecting not only them, but also their
children and grandchildren. And
think of the lives that Timothy touched! Paul was himself encouraged by
Timothy, and the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy have encouraged the church
for nearly 20 centuries. May those who
come behind us find us faithful!
What is God saying to me in this text? Christian mothers
have a God-given opportunity, and a Great Commission calling, to disciple their
children for the Lord.
What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Mothers’ day
can be a time of mixed emotions. Whatever your history or your situation,
God’s mercies are new every morning – He is faithful. Jesus came because all is not right in the
world! Every woman can encourage younger women, and can also use her gifts to help
reach and disciple children for the Lord, even as they serve in the ministries
of the church.
If
you had the example of a godly mother, be thankful for her – if she is still
alive make sure to thank her today. If
you are a parent and have a prodigal, know that he or she is responsible for
their own choices: Proverbs 1:8 says “Hear my son your Father’s instruction,
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching…” The very fact that that admonition
is given indicates it is possible to ignore, at least for a time, sound
teaching and a good example.
If you have a prodigal, don’t
despair, pray. Be an example, love them, entrust them to God, and yes, keep
praying. Know that God is with you,
and that He wants the best for your child. The words of Paul come to mind, “Be
steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that
your labor is not in vain in the Lord…” (I Cor 15:58). Think about it: our
mission is to make disciples, to influence people toward faith, and to teach
them the things of the Lord. Christian mothers can do exactly that, and
profoundly impact the lives of their children! Mothers have a God-given
opportunity, and a Great Commission calling, to disciple their children for the
Lord. Ladies, God bless you, every one of you, and thank you for your role
in your family, and in the church. AMEN.
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