Mary the Great Mother Luke 2:48-51, NIV When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “Mary the Great Mother,” which is based on Luke 2:48-51. Please repeat after me: Mary the Great Mother - Mary the Great Mother. The name “Mother” is the most endearing name that is given to humankind. No other name is more precious or heart-warming than “Mother.” Our mothers gave birth to us and raised us with much self-sacrifice. We exist today because of our mothers. In this world there has always been a great mother behind every great and influential person. The mother of Jesus, Mother Mary, is the greatest mother of all human history. The Protestants do not talk about Mary very often. The Roman Catholics have deified her. Therefore in opposition to their doctrines and rituals; we do not talk about Mary. Nevertheless, Mother Mary deserves our respect and love because she gave her body for the conception of the Lord Jesus. She risked her life, enduring both the pain of conception as a virgin and childbirth. On parents’ Sunday, let us ponder the grace of Our Lord by thinking about the life of his Mother, Mary. First, I want to talk about Mary, who set an example of self-sacrifice and obedience. About 2,000 years ago in a small village called Nazareth there lived a virgin named Mary. She served the Lord faithfully by setting a fine example of devotion and faith. She was praised by the villagers. She was most probably the purest woman among all the women who lived in her days. God chose her to conceive Jesus because of her purity. One day, an angel appeared to her and said that she would bear a child. Luke 1:30-31 says: “But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.’ ” Mary was startled because this would be impossible since she was not even married. So she asked the angel. Luke 1:34 says: “‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ ” Then the angel answered her. Luke 1:35 says: “The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.’ ” What was Mary’s response to this answer? An ordinary girl would have said: “That cannot and should not happen to me. I would be totally ruined. I am sorry but I just cannot do it.” But Mary was different. Luke 1:38 says: “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” No matter what the Lord commands us to do, we must obey Him, saying: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as You have said.” Many artists painted the Annunciation. More than 120 great painters such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Angelico, and Leonardo da Vinci, painted Mary and the angel at the annunciation. One of the most excellent works may have been Simone Martini’s “The Annunciation and Two Saints.” Simone Martini painted Mary so well that he captured both Mary withdrawing herself in fear and shyness from the angel who spoke to her; and her obedience. He painted Mary with head bowed, pulling away, saying: “How can this happen to me?” But he also painted her obeying saying: “I want to obey the Word of the Lord.” According to Jewish Law, if a woman was found pregnant before marriage; she was to be stoned to death. Her pledge to marry would be voided. In obeying the will of God, Mary was therefore risking her life. Mary was obedient, faithful, and humble before the Lord. She said: “I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as You have said.” Self-sacrifice and obedience are mandatory attributes for Christians to serve God. We should be willing to sacrifice ourselves for the Lord. We should obey the Word of God. We must be willing to give our time, material wealth, talent, and labor for the Lord and for His church?the body of the Lord. We must be unconditionally obedient to the Word of God. Jesus showed a perfect example of self-sacrifice and obedience. Philippians 2:6-8 says: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!” We are now saved because Jesus showed an example of absolute self-sacrifice and obedience. Obedience and self-sacrifice leads to life not death. Our obedience and self-sacrifice is the channel of God’s blessings through which God fulfills His will. Thanks to Mary’s obedience and self-sacrifice; Jesus was born and we are greatly blessed. We are here today, thanks to our mothers’ self-sacrifice and devotion. Americans’ most favorite sport is American football. On February 5, 2006, Hines Ward won the Super Bowl MVP award. The Korean Press honored Hines Ward’s award as headline news because his mother is a Korean. Hines Ward boasts about his mother wherever he goes. He often says: “She means everything to me.” One time he elaborated: “My mom means everything to me. I would not be here today if it were not for her. My mom worked her tail off for me. She is my pride and joy. I play football in the field for my mom. I learned all the virtues of life such as honesty and love from my mother.” Above all things, his mother, Mrs. Young-Hee Kim, was a faithful Christian and a woman of prayer. She did not know English when she moved to the United States. Her husband divorced her shortly after going to America. The only job she could get was washing dishes as a helper in a restaurant kitchen. She