Mother's Day, 2001: Giving it up for God

Mothers' Day, 2001: GIVING IT UP FOR GOD

Outside of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the most interesting mother in the Bible is Ruth. Most of you know the story.

Ruth

Ruth's husband's family had moved to Moab because a famine had hit their home, Bethlehem. The family consisted of Elimelech and Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. Elimelech died in Moab and Naomi's sons had married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. After about ten years, Mahlon and Kilion died, leaving no children to Ruth and Orpah. Having no sons to support her in her old age, Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem. Not many in Israel would want to marry a Moabitess, so Naomi told Ruth and Orpah to go back to their families. That would be their best chance for remarriage and to have children. (Deut. 23:3 says that no descendant of a Moabite could enter the assembly of the Lord down to the tenth generation, but the masculine form is used, meaning a female convert such as Ruth could marry.)

Amazingly, Ruth gave up her most obvious opportunity to marry and have children. She decided to go with Naomi to a foreign land. Naomi pleaded with her: "Look," she said, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her." (Ruth 1:15) But Ruth accepted the people and the God of Israel - she answered Naomi: "Your people will be my people and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16b) This great statement by Ruth is highlighted by a song in the 1960 Hollywood movie, The Story of Ruth. In ancient Israel, they had sons about their heros, but we don't have them much in our culture today. So it is special that Ruth had a twentieth-century song about what she did.

In Bethlehem God blessed Ruth for her sacrifice. There she was redeemed by Boaz, her kinsman, who married her. Ruth gave up having a husband, children, and financial security, but God gave it all back to her. In Ruth 4:13b, it says that God enabled Ruth to conceive. She bore a son, Obed. In addition, God gave Ruth fame and fortune. Her fortune came because Boaz was wealthy. So, not only were she and Obed well-taken-care-of, but also Naomi. Ruth's fame is not having a Hollywood movie about her. Rather, it is found in the New Testament. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ, and there you will find Ruth's name (Matt. 1:5). She was the great-grandmother of King David, and the ancestor of Jesus. This is a great Mothers' Day story, but it is more than just that.

Ruth is an example of the principle I call giving it up for God. This principle is best illustrated by Jesus, Who gave up all for God the Father and for us. He willingly sacrificed Himself for our sakes. Jesus is now sitting at the right hand of the Father, Who will put all things under Jesus' authority (Psalm 110:1, 2).

The Rich Young Ruler

This principle is also illustrated in the story of the rich young ruler who asked Jesus what he lacked to be godly. Jesus told him to give everything to the poor and to follow Him. But the man didn't do it. He had a lot of material wealth and did not want to give it up. He was possessed by his possessions. This account is reported in the first three gospels, but let us examine the one from Luke 18:24-29:

"Jesus looked at him and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.' Those who heard this asked, 'Who then can be saved?' Jesus replied, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God.' Peter said to him, 'We have left all we had to follow you!' 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus said to them, 'no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.'"

Here is the principle of giving it up for God. We must make a break from the world to follow Christ. The amazing thing is that when we give it all up for God, we receive it all back, plus more. There are two cautions, though. The first is that we must not be giving up things in order to receive more. We must be giving it up for God. This brings up the second caution: the world is controlled by Satan. When we strongly identify with Christ, then the world hates us. Jesus said this in John 17:14: The world hates us because we are not of the world. But in the next verse, Jesus prays that God would not take us out of the world, but rather that He would protect us from the evil one (John 17:15).

I said the story of the rich young ruler was in three of the gospels. The report in Mark is similar to the one we just examined in Luke, but with one important difference that has to do with the second caution. Mark was writing for Peter, and Peter definitely remembers the part about the world hating us. During one of His post-resurrection appearances, Jesus had told Peter how he would die (reported in John 21:18-19). Here is the Mark passage concerning the rich man:

"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "No one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields - and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life." (Mark 10:29-30)

This passage from Mark supports the principle of giving it up for God. But what is new and different is that with the increased homes, fields, and the like, come persecutions. This statement about the second caution is also supported in 2 Timothy 3:12: "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted." Nevertheless, Christ is our kinsman/redeemer, like Boaz, and He will take care of us.

Mary

Earlier, I mentioned Jesus' mother, Mary. She is an example of suffering persecution for Jesus' sake. When Jesus started His ministry, Mary heard a report that Jesus was out of His mind. This slander against Jesus was probably being gossiped all over because Satan was behind it. As a result of this rumor, she and her other sons went to talk to Jesus, as reported in Mark 3:21. Another Satan-inspired rumor reflecting on Mary was that she had conceived Jesus out of wedlock. This is implied in John 8:41 where, in the middle of a heated debate with Jesus, the Pharisees said: "We are not illegitimate children. . . ." The implication is that Jesus was illegitimate. Again, Satan probably spread this accusation around, too.

Finally, Mary endured her son being accused, tried, and executed as a criminal. Again, this was a terrible reflection on her and her family, besides her personal anguish on seeing her son die horribly. Yet she persevered through it all and became the most famous mother in history. Churches and cathedrals all over the world are named for her; probably the most famous one is Notre Dame in Paris.

Mary may have received fortune as well as fame. There is a good argument that the apostle John was wealthy. After Jesus was arrested in the garden, John 18:15 and 16 say that "Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went into the high priest's courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in." Now who was this disciple who went with Peter? It was probably John, who modestly does not report his name in his Gospel. John lived in Jerusalem and, because his family was well to do and well connected, he not only knew the high priest, but also, he knew the whole household, right down to the servant girl at the door. She knew him well enough to take orders from him and to let Peter in.

At the time of Jesus' death, His earthly father, Joseph, was dead. As the oldest son, Jesus was responsible for taking care of His mother. On the cross Jesus delegated that responsibility to John. (This was because His brothers were not believers yet.) John 19:26 and 27 report that "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,' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.'" From that time on, this disciple took her into His home. The well-connected John took Mary to his nice home in Jerusalem, and so Mary ended up like Ruth, being well-taken care of. Fame and fortune did come Mary's way.

Unknown Mothers

A critic might say that my examples are the most famous mothers in history - what about some other mothers, say a nameless one? The apostle John addressed his second letter to "the chosen lady and her children." However, some say John could have been addressing the church as the chosen lady, so let us look elsewhere. Proverbs 31:10-31 reports the "giving-it-up" principle for a diligent wife and mother who fears the Lord: "A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." This is well off because God blesses the work of her hands. Her fame comes from her children who call her blessed, from her husband who praises her, and from the city council members who praise her too. So this nameless mother who feared God received fame and fortune at a more modest level than Ruth and Mary. Her fame was in her family and her hometown. But the principle of giving it up for God still holds. That is the challenge to us - to give up everything for God - to present ourselves as living sacrifices to God (Rom. 12:1and 2).