Sunday Devotion and Prayer. May 14, 2023
                                        “Happy Mother’s Day“
                            “Honoring Moms This Mother’s Day”

“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”- 2 Timothy 1:5

The work of being a grandmother and a mother is often overlooked and undervalued by the world, but that is not how God sees this high calling. That’s not even close to how God views His daughters. In Scripture, we often see Jesus transcend cultural norms to embrace the women overlooked and undervalued by society.

Our key verse was written at a time when women were oppressed and overlooked. Women were constrained to what the Jewish culture deemed unimportant tasks, they fetched water and cared for the children. Women were just a step above servants. When Paul was still a Pharisee, he likely would have lorded power over the women around him. However, because Paul was a new creation in Christ, he viewed the contribution of women differently. Now we can read how he honored the roles of mother and grandmother as important, significant, and impactful through his words because that’s exactly what His savior modeled.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus noticed a woman suffering from a bleeding issue. This woman would have been considered “unclean” in that day and time, meaning she would have been constrained to the outskirts of society for the twelve years her bleeding had not stopped. Yet, she bravely disregarded the social restrictions and touched Jesus’s robe. Feeling His power released, Jesus halted the entire group to acknowledge this woman’s touch, calling her daughter and praising her faith (Luke 8:40-48).

There are more stories where Jesus esteemed overlooked women: He pardoned a woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11); redeemed a Samaritan woman (John 4:1-42); let women accompany him and his disciples (Luke 8:2); and healed Peter’s mother-in-law who was ill with a fever (Luke 4:38-39).

But let’s look at how Jesus honored His mother. He joined her at a wedding in Cana. In the Jewish culture, it was common for the family hosting the wedding to serve the best wine first and then bring out cheaper wine later as the party waned into the evening. Running out of wine would have been unthinkable, but that’s exactly what happened! Mary desired to help protect the honor of this family. So, she asked Jesus to turn the water at the wedding feast into wine. Even though Jesus initially rebutted, stating that His time for ministry had not come, He honored His mother’s request.

Jesus honored women because He saw their value and need for protection from those in society who held more power than them. He saw their need for healing and attention, the forgiveness of sins, and for purpose and mission. Therefore, he honored His mother by scrapping His plans to accommodate her request. As Paul acknowledged the significant impact mothers and grandmothers have on our faith, might we join in honoring and celebrating the women in our lives this Mother’s Day?

Heavenly Father,
Thank you for leaving your place of honor to bring honor to the overlooked. Sadly, Lord, our world undervalues women, mothers, and grandmothers. But Jesus, thank you that you do not! You see the value that mothers contribute to the faith of your people. And you proved this by simply paying attention to women, esteeming their roles, healing, protecting, and honoring them: even your precious mother, Mary. Lord, thank you for leading the way in showing us how to honor women and mothers today and every day. God, would you bless all the mothers today? May they know how your gaze is upon their service, and you are well pleased, honored, and glorified by their contributions to the Kingdom. In Your son Jesus’s name, I pray, Amen.