## Love Your Mother

## John 19:26-27

(John 19:26-27) When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. Mary witnessed the crucifixion from the foot of the cross. Can you even imagine how she must've felt? Jesus turns to John and says, "Take care of her", and looks at his mother and says, "Let him stand in my place as your son". John lived a very long life, and I believe he took care of Mary until she went to heaven. On the cross, Jesus was bearing the weight of the sins of the whole world on His shoulders, yet He sees to it to make sure His mother is taken care of after He is gone! As God, Jesus is dealing with eternal matters, but as a man, He's showing all of us today how important it is to take care and love our mothers! Since this is Mother's Day, I want challenge you with seven ways to love your mother. Obviously, I am speaking to those of you who still have mothers who are living. For those of us who have buried our moms, we wish we could express our love and appreciation to her just one more time. But that is impossible this side of eternity.

I. Love Her Verbally: Just say it!

A. Our moms need to hear it.

1. The world has sold us a bill of goods that is worthless!

2. One of these is that real men don't talk about their feelings.

3. They don't say things like, 'I love you."

4. But that isn't the way it is supposed to be!

5. Jesus wasn't afraid to let others know He cared for his mother.

B. Our children need to hear it.

1. Our children learn from us…sometimes they learn things we don't want them to learn, but we teach by example.

2. Our children learn about relationships by observing our relationships.

3. Whether it is a husband and wife relationship or a parent and child relationship!

C. Our spouses need to hear it.

DEAR ABBY: I enlisted shortly after Pearl Harbor. Thirty-six days later, I was on my way to the Philippines. En route, the Philippines fell to the Japanese, and we were routed to Australia. Eleven days after we landed, I met the most beautiful girl in the world. On our first date, I told her I was going to marry her. I did, 18 months later, while on a 10-day R-and-R leave from New Guinea. After more than 57 years of marriage and two children, my beloved "Mary" died five days before Christmas. Although we agreed that our ashes were to be scattered over the mountains, I found I could not part with hers. While Mary was alive, she would frequently say, "You don't know how much I love you." I'd reply, "Likewise." I never said, "I love you." Now her ashes are on my dresser, where I tell her several times a day how much I love her, but it's too late. Although I wrote poetry to her, I could not bring myself to say the three words I knew she wanted most to hear. As my dearest was dying and we thought she was comatose, I told her, "There aren't enough words to tell you how much I love you." A few hours later, she whispered, "Not enough words" and died. The reason I'm writing is to urge men to express their feelings while their loved ones are alive. I don't know why, but many men are reluctant to express the depth of their feelings. -- MISSING MARY IN COLORADO

II. Love Her Physically

A. When's the last time you gave her a big hug or a kiss on the cheek?

1. She's the first person who ever touched you…she wrapped you up in her womb for months, and you came out and her first priority was to hold you, and she cuddled you, stroked your head, rubbed your feet, held your little cheeks against her, gave you a finger to grasp…in love she did all these things!

2. When you were little she changed your diapers, potty trained you, and held the Kleenex for you to blow your nose! She wiped food off of your face years longer than she should have had to!

3. She constantly touched you! And she may have to hand you off to another, and her life may endure some heavy changes, but she deserves your touch and should never have to give that up completely!

4. That hug or kiss could mean more to her than flowers or candy, or eating out, or a diamond necklace [well, let's not go that far!]

5. This afternoon, several will go to the Nursing Home for our services…

a. One of the most important things we do there is to shake hands with the people.

b. We touch them…they long for that personal contact with us.

c. If it looks like we may not reach them, they will reach out to us!

B. We know that God loves us…not just because He said so…

1. We know He loves us because He displayed that love…

2. This happened there on the cross, when He gave His only begotten Son to die in our place.

3. He touched our lives with His love!

(Mark 1:40-41) And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.

III. Love Her Patiently

(1 Corinthians 13:4) Charity (or Love) suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

A. We are too often impatient and ungrateful for all our mothers do for us.

1. We get so used to her taking care of things we come to expect it and take her for granted.

2. Why is my favorite shirt not ironed?

3. Why are we out of milk, didn't you go to the grocery store?

4. What took you so long! I have been waiting here five minutes!

5. I may be exaggerating, but not all that much if truth be told.

B. We often treat others better than we treat our own moms!

1. If we treated our friends like we treat our mom we wouldn't have friends.

2. And if we treated their mom like we do ours their mom wouldn't let their kid have anything to do with us!

3. Mom deserves better…she's not a rug to wipe every negative thought on!

4. Ohhhhh Mother!!!!!!!!!!!!

IV. Love Her Attentively.

A. She listens as we pour out our hearts…

B. She has a sympathetic ear, always has, and even as an adult we've gone to her when we needed someone to really listen

C. She understands, and she'll always be on our side.

D. Mothers of men on death row.

1. Invariably the moms would say, "He's such a good boy!"

2. He slaughtered 37 people, "I know, but he has a good heart!"

3. It's no wonder we like to talk to mom…she listens…but do we she has issues, and now it's your turn to be her "rock"…and take time to listen…it's payback time!

V. Love Her Gratefully.

Elementary science class had been studying magnets, and how metal objects are attracted to them. The teacher put on exam this question: I have 6 letters in my name; it starts with an "M", and picks up things, what am I? Over half the children wrote "Mother"!

A. Sign of the end times…

(2 Timothy 3:2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

B. Is that sign up at your house?

1. It would be impossible to innumerate all the meals, diapers, sleepless nights rocking, room cleanings, baths, launderings that mom has done.

2. The bottom line is, we owe her big time!

3. She needs a sincere thank you, and not just today, but from a genuinely thankful heart when least expected!

VI. Love Her Generously.

A. It isn't about trying to repay her.

B. It is about acknowledging her for who she is and the sacrifices she has made.

C. Moms, you know how it is.

1. You will do without in order to make sure that your children have what they need…often to give them what they want!

2. We need to love her unselfishly and generously just as she loved us.

3. Often, mom is the first example of the love of Christ we see…

4. We see it before we even hear about Christ's love!

5. I remember how my mom would work two jobs, do without, and save so that I could have something…

6. And just like the Lord, she did it without ever expecting anything in return.

(Ephesians 5:2) And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

VII. Love Her Honorably.

(Exodus 20:12) Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

A. No statute of limitations on this command!

B. As long as she lives…and even after she has passed away…she deserves to be honored by her children.

C. By the way, this is the only one of the 10 commandments that carried with it a specific blessing!

Perhaps you are thinking you are too busy for mom, but the Lord took the time and effort to make sure she would be cared for after His death on Calvary. We cannot love our moms as we should unless we understand the love that God had for us. He loved us so much He gave His Only Begotten Son to die in our place that we might have eternal life.

Do we love mom enough to share this wonderful truth with her? If you mom is not a believer, today let her know that you love her, but also tell her that God loves her even more.