Sunday, 08 May 2016 – "Prayer Tip: Three Mothers in the Gospels"
Daily Scripture:
Matthew 15:21 Yeshua left that place and went off to the region of Tzor and Tzidon. 22 A woman from Kena‘an who was living there came to him, pleading, “Sir, have pity on me. Son of David! My daughter is cruelly held under the power of demons!” 23 But Yeshua did not say a word to her. Then his talmidim came to him and urged him, “Send her away, because she is following us and keeps pestering us with her crying.” 24 He said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Isra’el.” 25 But she came, fell at his feet and said, “Sir, help me!” 26 He answered, “It is not right to take the children’s food and toss it to their pet dogs.” 27 She said, “That is true, sir, but even the dogs eat the leftovers that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Yeshua answered her, “Lady, you are a person of great trust. Let your desire be granted.” And her daughter was healed at that very moment.
Luke 7:11 The next day Yeshua, accompanied by his talmidim and a large crowd, went to a town called Na‘im. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead man was being carried out for burial. His mother was a widow, this had been her only son, and a sizeable crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her and said to her, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he came close and touched the coffin, and the pallbearers halted. He said, “Young man, I say to you: get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Yeshua gave him to his mother.[Luke 7:15 1 Kings 17:23]
John 19:25 Nearby Yeshua’s execution stake stood his mother, his mother’s sister Miryam the wife of K’lofah, and Miryam from Magdala. 26 When Yeshua saw his mother and the talmid whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Mother, this is your son.” 27 Then he said to the talmid, “This is your mother.” And from that time on, the talmid took her into his own home.
Prayer Tip:Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate and give thanks for the mothers – or those family members or friends who cared for us as a mother – in our lives. I was blessed with a great mom, Kim. We didn’t always see eye to eye when I was growing up, but not once did I doubt her love for me and my brother; through her, I began to understand a little bit about God’s love, and I thank God for her.
There are many people who do not have a mother or do not have one who was loving and kind. If this is the case for you, I encourage you to consider who in your life, as a child or as an adult, has shown you love. Give thanks to God for them and the love God gave you through them.
Holy, Loving God,
Thank you for our mothers, and thank you for those other people in our lives who have shown us your love. Thank you for the mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and other family and friends who have cared for us, provided for us, sacrificed for us, loved us. On this Mother’s Day, we ask a special blessing on each of them. Help us to use what we have learned through them about your love so we might also share your love in similar ways.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.[Angela LaVallie Tinsley, Funeral and Prayer Ministry]
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May 8, 2016 Second Chances – Stories of Restoration and Redemption
“Three Mothers in the Gospels”
Scripture:
Jesus went to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from those territories came out and shouted, “Show me mercy, Son of David. My daughter is suffering terribly from demon possession.”… She knelt before him and said, “Lord, help me.” He replied, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and toss it to dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord. But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall off their masters’ table.” Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith. It will be just as you wish.” And right then her daughter was healed.[Matthew 15:21-28]
Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the
town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.[Luke 7:11-15]
Standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the
disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.[John 19:25-27]
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Elizabeth: surprised by motherhood for a mission
Monday, 9 May 2016 Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, King of Y’hudah, there was a cohen named Z’kharyah who belonged to the Aviyah division. His wife was a descendant of Aharon, and her name was Elisheva. 6 Both of them were righteous before God, observing all the mitzvot and ordinances of Adonai blamelessly. 7 But they had no children, because Elisheva was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8 One time, when Z’kharyah was fulfilling his duties as cohen during his division’s period of service before God, 9 he was chosen by lot (according to the custom among the cohanim) to enter the Temple and burn incense. 10 All the people were outside, praying, at the time of the incense burning, 11 when there appeared to him an angel of Adonai standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Z’kharyah was startled and terrified at the sight. 13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Z’kharyah; because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elisheva will bear you a son, and you are to name him Yochanan. 14 He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many people will rejoice when he is born, 15 for he will be great in the sight of Adonai. He is never to drink wine or other liquor, and he will be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh even from his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the people of Isra’el to Adonai their God.
24 Following this, Elisheva his wife conceived, and she remained five months in seclusion, saying, 25 “Adonai has done this for me; he has shown me favor at this time, so as to remove my public disgrace.”
