(To download a file of this sermon, click on the title above. To listen online click on the play button of the audio player shown.)
This is a sermon that was given at Wayside Community Church on May 8, 2016 by Pastor Les.
Blessings
for Mom
Proverbs
31:28 (NKJV)
Her children rise up and call her
blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:
Introduction:
It
is always a challenge to come up with a new sermon that is specifically related
to an occasion such as Mother’s Day or any other special days we celebrate
throughout the year.
Prov.
31 is a passage that has been used myriads of times in connection to Mother’s
Day, so I was reading it again to see if there was something new I could focus
on this year.
My
attention was drawn to the 28th verse…
In
this verse we see the phrase, “rise up and call her blessed.” I noticed that
many of the newer translations of the Bible provide an equally legitimate
wording for the phrase which reads like this, “rise up and bless her.” The
phrase gives the idea that the children are pronouncing blessings upon her
because of who she is and what she has done. Sometimes
children bless their mom even at an early age, but it seems to be more common
for children to bless their moms after they have grown up and matured enough to
understand what all mom has done for them.
(Illustrations
Unlimited)
Not until I became a mother did I understand how much my mother had sacrificed
for me. Not until I became a mother did I feel how hurt my mother was when I
disobeyed. Not until I became a mother did I know how proud my mother was when
I achieved. Not until I became a mother did I realize how much my mother loves
me. – Victoria Farnsworth
What are the reasons you would bless your mom?
When I became old enough to hear some of the
stories about my mom I gained a whole new level of understanding and
appreciation for who she was and what she had done.
Here’s just a few of the reasons I bless my mom…
- She willingly remained confined to bedrest for 7 out of 9 months by doctor’s orders so she could carry me and my twin brother to full term.
- While my brother and I were very young, she laundered nearly 100 cloth diapers every other day in addition to all her other household responsibilities. (By the way, that was when they decided to buy a washing machine – but not an automatic washer.)
- She didn’t give my brother and me up for adoption after we scared her multiple times by daring escapades such as: climbing grandpa’s silo, getting into grandma’s nerve pills, and climbing out the upstairs window and walking partway around the roof.
- She cared for me during all of the normal childhood illnesses plus several that weren’t so normal. I think I was hospitalized 7 times before I entered 3rd grade. (4 out of the 7 times were for surgeries. At least 5 out of the 7 times, my twin brother was in the hospital with me for the same problem.)
- I could go on and on…
Just like the woman described in Proverbs 31, my
mom, and most moms, deserve to be blessed by their children.
I want to take a few moments to explain some of the
words used in verse 28, then I want to go to Matthew 5 and look at the
Beatitudes in the context of motherhood.
Proverbs
31:28 (NKJV)
Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also,
and he praises her:
“rise up” – (Theological
Wordbook of the Old Testament) “This root can connote an action showing
respect. Balaam tells Balak to "rise up" to receive God's oracle
(Numbers 23:18). God commands his people to "rise up" before the aged
(i.e. honor old men, Leviticus 19:32).”
“bless
her” – (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament)
“There are two verbs in Hebrew meaning "to bless." One is bārak
and the other ʾāshar. Can any differences between them be tabulated? For
one thing bārak is used by God when he "blesses" somebody. But
there is no instance where ʾāshar is ever on God's lips. When one
"blesses" God the verb is bārak, never ʾāshar. One
suggestion to explain this sharp distinction, i.e. that ʾāshar is
reserved for man, is that ʾāshar is a word of envious desire, "to
be envied with desire is the man who trusts in the Lord." God is not man
and therefore there are no grounds for aspiring to his state even in a wishful
way. Similarly God does not envy man, never desires something man is or has,
which he does not have, but would like to have. Therefore God never pronounces
man "blessed" (ʾashrê) (Janzen).
“It should also be pointed out that when bārak
is used the initiative comes from God. God can bestow his blessing even when
man doesn't deserve it. On the other hand, to be blessed (ʾashrê), man
has to do something.
“Finally, bārak is a benediction, ʾāshar
more of a congratulation.”
So,
when her children rise and bless her, they are expressing the thought, “she is
to be congratulated. She is to be envied and praised for her great
accomplishments.”
“husband…praises
her” – This is the same Hebrew root word that is used in the word “hallelujah.”
In “hallelu-jah,” the ending of the word refers to God. But in Prov. 31:28, the
word form has an ending that refers to the woman that is being discussed.
Interestingly,
the root meaning of “halal” carries the idea of “giving off light” or “to
shine.” It seems that it is meant to convey the idea of shining the spotlight
on the admirable qualities of the object being praised. (TWOT & BDB)
When
I read in Prov. 31:28 that the virtuous woman receives a pronouncement of
blessings from her children, my mind went to the most familiar passage of
Scripture where blessings are pronounced by our Lord – Matthew 5.
There
are a couple of Greek words that correspond to the two Hebrew words we
discussed earlier that mean “to bless.” The Greek word used here in Matt. 5
most closely corresponds to the same Hebrew word that is used in Prov. 31:28, “ʾāshar.”
(Tyndale Commentaries)
“‘Happy’ is better than ‘blessed’, but only if used not of a mental state but
of a condition of life. ‘Fortunate’ or ‘well off’ is less ambiguous. It is not
a psychological description, but a recommendation.
