A Mother's Journey sermon notes (UNEDITED)

Thought i'd throw up my sermon notes from last sunday. Totally unedited.  Had some requests for it so here goes...

This morning I want us to take a moment to ponder and reflect on the warriors among us.  Not just mothers, but the journey of women.  We are all connected through mothers- somehow some way. But today let’s focus on the story of one particular mother. I want to invite you on a journey that begins with an angelic message.

Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

But this announcement began a journey of stratospheric highs and deep unspeakable lows. 

"My soul glorifies the Lord

    47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

 48for he has been mindful

      of the humble state of his servant.

   From now on all generations will call me blessed,

    49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

      holy is his name.

 50His mercy extends to those who fear him,

      from generation to generation.

 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

 52He has brought down rulers from their thrones

      but has lifted up the humble.

 53He has filled the hungry with good things

      but has sent the rich away empty.

 54He has helped his servant Israel,

      remembering to be merciful

 55to Abraham and his descendants forever,

      even as he said to our fathers."

A long 75 mile journey to Bethlehem Mary’s cry of childbirth was heard in the dust of an ancient land. Passing shepherds, children, and farmers on the journey- a mysterious dance into the future of redemption.

Can you feel her joy and pain as she brings Jesus to the temple and she hears the  words of Simeon saying: 

"This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

Can you feel the sadness of a Mother, reminded once again that this blessing would bring heartbreak,

reproach,

fear,

uncertainty

Amazement

Moments where life seemed to spin wildly out of control.

We see Mary sheltering her baby.  From the sword of an angery demonic ruler named herod.  Demanding to kill all the baby two and under in Bethlehem in order to rid himself of the King to be. Mary was a warrior.

A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.

Can you hear the wails of those young mothers.  Their dreams dashed in moments. God knows the hearts of motherhood destroyed.  Dreams never to come true. God knew. The burden of emptiness. The shattering of hopes.

Mary’s son would be spared. But only for a season.  A cross was waiting for her son too.   But still he was Mary’s boy.

They were oblivious to his words in the temple.  They lost him and had no idea where to find him.  Can you imagine their anxiety!  Not in walmart, not in the mall.  Jesus was lost in a huge city, no cel phone, no amber alert.

And then they found him.  Where have you been!  I’ve looking all over for you!! And then those words-  both amazing and astonishing … words that would break her heart in some deep maternal way: "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"

Perhaps at that moment Mary- the mother of Jesus was reminded of the reasons wise men bowed before the cradle and angels serenaded shephers on the outskirts of Bethlehem.

But certainly, for a mom- it brought at least a small twinge of sadness.  Besides she was still Mary’s little boy.

There came a time after thirty years of rough hands and splinters, a carpenter left home for war.  It was the war of the ages.

But there’s little doubt that the war was fought on the home-front for Mary.  Motherhood is also about letting go. It’s so hard to take it in-  that God would give women such a powerful connection to their children and then ask then to step away.

And that’s what Mary did for three years. We see her briefly in flashes of the story of Jesus ministry.

Insignificant in comparison to some-  but she’s there.

We see her at the world greatest coming out party when Jesus and his follower attended a wedding. Mary, the mother of Jesus tells the servants:  Whatever he tells you to do… just do it. 

Then the water was poured

And the wine flowed graciously

But she understood, no doubt,  that she was not the center of the story.  Great mothers are like that aren’t they? Like a ghostwriter of masterpieces. Mothers stray from the limelight and paint their canvass to the glory of God in secret and alone.

Every parent wants to keep their child from harm-  that’s something that God built within us.  It’s scary.

And she heard the venom of a scoffers… Calling out their hatred. Their lies burning her ears. He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf.  And the mother that fed him, changed him, rocked him to sleep, helped him learn to walk on his own, nursed his scrapes, could now only watch him die.

She was there and Mary watched her son’s breathing on that cross- the final moments of agony-  as she looked at him there, we can imagine her mind racing back to those moments as a two year old- Jesus sleeping on his tummy, the back rising and falling with each breath he took.

We understand this dangerous truth:  That the choices we make are given meaning by the things we give up.

And those words-  Woman behold your son- Son behold your mother.

And then he died. 

I can only imagine the grief.  As they took his broken, lifeless body down from the cross. The anger of her son destroyed, mocked, rejected, a felon called Barabbas was preferred over her boy.

No doubt Mary went through the grief any mother would experience.  Like a scene from Steel Magnolias…

I'm fine! I can jog all the way to Bethlehem and back and back, but my son can't! Oh God! I am so mad I don't know what to do! I wanna know why! I wanna know *why* Oh *God* I wanna know *why*? *Why*? Lord, I wish I could understand!

 No! No! No! It's not supposed to happen this way! I'm supposed to go first. I've always been ready to go first!

Jesus
creator


King of every king


and yet this was Mary's boy.


blood spilled grace on me


and still Mary's boy


piercing your heart

Mary


to save me


forsaking you
and his kingdom
for me.


What a terrible loss
you suffered


to watch this one you fed,

changed,

embraced
carried,

protected, and nourished


now condemned to bear nails and thones


whips and shame


so that we could all come to the table.


and face the gethsemane of every broken generation


he cried for his Daddy as the sunset brought shadows 
on the edge of town.


You had others


but that night

He was your only Boy.

When we signed up to be a mom or dad, we signed up to fight the same battle. That’s what makes parenthood so scary. The same evil that drove Jesus to the cross is the one who causes evil, destruction, disease and pain.  We live in such uncertainty and yet we can know for sure. We are barren in and of ourselves and yet there is one that gives us hope in the midst of our barreness.

Yes there is the EVIL one.

There is one that sends prodigals running to far countries and wild parties filled with the winds of destruction and the seductive storm of consequence. But there is another—The Redeemer-- that brings them home.

In the midst of our pain, our struggle, our hurt and our desolation. Joy rises and we find the strength to bear under the weight of extraordinary scenarios.

In this life, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.  Blessed be the name of the Lord. 

VIDEO  (Band Comes Up)

Blessed be the name of the Lord. 

Indeed Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Will you say it with me?

Jesus

God’s only Son

No other name can save us.

No others name even comes close

At the name of Jesus every force of the universe is brought to its knees.

Say his name again.

Jesus.