57 The time arrived for Elisheva to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how good Adonai had been to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day, they came to do the child’s b’rit-milah. They were about to name him Z’kharyah, after his father, 60 when his mother spoke up and said, “No, he is to be called Yochanan.” 61 They said to her, “None of your relatives has that name,” 62 and they made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. 63 He motioned for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s surprise he wrote, “His name is Yochanan.” 64 At that moment, his power of speech returned, and his first words were a b’rakhah to God. 65 All their neighbors were awestruck; and throughout the hill country of Y’hudah, people talked about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard of them said to himself, “What is this child going to be?” For clearly the hand of Adonai was with him.
Echoing Abraham and Sarah’s Old Testament story (cf. Genesis 15:2-6, 18:10-14), the divine messenger said elderly Elizabeth would bear the child she and Zechariah had hoped and prayed for. In their time and place, childlessness was a personal sadness, and most people
also saw it as a divinely inflicted punishment. That’s why Elizabeth said God had removed “my disgrace.” Even more, the messenger promised that their child (John the Baptizer, Jesus’ forerunner) would be “great in the Lord’s eyes” (verse 15)!
• When Elizabeth’s son was born, her neighbors and relatives shared her joy. “All the neighbors were filled with awe… throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things…. asking, ‘What then is this child going to be?’” We’d say there was
“a lot of buzz” about John’s birth. How did God use human curiosity (maybe even our urge to gossip!) to encourage John’s mother, and add impact to his later ministry?
• Luke also wrote (cf. Luke 1:39-45) that Mary, pregnant with Jesus and likely facing distrust and disapproval in Nazareth, went to Judea (several days’ journey) and spent time with Elizabeth, a woman who could understand her experience. Imagine the day-to-day support
and understanding these two “miracle mothers” gave each other during that time. Who has blessed you with understanding and love when you really needed it? Is there someone who needs your support in the wake of Mother’s Day?
Prayer: Lord God, you built mother love into your creation. Thank you for working through that deep-seated love to launch John’s and Jesus’ ministries, which changed my life and my world. Amen.
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Mary: a singular, miraculous call to motherhood
Tuesday, 10 May 2016 Luke 1:26 In the sixth month, the angel Gavri’el was sent by God to a city in the Galil called Natzeret, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Yosef, of the house of David; the virgin’s name was Miryam. 28 Approaching her, the angel said, “Shalom, favored lady! Adonai is with you!” 29 She was deeply troubled by his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Miryam, for you have found favor with God. 31 Look! You will become pregnant, you will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua. 32 He will be great, he will be called Son of Ha‘Elyon. Adonai, God, will give him the throne of his forefather David; 33 and he will rule the House of Ya‘akov forever — there will be no end to his Kingdom.” 34 “How can this be,” asked Miryam of the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered her,
“The Ruach HaKodesh will come over you,
the power of Ha‘Elyon will cover you.
Therefore the holy child born to you
will be called the Son of God.
36 “You have a relative, Elisheva, who is an old woman; and everyone says she is barren. But she has conceived a son and is six months pregnant! 37 For with God, nothing is impossible.” 38 Miryam said, “I am the servant of Adonai; may it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
2:1 Around this time, Emperor Augustus issued an order for a census to be taken throughout the Empire. 2 This registration, the first of its kind, took place when Quirinius was governing in Syria. 3 Everyone went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 So Yosef, because he was a descendant of David, went up from the town of Natzeret in the Galil to the town of David, called Beit-Lechem, in Y’hudah, 5 to be registered, with Miryam, to whom he was engaged, and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth; 7 and she gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him in cloth and laid him down in a feeding trough, because there was no space for them in the living-quarters.
Given what we know of her culture, Mary was a girl perhaps 14 years old who learned that God had chosen her for a literally earth shaking life mission. The mission was not to lead a great army, write spiritually radical documents (her wonderful “Magnificat”—cf. Luke 1:46-55—at first reached only a few in a small village) or move to a power center like Jerusalem. Instead, God called her in an unprecedented way to mother a one-of-a-kind child.
• What would you look for if you had to choose the Messiah’s mother—social respectability and status? A stable, established marriage? Economic security? Why would God choose Mary? Her reply to the angel pointed to a spirit that outweighed all other considerations: “I
am the Lord’s servant…. May your word to me be fulfilled.” What made that so vital for Mary—and any mother? How can you respond to God as Mary did?
