Mothering Sunday 2009
I read about a 12 year old boy who was born without an immune system. Eventually, he underwent a bone marrow transplant in order to correct the problem, but up until that point he had spent his entire life in a plastic bubble in order to prevent exposure to common germs, bacteria, and viruses that could kill him. In his plastic bubble, he lived without ever knowing human contact. When asked before his operation what he'd like to do if and when released from his protective bubble, he replied, "I want to walk barefoot on grass, and touch my mother's hand."
Small things can mean such a lot to people – and I think today’s readings remind us of how important the care is that we give to others. In the reading from Exodus (2:1-10) we have the account of the birth of Moses. The house of Levi was expanding dramatically and the Pharaoh was worried that they may rise up against him, so he ordered all the new born Hebrew boys to be killed.
But after his mother had hidden him he was noticed by the daughter of the Pharaoh who sent her maid to collect the child – when she saw she took pity on him and arranged that he be cared for properly. The life of Moses of course remains one of the most important in Biblical history – from humble beginnings he became the leader of a large group, and in the New Testament he is mentioned more times than any other Old Testament character.
Without the care of people who could easily have left him to die, history could have been rewritten.
In the gospel reading (Luke 2:33-35) again we see people caring for a child – this time the baby Jesus as he’s brought to the Temple. As Simeon blesses the family he offers the warning that this child would be destined for the falling and rising of many, that this child would be opposed and that a sword would pierce the soul of his mother, a reference to the suffering she would watch her son face.
It was almost a warning to Mary and Joseph but it was a warning given with love and concern – Simeon knew that this child was special and as he thanked God for him, he knew that the role Jesus had come to fulfil was an essential one…
And part of that role was to display to everyone the most perfect qualities of holiness, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience; forgiveness and love; and peace and thankfulness – the qualities that Paul referred to in the letter to the Colossians (3:12-17).
Today on this Mothering Sunday we obviously think of mothers everywhere and give thanks for their care, but we also reflect on the qualities that make a perfect mother – and they are the qualities that Jesus asks everyone of us to display – a mother or not, male or female…
The little boy in the story I mentioned at the beginning desperately wanted to touch his mother’s hand – he hadn’t done it before, but he knew the love that she felt for him, and he knew that he would gain strength just from that touch…
The strength to show love back, the strength to go out and show love to others, the strength that comes from knowing he was loved…
Today, we are all in need of strength and God is waiting for each one of us to put our hands in his and to place our lives a little more into his care... Sometimes we’re reluctant to do it, sometimes we feel we can manage, or that the love of God is just for special occasions, or even perhaps that we’re not really important enough to go to God with every seemingly trivial care or concern…
But one of the wonderful things about our faith is that Jesus opened his arms wide on the cross as an invitation to each one of us to come to him and find rest and peace in the knowledge of his love. And as we come to him, it is from him that we will recognise the most incredible love and care, and from him that we will be able to really find the strength, the wisdom and the courage to extend a hand of love and compassion out into the world. AMEN
Small things can mean such a lot to people – and I think today’s readings remind us of how important the care is that we give to others. In the reading from Exodus (2:1-10) we have the account of the birth of Moses. The house of Levi was expanding dramatically and the Pharaoh was worried that they may rise up against him, so he ordered all the new born Hebrew boys to be killed.
But after his mother had hidden him he was noticed by the daughter of the Pharaoh who sent her maid to collect the child – when she saw she took pity on him and arranged that he be cared for properly. The life of Moses of course remains one of the most important in Biblical history – from humble beginnings he became the leader of a large group, and in the New Testament he is mentioned more times than any other Old Testament character.
Without the care of people who could easily have left him to die, history could have been rewritten.
In the gospel reading (Luke 2:33-35) again we see people caring for a child – this time the baby Jesus as he’s brought to the Temple. As Simeon blesses the family he offers the warning that this child would be destined for the falling and rising of many, that this child would be opposed and that a sword would pierce the soul of his mother, a reference to the suffering she would watch her son face.
It was almost a warning to Mary and Joseph but it was a warning given with love and concern – Simeon knew that this child was special and as he thanked God for him, he knew that the role Jesus had come to fulfil was an essential one…
And part of that role was to display to everyone the most perfect qualities of holiness, compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience; forgiveness and love; and peace and thankfulness – the qualities that Paul referred to in the letter to the Colossians (3:12-17).
Today on this Mothering Sunday we obviously think of mothers everywhere and give thanks for their care, but we also reflect on the qualities that make a perfect mother – and they are the qualities that Jesus asks everyone of us to display – a mother or not, male or female…
The little boy in the story I mentioned at the beginning desperately wanted to touch his mother’s hand – he hadn’t done it before, but he knew the love that she felt for him, and he knew that he would gain strength just from that touch…
The strength to show love back, the strength to go out and show love to others, the strength that comes from knowing he was loved…
Today, we are all in need of strength and God is waiting for each one of us to put our hands in his and to place our lives a little more into his care... Sometimes we’re reluctant to do it, sometimes we feel we can manage, or that the love of God is just for special occasions, or even perhaps that we’re not really important enough to go to God with every seemingly trivial care or concern…
But one of the wonderful things about our faith is that Jesus opened his arms wide on the cross as an invitation to each one of us to come to him and find rest and peace in the knowledge of his love. And as we come to him, it is from him that we will recognise the most incredible love and care, and from him that we will be able to really find the strength, the wisdom and the courage to extend a hand of love and compassion out into the world. AMEN
Comments