was paid three dollars an hour for washing dishes. Her earnings were never enough to support her son and herself. She worked on three jobs, nearly working around the clock. She washed dishes, cleaned hotel rooms, and worked as a cashier. She began her early dawn mornings with fervent and tearful prayer. She worked all day and came back home weary and exhausted late at night. She sacrificed herself for her son’s well-being and success. She chose to live in an African-American community because she did not want her son to be bullied by white children. She gave unconditional love to her son. Hines Ward inherited his mother’s unconditional love. His mother’s prayer of tears and sacrifice made the Hines Ward of today. A few years ago Hines and his mother visited Korea. They came to our church, met Pastor Cho and took pictures with him. Do you know what they did while visiting Korea? They established a fund to help and support the neglected, abused and poor children because they wanted to help needy children of Korea. The Associated Press (AP) introduced his mother, Young-Hee Kim, and her sacrificial care for her son as the source that made today’s Hines Ward. Hines Ward became an important person thanks to the tearful prayer, devotion, and self-sacrifice of his mother. Her life was filled with toil as a divorced woman in a foreign land. She had no one to turn to. She had absolutely nothing. She trusted God alone, prayed to Him with tears and left her son under His care. Then God answered her prayers and made Hines a successful person. We should never forget the love of our mothers. Their self-sacrifice and devotion has made us what we are today. Second, I want to think about Mary, who always kept the Word of God in her heart. Mary lived centered on the Word. The angel came and spoke to her and Mary agreed that God’s Word be done to her. Luke 1:38 says: “‘I am the Lord's servant,’ Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’ Then the angel left her.” The shepherds in the field heard the voice of angels and came to see Jesus after he was born. Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19 says: “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover when Jesus was 12 years old. After the Feast was over, Jesus’ parents turned to go back home and journeyed for a day; unaware that Jesus was not with them. They turned back to Jerusalem to look for Jesus and found him three days later in the temple courts. They were surprised when Jesus said: “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:51 says: “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” I pray that the Word of the Lord will work in you. God will bless us when we walk with the Word. Let us leave all the worry, concern, and anxiety under His Cross. Let us always hold on to the Word of life, trusting that His blessings, miracles, and grace will follow us. The host ran out of wine at a wedding banquet at Cana. The banquet was to continue for a week. Running out of wine in their culture meant that the newly-weds would begin their new life together in trouble. Mother Mary told Jesus about this and said the following to the servant. John 2:5 says: “His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ ” The servants did what Jesus told them to do. They took the water to the master of the banquet and it turned into wine. Miracles take place when we obey God’s Word. What kind of heritage can a mother leave to her children? It should be a heritage of faith. Children will be blessed when a mother leaves her children a heritage of obedience to God’s Word. I pray that you will live victoriously in the Lord by always meditating on the Word. The Israelites were greatly blessed for keeping the Law of God. They were exiles for more than 1,900 years but they held on to the Word. Then in 1948 they were able to reclaim their land and proclaim their independence. Jews make up only 0.2 percent of the world population; but 54 percent of the world chess champions, 27 percent of the Nobel physics laureates and 31 percent of the medicine laureates are Jewish. Jews make up 2 percent of the U.S. population; but 21 percent of the Ivy League student bodies, 26 percent of the Kennedy Center honorees, 37 percent of the Academy Award-winning directors, 38 percent of those on a recent Business Week list of leading philanthropists, and 51 percent of the Pulitzer Prize winners for nonfiction literature are Jewish. What is the secret of their success? The secret is that they hold on to the Word of God. They teach their children the Word of God before anything else. Even though little children do not understand anything; Jewish parents read and teach Scripture to them. Deuteronomy 6:4-7 says: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” The Scripture begins with “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” They teach this Scripture to their children when they are babies. The first word a Jewish baby hears is “Hear, O Israel.” “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” Children listen to this Scripture as they grow. Their parents read this Scripture to them every day whether they understand it or not. The Scripture will take root and grow in the hearts of the children so that they will grow to be great and influential figures in the world. I urge you to teach your children with the Word. Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, had little formal education; but his destiny was established as his mother read and educated him according to the Bible. Abraham was nine when his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln died; but she read the Bible and prayed for him. Since his childhood, Lincoln remembered his mother, Nancy Hanks last will: “Be a man who reads the Bible rather than a man of wealth or a dignitary.” Lincoln followed his mother’s will, reading the Bible and praying all the time. God kept His promise and lifted him to be the President of the United States. Lincoln said: “I remember my mother’s prayers and they have followed me. They have clung to me all my life. All that I am and hope to be I owe to my angel mother.” Lincoln could possess God’s blessings and victory because he inherited the Word and prayer from his mother. Psalm 119:105 says: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Douglas MacArthur, the American hero of the Second World War, said: “Believe me, sir, never a night goes by, be I ever so tired, but I read the Word of God before I go to bed.” Even if you are extremely busy, tired, or burdened, read the Bible. I pray that you will march forward with faith by meditating on the Bible and listening to the voice of the Lord through the Bible. Third, we must remember that she never left Jesus until His death. She was with Jesus to the end. Mother Mary never left Jesus. She stayed with Him throughout His public ministry through to His crucifixion. She was there when Jesus ascended up to heaven and on through the starting and establishment of the early Christian church. Most of the disciples fled when Jesus was crucified. Apostle John was the only disciple who followed Jesus to the place of His Crucifixion. John 19:25-26 says: “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son.” Jesus asked John to take care of His mother right before He took his last breathe. He showed His love to His mother even at His last moment. We must follow His example to love and honor our parents while they are still alive; doing things for them with pleasure. Young people sometimes think their parents are a burden so their parents feel very lonely. Let us not make our parents feel lonely. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will call them often, buy nice things for them, and make them happy. George Washington, the Father of the United States of America, was also born from a praying mother. Praying mothers were behind great leaders in the world. Suzanna, a woman of great prayer, was the mother of John Wesley who was the founder of the Methodist churches. Monica, a faithful and praying woman of the Medieval Age was the mother of Saint Augustine. After her son left home at the age of 17, Monica prayed 20 years for his return. Augustine returned with repentance and became a great servant of the Lord. After he died, people honored his memory by putting the word “Saint” before his name. Moses became a great leader who led the Israelites from Egypt because his mother Jochebed raised him with faith. It is true. The prayer of parents changes the destiny of their children. Therefore, we must raise our children with faith through prayers. Proverbs 22:6 says: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” We must set a fine example of faith before our children by consistently serving the Lord throughout our lives. We should not let our faith be shaken by small things. Our children will learn how to serve the Lord by looking at our Christian life and our service for the Lord. They will say: “My parents are blessed by the Lord for their service to Him. I, too, will serve the Lord well enough to be blessed.” You should not complain or speak negative things about the church in front of your children. I know none of you do this but there are some people who do. At home, especially in front of your children, you have to speak of the grace of God and good things about church. Then your children will say: “I must follow the example of my parents.” Hallelujah! I pray that you will leave a heritage of good faith to your children. Fourth, I want to speak about Mary who was a praying mother. Before Jesus went to heaven, he said to His disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father had promised, which you have heard me speak about.” So the disciples gathered and prayed all together for ten days. Mother Mary was with these disciples during those days. Act 1:14 says: “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. On the tenth day, the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended on them and the Christian church was born. Act 2:1 says: “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Act 2:4 says: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.” Parents’ tearful prayers will change the destiny of their children. Rev. Spurgeon said: “It was the custom on Sunday evenings, while we were yet little children, we