What Mothers Can Learn From Mary, Jesus' Earthly Mother

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It's Mother's Day and perhaps the greatest mother recorded in the Bible is Mary. There's no greater woman recorded in the Bible as the greatest mother to set a good example for Christian motherhood but Mary. While she may not be born sinless and she's not the proud madonna that Roman Catholicism (and its offshoots such as the "Orthodox" churches) claims her to be but she's indeed the greatest example in the Bible on what it means to be a Christian mother.

Mary can be looked up as a sister-in-Christ to follow. Who can forget these wonderful words as she acknowledged herself as a handmaid of the LORD?
Luke 1:38 
And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

She was willing and obedient to the will of the Father. At first, the idea of the Creator of the Universe was going to be in her womb that she was troubled (Luke 1:29). She was chosen among women. Perhaps in her mind, she was asking this question, "Why me?" Any sinner saved by grace can only wonder why God has set them for such a task. Moses was troubled when God chose him. Mary was certainly not so ready to accept such a task (at first) but she chose to do so - out of love for her Lord.

Next, we see her obedience to the Law of God. We read this one where she offered the necessary sin sacrifice after she delivered Jesus in His humanity:
Luke 2:21-24 
The time came for Joseph and Mary to perform the ceremony of purification, as the Law of Moses commanded. So they took the child to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, 23 as it is written in the law of the Lord: "Every first-born male is to be dedicated to the Lord." 24 They also went to offer a sacrifice of a pair of doves or two young pigeons, as required by the law of the Lord.

Mary was obedient to the set laws of God. It can be seen that she knew what had to be done. She already knew Jesus is the Son of God. She became His earthly mother. Jesus became the Son of David in the flesh - yet David called His descendant as Lord. Mary knew she was not exempted at all from the required sin offering. She did what she did! What an obedient woman. She set an example to do one's Christian duty when she offered the sin sacrifices.

Years later, she attended a marriage feast in Cana. People approached her. Jesus politely rebuked her. Then she had did one thing every Christian mother ought to do - lead others to Jesus.
John 2:5-6 
"You must not tell me what to do," Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." 5 Jesus' mother then told the servants, "Do whatever He tells you."

Papists would dare say that it's an act of mediation. No, if you take a look at the context - Jesus politely rebuked His earthly mother. Mary knew for well that the relationship as His mother was in the flesh yet Jesus is God. No one can argue that without Mama Mary then there would be no Jesus. No, Jesus is God the Son. He's eternal. Mary is created by Jesus. David called His Son as Lord. David knew that his Son would be his Lord. Mary was doing the one thing Christian mothers should be doing - pointing others to Jesus.

What love does Mary have for her Lord! She refused to give any orders and told people, "Do whatever He tells you." not "Do what I tell you." She stepped behind the background. She has such great humility and love for her Lord. What a great sister-in-Christ is the earthly mother of Jesus. She told others to simply do what Jesus tells you. You still have to wonder how blinded Roman Catholics still insist in passing through her even after she has told people to go directly to her Son.

She fully accepted the will of God the Father. Jesus followed His Father's plans even if was up to the cross (Philippians 2:8). Mary didn't desert her Lord - she followed Him with John. They were there at the cross. She's there fully a follower of her Lord. She was there doing the will of the Father. She gave an example to stand by Jesus and a rebuke from God towards those who cowered. Such was her faithfulness to her Lord that she followed Him to the foot of the cross.

The last act of Mary was seen that she was seen in prayer and fellowship with the disciples.
Acts 1:14 
They gathered frequently to pray as a group, together with the women and with Mary the mother of Jesus and with His brothers. 

I don't know what pain Mary had when it came to her sons by Joseph did not yet believe. Yet in Acts 1:14, we see Mary and her sons by Joseph are now praying. Later, two of these sons would write the book namely James and Jude - which proves some Christians wrong even if they believe Mary remained a virgin even if they don't teach her to be born sinless. Mary's act of praying with her family (and maybe, her beloved Joseph had long gone and the Bible is silent to when he did) and the disciples prove she was really faithful.
Hebrews 10:25 
Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.

Yes, that was the very last act we saw of Mary. The Bible is silent about this beloved sister-in-Christ. While she can't intercede for sinners and people must go directly to Jesus - it doesn't diminish her importance as an important Christian figure. It's impossible not to love her the biblical way. While it's a sin to ask her for pray for you or to pray to her (because it's necromancy) but no one should ever dismiss her importance as a fellow sister-in-Christ.

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