• The angel told Mary, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!” But that didn’t mean ease and comfort. Mary’s “favored” life as Jesus’ mother brought huge challenges—first explaining her pregnancy to her fiancé and (probably) her parents, eventually a day at the foot of a cross watching her boy die at the hands of the Romans. Do you sometimes wish God’s favor toward you meant only pleasant things? How did Mary’s life show the sacrifices God’s favor may involve?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you chose to enter our world, not as a powerful, full-grown hero, but as a child like us, at first dependent on your mother. How grateful I am that you chose Mary to be your mother, and that she did such a good-great job. Amen.
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A widow: from despair to renewed motherhood
Wednesday, 11 May 2016 Luke 7:11 The next day Yeshua, accompanied by his talmidim and a large crowd, went to a town called Na‘im. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead man was being carried out for burial. His mother was a widow, this had been her only son, and a sizeable crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her and said to her, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he came close and touched the coffin, and the pallbearers halted. He said, “Young man, I say to you: get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Yeshua gave him to his mother.[Luke 7:15 1 Kings 17:23] 16 They were all filled with awe and gave glory to God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us,” and, “God has come to help his people.” 17 This report about him spread throughout all Y’hudah and the surrounding countryside.
“A little later Jesus went to a city called Nain. His disciples and a great crowd traveled with him,” Luke wrote. Whatever his original plans when he went to Nain, he laid them aside when another large crowd came through the city gates, not to greet Jesus but to support a grieving widow and mother going to bury her only son. Jesus compassionately set aside any other agenda until he brought the woman’s son back to life, and restored him to his mother.
• In Jesus’ day, losing an only son was a terrible disaster for a widow. Under Jewish law, only through a male relative did she have legal standing to own property or sustain herself. So Jesus not only saved her from emotional loss, but from likely poverty and helplessness. What has Jesus saved you from? In what ways does a sense of his loving power at work with and through you give you strength and comfort for each day?
• Luke recorded the response of those who saw Jesus’ action: “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” In what ways did their reaction fall short of fully understanding the meaning of Jesus’ ministry? In what ways was
it accurate, and a first step toward accepting Jesus’ lordship over their own lives?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you said one part of your earthly life was to give us a preview of your eternal kingdom. How I look forward to when you will restore all lost children to their mothers’ loving arms, as you did that day in Nain! Amen.
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Zebedee’s wife: misguided motherhood led to an important lesson
Thursday, 12 May 2016 Matthew 20:20 Then Zavdai’s sons came to Yeshua with their mother. She bowed down, begging a favor from him. 21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Promise that when you become king, these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left.” 22 But Yeshua answered, “You people don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We can.” 23 He said to them, “Yes, you will drink my cup. But to sit on my right and on my left is not mine to give, it is for those for whom my Father has prepared it.”
24 Now when the other ten heard about this, they were outraged at the two brothers. 25 But Yeshua called them and said, “You know that among the Goyim, those who are supposed to rule them become tyrants, and their superiors become dictators. 26 Among you, it must not be like that. On the contrary, whoever among you wants to be a leader must become your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave! 28 For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve — and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The mother of Jesus’ disciples James and John asked that they have the highest rank in his Kingdom. (Mark 10:35-45 said the men asked directly. If so, surely their mother approved.) Jesus said neither she, nor the other disciples who resented the brothers, understood what drove his way of life. He hadn’t come for “perks” or prestige. He came to serve, to give his life to liberate many people.
• Jesus said: “Those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their highranking officials order them around.” Power like that can be a “high”—but Jesus ruled it out in his kingdom: “That’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant.” In which parts of life do you have power (parent, boss, teacher, pastor, public servant, etc.)? What helps you remember to use your power for the good of others, not your own? How can you become a stronger “servant leader” in your sphere?
• Ambition seems to be natural to almost all human hearts—and sometimes even more powerfully for our children than for ourselves. But the motives behind ambition can be very mixed, and sometimes create unhealthy pressures on the children who are their focus. How
is God growing you into a secure, content “servant” who is primarily motivated to see yourself (and your children) glorify God and serve others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you reminded us that ambition for our children is not always the same as love. Shape all of my ambitions into a passion to serve you and your kingdom. Amen.