“The beatitudes thus outline the attitudes of the
true disciple, the one who has accepted the demands of God’s kingdom, in
contrast with the attitudes of the ‘man of the world’; and they present this as
the best way of life not only in its intrinsic goodness but in its results. The
rewards of discipleship are therefore spelled out in the second half of each
verse. The tenses are future, except in the first and last, indicating that the
best is yet to come, when God’s kingdom is finally established and its subjects
enter into their inheritance. But the present tense of vv. 3 and 10 warns us
against an exclusively future interpretation, for God rewards these attitudes
with their respective results progressively in the disciple’s experience. The
emphasis is not so much on time, present or future, as on the certainty
that discipleship will not be in vain.”
I
thought I would take just a little time to apply the beatitudes to mothers.
Beatitudes for Mom (Could have been an alternative title for this
sermon.)
“the poor in spirit” – “…those who humbly trust God, even though their
loyalty results in oppression and material disadvantage… (Tyndale Commentaries)
Happy,
fortunate and well-off is the mom who humbly trusts in God and follows His
principles even though it may not always result in comfort and ease for herself
or her family.
Happy
is the mom who humbly trusts in God as she cares for her children, knowing that
He is the One who will protect them and direct their paths.
“…theirs
is the kingdom of heaven” – (Tyndale
Comm.) The kingdom of God belongs to them, or consists of them. They are
God’s people.
“Blessed are they that mourn” –
(Tyndale Commentaries) “They are the suffering, those whose life is, from a
worldly point of view, an unhappy one, and particularly those who suffer for
their loyalty to God…. In God’s salvation
they will find a happiness which transcends their worldly condition.” (Cf. Is.
61:2 “proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord…comfort those who mourn.”)
So
many moms are bowed with heavy burdens of grief. Some, with a true mother’s
heart, grieve over never being able to bear a child. Some
grieve over the death of a child(ren). Some
grieve over the spiritual condition of their children. More
than enough grief to go around.
“Weeping
may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.” (Ps. 30:5)
God
will provide comfort. He heals the broken hearted. We may not understand how or
when, but it is His promise.
Because
of His promise, the mom is fortunate and well-off.
“Blessed are the meek” – (Tyn. Comm.) Similar idea as the “poor in spirit.”
God will see to it that they come out ahead of the wicked and be rewarded with
that which they did not seek. (Not necessarily territory.)
Fortunate
are all those moms who maintain a meek, humble spirit for God will see to it
that they are appropriately rewarded.
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst
after righteousness” – (Tyn. Comm)
Their one burning passion is for a relationship of trust and obedience with
God.
They
shall be satisfied. Their desire/passion will be fulfilled.
Happy
and blessed are all those moms who direct their lives and their parental
energies on pleasing their Lord rather than “fitting in” with the expectations
of the world. Blessed
are those moms who want to bring their children up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord rather than seeking popularity and notoriety in the
secular, godless circles of society.
“Blessed are the merciful” – (Tyn. Comm. & Lenski) Mercy is not an emotion,
but a practical response to need. It is a trait that grows out of our
experience of God’s mercy.
Well-off
are those moms who, realizing how much mercy they have received from God, are
quick to show mercy to their families, even when it is underserved. Mercy
will be afforded to the merciful. Grace comes to the gracious. Compassion
returns to the compassionate.
“Blessed are the pure in heart” – (Tyn. Comm. & Lenski) Not a reference to moral
purity, but one who serves the Lord with an undivided heart; that is, undivided
loyalty or unmixed devotion. The inward nature corresponds with the outward
profession.
It
is the honesty that has “no hidden motive or no selfish interest.”
In
this life these pure in heart shall be able to “see Him who is invisible” just
as it was said of Moses in Heb. 11:27. But in the next life, they shall “see
Him as He is” (1 Jn. 3:2).
Blessed
is the mother that loves God with a pure, undivided heart and pursues her
God-given role as nurturer, educator and caregiver without hidden motives or
selfish interests – just doing it all to serve her family and serve her God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers” – (Tyn. Comm. & Lenski) These “peacemakers” are
filled with the peace of God and therefore are at peace with others “as much as
lieth in them.” This does not include the idea of “go along to get along,”
because God’s peace is far more important than a conflict-free life.
Who
in this world has to strive to make peace and keep peace between “warring
factions” any more than mothers? All
the time their raising children, moms are called on to be peace makers. Even
after the children are grown and living their own lives, moms often need to
strive for peace in the family.
“They shall be called the sons of God” – (Lenski) Only God can bestow this title. This is
distinct from “children of God.” The latter title carries the connotation of
tender affection, the former that of dignity and high standing.
They
are the sons of God because they are emulating the heart and spirit of God when
they promote peace and reconciliation.
Conclusion:
I
have tried to use these Beatitudes and apply them to the experiences of mothers
as they live out their faith in the role of motherhood.
I
trust that each and every mom here today will not only strive to pattern you
lives after these qualities, but that you all will in fact, be blessed by the
Lord as you serve Him each day.
Song:
I
would like to have all the moms bring a hymnal with you and come to the front
of the sanctuary.
Now,
I would like everyone else to “rise and bless them” by standing up and giving
these ladies a big round of applause in honor and thanks.
Ladies,
turn to hymn # 452, and sing this song that is written to the tune of the hymn,
“Fairest Lord Jesus.”
Before
you are dismissed, each lady may take one of the gifts from the table as a
little expression of our love and appreciation to you.
