How Does God View Mothers?
Written By David Maddox
In excruciating pain – nailed to the cross – awaiting the moment when all the sin of history would be place on Him – when for the first time in eternity He would be separated from the Father who would turn away – and then He would die – what in those moments would be really important to God in the flesh? Jesus answers that as He looked down and saw His mother and the disciple John. He said to His mother, “Woman behold your son!” Then to John, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour, Scripture tells us, “John took Mary to his own house” (John 19:27). Jesus loved the world and was prepared to die that “whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16), but not until He had first provided for His mother.
This was not the first time Jesus had provided for a mother. Earlier as He entered a town called Nain, He saw a funeral and knew the body was “the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.” Scripture tells us that no one asked Him anything – Jesus simply “had compassion on her”. He stopped the funeral – told her “Do not weep” – and then raised her son from the dead “and gave him to his mother” (John 7:11-16). Jesus knew that in the Jewish culture the mother, a widow, without a son to provide for her, would be destitute – and that for God was unacceptable. Mothers have special value to God.
Jesus treated His mother and dad with respect for His whole life. Scripture tells us that as a child He was “submissive to them” (Luke 2:51). When His mother asked Him as His ministry began to help with the lack of wine at the wedding in Cana, although declaring that “My hour has not yet come”, He met the need – and that was the first of His signs (John 2:1-11). The only time Jesus “drew the line” was when His mother and brothers were acting outside of God’s will at which point He turned to His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:31-34). Jesus made it clear only one relationship was above mother or spouse – and that was love of God (Matthew 10:37).
Scripture teaches us that children are “a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward” (Psalm 127:3), but even more than that they are given to the mother God has selected for that child. We see that in Gabriel’s coming to Mary to tell her she would have a son who would be called Jesus (Luke 1:30). Every mother of every child is special. It should not surprise us that God has declared we are to ‘honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise)” (Ephesians 6:2).
It is right to have a special day to honor mothers. God who understands their importance has set them apart as special. He has commanded that they be honored, but more than that, when as Jesus, God in the flesh set the example by honoring his mother, as a child submitting to her, and as an adult providing for her. Mothers are a gift from God and should be received as such and honored as such. There is no substitute for them, and when they are gone, there will be no one to replace them.
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.