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A Canaanite woman’s tenacious motherhood was rewarded
Friday, 13 May 2016 Matthew 15:21 Yeshua left that place and went off to the region of Tzor and Tzidon. 22 A woman from Kena‘an who was living there came to him, pleading, “Sir, have pity on me. Son of David! My daughter is cruelly held under the power of demons!” 23 But Yeshua did not say a word to her. Then his talmidim came to him and urged him, “Send her away, because she is following us and keeps pestering us with her crying.” 24 He said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Isra’el.” 25 But she came, fell at his feet and said, “Sir, help me!” 26 He answered, “It is not right to take the children’s food and toss it to their pet dogs.” 27 She said, “That is true, sir, but even the dogs eat the leftovers that fall from their master’s table.” 28 Then Yeshua answered her, “Lady, you are a person of great trust. Let your desire be granted.” And her daughter was healed at that very moment.
“The region of Tyre and Sidon” was Gentile territory, not Jewish. The disciples were no doubt nervous, wondering “What are we doing here?” They asked Jesus to send away the woman who sought healing for her daughter. Jesus at first gave the pleading woman answers that seemed rude. The rest of the story suggests strongly that those answers were a parody of the disciples’ biased attitudes. The mother didn’t give up, and Jesus rewarded her faith.
• Written words can’t show tone of voice or expression. Some scholars suggest that Jesus’ seemingly harsh comments in verses 24 and 26 were a parody of the disciples’ attitudes. Might we understand them better if we imagine Jesus with an ironic edge to his voice, and a bit of a twinkle in his eye? Clearly, in the end, Jesus refused to ignore the mother’s plea, and sought to change the outlook the disciples expressed in verse 23. When has Jesus
corrected or healed strained and broken relationships or attitudes for you?
• We sometimes wonder, “Why should I persist in prayer? God already knows what I need.” Was the mother’s persistence a sign that she thought Jesus needed more information about her need? In what ways did she show her motherly love (and perhaps even grow her faith) by refusing to give up in her persistent pleas that Jesus help her daughter?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you weren’t about to let ethnic or national prejudice keep you from responding to a mother’s heartfelt plea. All over our world, mother’s hearts will seek help for their children. Give me a willingness to do all I can to respond. Amen.
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Jesus’ example of how we are to care for our mothers
Saturday, 14 May 2016 John 19:25 Nearby Yeshua’s execution stake stood his mother, his mother’s sister Miryam the wife of K’lofah, and Miryam from Magdala. 26 When Yeshua saw his mother and the talmid whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Mother, this is your son.” 27 Then he said to the talmid, “This is your mother.” And from that time on, the talmid took her into his own home.
A widow with no son or other male relative to protect her had few legal rights and little social status in Jesus’ day. Jesus would do no less for his mother than he had for the widow in Nain (cf. Luke 7:11-15). Yet he could not just give her back the son she had borne, as he did for that widow. He had brothers, but John 7:5 said they did not believe in him yet. So in the midst of his suffering, he provided for his mother by asking one of his most faithful followers to care for her.
• We often tell one another that we’ll “be there” for each other. In what ways was Mary “there” for Jesus during his earthly life? What price did she have to pay in order to “be there” as he was crucified? How was Jesus “there” for Mary, in spite of the suffering of the cross? We don’t like to think about our mortality, so we often only think about “being there” for our mothers or our children in terms of our personal presence. But every day families around us deal with the problems that come from that lack of planning. Are you willing to deal with your discomfort by intentionally making provision for those who depend on you if for any reason you aren’t able to be personally present for them?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the unsentimental example you left me of how to honor your mother. Help me to follow your example in all of the important relationships in my life. Amen.
Family Activity: Through the ages, God has used women in powerful ways to help fulfill God’s purpose. God chose Mary in particular to be the mother of Jesus knowing she would be faithful to God in countless ways. Share stories with your children about women in your life who have been faithful to God. Talk about grandmothers, aunts, neighbors, church friends and teachers who have been examples of God’s grace and love. Identify ways you can grow to become more faithful to God and share God’s love and grace with others. Pray and thank God for Mary, the mother of Jesus, and for each woman of God who has touched your life.
Prayer Requests:
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Eric Allen and family on the death of his father, Fred Allen, 4/24
• Judy Burgess and family on the death of her mother, Maggie Winder, 4/26
•Diane McCarthy and family on the death of her father, Elwood Slover, 4/26
• Lynne Ruhl and family on the death of her mother, Elaine Bessier, 4/28
•Beverly Dykeman and family on the death of her husband, Marvin Dykeman, 4/30
•Fred Raaf and family on the death of his brother, Richard Raaf, 5/1
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