sat round the table and read verse by verse, and mother explained the Scripture to us. Then came a mother’s prayer, and some of the words of her prayer we shall never forget, even when our hair is grey.” I, too, grew up listening to the prayers of my mother. I would wake up early in the morning when I was a senior at high school. While I prepared myself for school early in the morning, my mom was already up and praying. She was praying for her five children. I have three brothers and one sister. She would wake up around three to pray before going to the church prayer meeting. After praying at home, she went to church for the prayer meeting. I still remember her prayers for me. Even now she is praying for me. She always says when we talk on the phone: “Prayer is the only thing I can do for you. You, too, pray hard and be humble before the Lord. God is the real pastor of a church so do not go ahead of Him. Do not be self-conceited. Pray and leave all things under His sovereign care.” We came to exist because of our praying mothers. God will bless us and our children when we pray. In the history of Israel, Samuel was one of the greatest servants of God. He was a prophet, the last judge, and a priest. Samuel was born as an answer to his mother Hannah’s prayer. Samuel became a man of prayer and was a great leader of Israel. It is true. Your prayer will change the destiny of your children. Do not be dismayed just because your children are rebellious. Do not agonize just because they stick in your gizzard. God will do wonderful things when we pray and leave them under God’s care. A child’s future cannot go wrong as long as there is a praying mother or a praying father. God will take our prayers and perform marvelous things when we fervently pray to Him on bended knees. In 1984, the United States Department of State selected and announced the most distinguished family in the United States. They did not select a family that was Caucasian, or Jewish, German, or Japanese. The Korean family of Drs. Kwang Lim and Hesung Chun Koh was selected. The late Dr. Kwang Lim Koh, received a Ph. D. in Law from Harvard University, served as the youngest faculty at Seoul National University, and later served as the Korean Ambassador to the United States where he settled and raised his six children. Each of his six children graduated from top universities such as Yale, Harvard, and Oxford. Today they are all very successful. President Barack Obama nominated Harold Hongju Koh, Dean of Yale Law School and the third son of Dr. Koh’s family, to be Legal Advisor of the Department of State. Dr. Koh’s eldest son Howard Kyongju Koh, was then appointed by President Obama to be the United States Assistant Secretary for Health. These two men are the first brothers to serve at the level of Assistant Secretary at the same time. This is honorable. Americans wanted to know what was so special about the Koh family. They closely studied them and found one thing out. The Koh family gathered together before breakfast and prayed. Early each morning, the whole family gathered and prayed together. The children would begin and their parents followed with their prayers. This family began and ended each day with prayer. They grew up with the love and prayers of their parents and became great and influential people of the United States. It is true. Miracles will take place when we pray. God’s marvelous work will be done when we pray. Nobody can stand against those who pray. Nobody can stand against praying parents. God has given a mission of prayer to parents, especially mothers. Fathers are too busy with their jobs and other social activities to concentrate on prayers; but most mothers can concentrate on prayers. When parents pray for their children with tears; their prayers will change the destiny of their children. Water drops falling from the eaves eventually make a hole in the rock below. In the same way, wonderful miracles and blessings are created when we pray and pray over and over again. The future of our children depends on the praying knees of parents. Your prayers will change the future of your children. Your prayers will bring miracles and blessings to your children. Our children will not ever go to ruin when we pray for them with tears. They may go astray for a little while, but they will certainly return to God with repentance, ready to be used greatly by God. I earnestly pray that you will become praying parents, praying for your children with tears so that the Lord can work marvelously in your children to make them great servants of the Lord. I also pray that you will honor and please your parents so that you will manifest the glory of God in your lives. This is my earnest prayer for you in the name of the Lord. Let us pray. Our Father of infinite love, grace, and mercy, we thank You for giving our parents to us. We are thankful for the love of our parents. Help us to honor and pray for our parents. Bless the parents so that they will pray for their children with tears. Bless the children so that their lives will be filled with Your grace and blessings. Giving thanks to You, I pray in the Name of Jesus. Amen. 10