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38th Street Church of Christ 3904 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44718 330-492-5523 Fax: 330-493-7119 |
“A Mother's Faith” |
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I. Introduction.
A. Once again, we recognize our Mothers and Grandmothers
and Great-Grandmothers, and the importance of
motherhood, on a special day, first celebrated as a national
Holiday in May, 1914.1. There is one thing that every one of us has in
common – we all had, or have, a Mother.2. And, many here today are mothers and
grandmothers, and great-grandmothers. We honor
you for that, and for what that means. I’m sure,
mothers don’t always feel special – or honored –
especially in their own households.a. One mother was having an especially
difficult time getting her young son to eat.
After much frustration, she said: “Twenty
years from now you’ll be telling some girl
what a great cook your mother was. Now,
eat your supper!”b. Then, there’s “Mrs. Smith.” Even though
she had three small children of her own, she
found herself constantly taking care of a
neighbor’s child as well. When the mothers
got together at a neighborhood gathering,
the little boy’s mother went on about how
her son had no brothers and sisters and how
much he enjoyed playing at the Smith’s
house. Then she added: “And I’m sure you
don’t mind Tommy’s coming over so
much.”“Not at all,” Mrs. Smith said, dryly, “I just
hope I’m raising him to suit you.”3. A teacher gave her second grade class a science
lesson about the magnet. On their next test, one of
the questions read: “My name starts with “M”, has
six letters, and I pick up things. What am I?” She
was surprised to find that nearly half the class
answered with the word “Mother.”B. Mothers do share many characteristics, but they are
different from one another as well. As you think about
your mother, try to remember one characteristic that stands
out above others. It might be her love; it might be her
willingness to sacrifice for her family; it might be her
indomitable will, her steadiness in a crisis, or her refusal to
give up or give in; it might be her tenderness, or her
strictness; whatever it is, you can pick out one dominant
feature, but still truthfully say she was or is a combination
of characteristics.C. We do encounter various mothers in the Bible, and they,
too, have a particular quality for which they are especially
remembered.1. There’s the example of Hannah (I Samuel 1); the
mother of Samuel, the prophet and judge of Israel.
Remember, she and her husband Elkanah, had no
children. Hannah made a vow that if God would
give her a child, a son, she’d dedicate him to the
Lord for all of his life. When Samuel was born,
and began to grow, Hannah kept her pledge. She
represents true obedience and sacrifice.2. Mary was chosen by God to be the mother of the
Messiah (Luke 2). The fact that she’d already
“. . . found favor with God” tells us what kind of
person she was, and why she was chosen to bear
God’s Son in His incarnate form. She represents
true godliness, and sacrificial love. She had to give
up her son for the good of all humanity.
3. There’s also the New Testament example of Eunice
(II Timothy 1), the mother of Timothy. In
II Timothy 1:5, she’s cited for her “genuine faith.”
It was that faith that was transmitted to Timothy,
as he was taught the word of God from his
childhood.D. Another mother who showed her faith, and received a
blessing for it, doesn’t have a name. She’s only referred to
as “. . . a woman of Canaan” (Matthew 15:22). We often
hear her called the “Syro-Pheonician woman”, because
Jesus encountered her as He “. . . departed to the region of
Tyre and Sidon” (15:21).1. Find a parallel account of her story in Mark 7 (24 –
30).2. It’s in Mark 7 that she is referred to as:
a. “a Greek” (i.e. a Gentile). To Jews, were
only two types of people: Jew and Gentile.
And, at this time, there was that “. . . wall
of separation” between them.
(Ephesians 2:14).b. Also called, “a Syro-Phoenician by birth”
(i.e. a Syrian of Phoenicia).3. This is the only time in Jesus’ ministry that he left
the territory of the Jews and went into a “foreign”
country. The Phoenicians were descendants of the
“Canaanites” who had once dominated the whole
of Palestine. They were not of “. . . the lost sheep
of the house of Israel” (15:24). That makes this
mother’s faith in Jesus all the more impressive – as
is His response to her faith.E. This mother has a problem. She shows a spirit of
persistence. As a result, she receives a promise.II. “Great Is Your Faith.”
A. As this mother approaches Jesus, she reveals her problem
to Him: “. . . ‘Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is severely demon-possessed.’ ”
(Matthew 15:22).1. Here is a mother expressing, first, her love and
compassion for her child. She felt, deeply, the
misery of that child.2. Whatever else was happening in her life, whatever
other problems she had to deal with, they all paled
in comparison to this one – her daughter was
possessed, and needed help. That’s all that
mattered.3. For this mother, it took both courage, and faith,
to approach Jesus. She addresses Him as the “Son
of David” – she recognizes Him as a Jew, but also
as a person of power and some authority. Above
all, she recognizes Him as the answer to her
problem, as the salvation of her daughter.B. The disciples immediately dismiss her, and her problem.
“Send her away. . .” (15:23) was their way of disposing of
this “Gentile” woman. She was a bother, an unwanted
interruption, a person not worth speaking to, let alone
helping. Their evident Jewish prejudice clouded their
vision, and contributed to their lack of compassion for this
mother, and her daughter.1. Jesus is not so abrupt, but He does explain His
purpose for being in the world.2. Rather than let the matter end there, this mother
shows her persistence, and the increase of her faith
in Jesus.C. “. . . she came and worshipped Him, saying, ‘Lord, help
me!’ ” (Matthew 15:25). This was her child at stake. She
could not settle for anything less than a complete resolution
to her problem. A request to a great man now becomes a
prayer to the living God.1. Her persistence is seen in that she ignored those
things that could have hurt her feelings, and caused
her to leave in anger.1. First, Jesus “. . . answered her not a word”
(v. 23).b. Second, the disciples said, “. . . send her
away. . .” (v. 24).c. Third, Jesus points out that He came for
God’s people, the Jews, of which she was
not a part. (“I was not sent except to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel”).d. Fourth, Jesus points out that His message
is for the Jews, to bring them back to God,
and to salvation through Him (verse 26;
RE-READ).2. Her persistence is seen in her quick response to
Jesus, in verse 27 (RE-READ). (“Don’t you have
something left over for me? Am I not in the least
worthy of your help?”).D. She came in faith; she persisted in faith; she leaves
rewarded. (RE-READ, verse 28).1. Jesus saw her love for her daughter as reflective of
His, and His Father’s, love for Their children, Their
creation.2. It was love, and her faith, that compelled her to
approach this stranger.3. It was love and her faith that compelled her to
accept Jesus’ silence, and the disciples’ rejection,
and, yet, stay where she was.4. It was love and her faith that compelled her to
persist in order to receive the promise from this
request for help.E. Nothing can draw us closer to God than these same
qualities: love, and faith.III. Conclusion.
A. As He challenged this mother, so Jesus challenges us to
increase in our faith, and love.1. Do we believe in Jesus’ deity?
2. Do we believe in His power to answer our prayers?
3. Do we believe in His care for us?
4. How great is our faith?
B. (Illust).
A woman was calling on a friend whose children were
brought in. The caller said, evidently with no thought of
the meaning of her words, “Oh, I’d give my life to have
two such children,” to which the mother, with subdued
earnestness, replied, “That’s exactly what it costs.”