Presented to Westhaven and Echo Village, May 11th and 12th, 2024 by Major Michael Ramsay
Based on Genesis 4, 1 Samuel 1, Matthew 20:20-28, Luke 1:26-56. 2 John: Mother’s Day Haikus. Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries on Mother’s Day, 08 May 2022, by Sarah-Grace and Heather Ramsay. Available on-line here:
https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2022/05/genesis-4-1-samuel-1-matthew-2020-28.html
This weekend is Mother’s Day. Today we are going to chat about two mothers from the Bible, Mary and Kyria Electa.
2 John:1-6:
1 The elder,
To the KYRIA ELECTA and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.
4 It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.
KYRIA ELECTA
2nd John says it is addressed to a specific mother and her children. Her name ‘Kyria’ translated to English from Greek literally means ‘Lady’ and her other name ‘Electa’ literally means ‘chosen’. Thus, the NIV reads this letter as written to the chosen lady. Kyria Electa was chosen as one of the first Christian pastors. She encouraged her children - those who have come to faith through her and presumably her natural born children as well. John sent her this letter of encouragement and it is neat because he concluded this short letter by sending greetings from the children of another woman pastor/teacher in the church.
God has used and is using many mothers and others in many roles in His church. Mothers especially are great teachers of their children. In times gone past before daycares and kindergartens moms were the primary teachers of the next generation. It is my hope that we would all be encouraged as Kyria Electa to continue to teach and care for one another.
Our next mother today is from the Gospels. She is probably the most well known and most often represented mother in artwork in the history of the world. The next mother we have today is Mary.
Luke 1:30-38:
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
MARY
Mary was chosen by God to give birth to the Son of God and raise Him and care for Him. I can’t imagine what it must have been like for her to see Him grow and do the things He does. I can’t imagine what it would be like for her to realize and respect her son as the Lord. I can’t imagine what it would have been like for her to see him upon the cross. He loved her so much: He entrusted her care to his friend even while He was upon the cross. I can’t imagine then what it would be like for her to know of His resurrection and eternal life. I can’t imagine how humbling it would be to see what God has and is doing through her little boy.
Moms, dads, and families are often proud of their children. They are very happy when they see how God uses them. God used Mary’s son, His Son, to accomplish so much in this world and the next. Mary’s son is also the Son of God and He was conceived, born, lived, died, and rose again so that we may all live forever more.
On this Mother's Day weekend, let us all take Jesus up on that offer and let us all serve Him both for now and forever more.
Let us pray: Dear God on this Mother’s Day, we thank you for our mothers and others who love us. We pray for those near and dear to us. We pray that You will be with them and care for them; Lord we pray that we will know that You are near us and those we love in times of trouble. Lord, we thank you for loving us for now and forever more.
Amen.
Posts
