The Unique Role of Mothers in Reflecting the Heart of Christ
Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday. It’s the perfect time to show your appreciation and gratitude for the moms in your life. It’s been said that being a mother is the hardest job in the world – overworked, underpaid, on call 24/7, and often under appreciated. There is something unique about the role of a mother. When a human grows inside of you, there tends to be a special bond that forms. It’s 9 months of sweet and agonizing anticipation. Outside of the womb, the bond continues. In most cases, mom is the one who provides immediate care for her baby with God-given instincts and physical abilities that dads just don’t have. At home it’s mom who sets the schedule for feeding and sleeping. It’s primarily mom who makes sure the baby is growing, reaching milestones, and staying healthy. Even before books, blogs, and Google, mothers have always had the unique ability to care for their babies in a way that is only natural; almost second nature.
But it’s more than physical care that sets mothers apart. The way that they carry out this role is special as well. If you peruse the card aisle in search of the perfect card, you’ll see words like caring, kind, loving, gracious, sympathetic, faithful, understanding. These and more are words that describe our mothers. Fathers can share some of these characteristics, but mothers are especially equipped to be tender and gentle in their familial role. Victor Hugo once said, "A mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."
What’s truly special about the tenderness of a mother is it reflects the heart of Jesus. In Matthew 11:29 Jesus describes himself as being gentle and lowly in heart. The word gentle is the same word translated in other places as meek. It doesn’t mean that Jesus is weak or incapable of being firm. It shows that he is patient and controlled. He is not harsh, but approachable. In this passage he is inviting those who are weary and beaten down to come to him. He has open arms. The word lowly is often translated as humble. This refers less to a virtue of humility and more to a position. It’s humble like someone who has nothing, is nothing. Although Jesus is the King of Kings and all glory belongs to him, he is lowly; he is accessible. You see this tender picture that Jesus paints of himself inviting in those who need relief and care…. much like a mother. Children run to their mothers when they are hurt. They want the embrace of their mother when they are sick. They know that their mothers are there ready to take them in.
Mothers also demonstrate the emotional depth of Christ. When Jesus’ friend Lazarus died (John 11), he was saddened, but when he saw his friends crying, he began crying too. He was able to sympathize and feel the burden of Mary and Martha. Many times in his ministry, the Bible tells us that Jesus was moved with pity when he saw the pain and affliction of others. The word used is splanchnizo, which means to have compassion. Jesus, being fully God and fully human, can feel the full range of human emotion, without the effects of sin. He is an emotional being. Unfortunately, in our world, emotions are shifted primarily to females. Women are often labeled as emotional while men are expected to and pretend to hide their emotions. Women are “feelers,” men are “thinkers.” Obviously, this is a distortion of the truth, but a result is that women are often more aware of their emotions and able to sympathize with others better. In a family, this translates to moms being the one that emotionally connects with the children. She more naturally senses when something is wrong, she listens to feelings, and takes time for deeper conversation. Dads can do this too, but we often focus on fixing the problem, not understanding our feelings. For this reason, many kids are more comfortable going to their moms with problems rather than their dads. If left to dad, many of our homes would be more cold and rigid, lacking the warmth of an understanding mother who, like Jesus, knows how to feel. Jesus knew how he felt, and he knew how and why others felt the way they did. Mothers more naturally reflect this important role to their children.
Lastly, a mother reflects Jesus in her sacrifice. No one took Jesus’ life. He laid it down. It was his act of obedience to the Father and act of love for humanity. Paul said of Jesus in Philippians 2:7, “he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant.” Jesus himself said that he came to serve, not to be served (Matt. 20:28). A Godly mother is a sacrificial servant. She does not sit and call out orders to her children. She does not take care of her own needs and neglect her family. She does not demand the highest praise. She wakes up and gives of herself. Mothers often neglect themselves to a fault, which is why we need a day like Mother’s Day to recognize their work, although we cannot balance the scales. Mothers find joy and fulfillment in giving themselves to their family. It is a holy calling that demonstrates the greatest sacrifice.
This Mother’s Day thank God for the way he has revealed himself through mothers, through your mother. In his grace, even moms who do not know Jesus reflect his character to their children. How much greater can a mom who is walking with Jesus be Jesus to her family. Above all, a mother is a disciple-maker. Fathers have a definitive role and responsibility in leading the family, but mothers carry a unique role of reflecting divine characteristics that cannot and should not be underestimated. Read the following poem by Pastor John Piper and thank God for putting you in your mother’s care.
On Grace
Some people tell me I was free,
When I believed in Christ;
And by my power got victory,
When all the world enticed.
I think they did not know my heart,
Nor theirs. Let it be said,
That I for one had sought no part
In rising from the dead.
They wonder at the sovereign rights
That I allow my King,
And puzzle at the worship heights
To which his rule gives wing.
But I will rest God’s grace today
On this (I need no other)
He did not give any say,
But chose for me my mother.
