A lot of moms are honored on Mother’s Day. It’s kind of hard to think of a woman who was more honored than Mary was. She was chosen by God to be the mother of the Messiah. And she is an impressive and almost intimidating woman in Scripture. In fact her life is so central to the ministry of Christ that one church even teaches that she never sinned. But she did. She was chosen by God for a special task… but she was a mortal woman. And when Romans stated that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” – that meant Mary too.
So every person can relate to Mary. A sinful person who is called to an important task. I want to notice a few things about Mary that make her an outstanding mother.
Mary had a personal relationship with God.
Mary was a person of spiritual integrity. When Gabriel, the angel of God, appeared to her he said to her, “…you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30). God was pleased with her life.
She enjoyed the presence of God. In response to Gabriel’s presence, she said, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). She desired to be with God’s people.
Even after Jesus’ had ascended into heaven, she continued to meet with the disciples to to pray to God. “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brethren. (Acts 1:14).
Mary had a proper relationship with her family.
Mary was a wife who supported her husband’s leadership. Not only did she travel with Joseph from Galilee to Bethlehem, but she traveled from Bethlehem to Egypt and back to the land of Israel (Matthew 2:13-14, 19-23). There are no recorded words from Joseph. But his actions spoke for him. Mary followed the leadership of her husband.
Mary taught her children discipline in honor of God. Even though Jesus was a perfect child, it is said of Him, “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Acts 2:51-52). If is important for every parent to realize that if your children don’t honor and obey you, whom they can see, how will they learn to obey God whom they cannot see?
Mary Was Faithful To Her Children. Mary was one of the few at the cross when Jesus died. “Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene” (John 19:25). As a true mother, she stayed with her child through many struggles.
Mary had a willingness to serve God.
When approached with the will of God to give birth to Jesus, Mary must have had some concerns. What will Joseph think? What will my family think? What will my friends and community think? But nowhere in the Bible does it hint that she hesitated. Her simple response was, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). She willingly accepted God’s will for her life. Do you?