MOTHER’S LOVE
Natasha Voronina
Mom… This word means so much in every person’s life! It is the first word that comes from a baby’s mouth. From birth mom surrounds her child with tender touches, care and love. Even when her child becomes an adult, a mother’s love never leaves them; she has them in her thoughts and prayers, encouraging and blessing. The world is a much colder place without a mother’s love.
Like God’s heart, mother’s heart is big and she cares for us all the time. The Lord gave woman a great desire to love and care with tenderness and kindness – these are virtues given her by the Creator.
The Holy Scriptures show us Mary’s humble and loving heart of a mother. Mary was an excellent example of a mother who was obedient to the will of God as she understood that she was chosen by God for not an easy ministry. Regardless of the hardships and pain that she would have to go through and experience, she gave Jesus all of her love, care and affection; she stayed with Him till the end, encouraging Him.
It was not an accident that the Lord chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus; outward appearances mean nothing for the Creator. Modesty and the obedient heart of the young woman Mary – these were qualities capable of carrying out the will of God. Because Mary loved God, she accepted the Word of God and obeyed His will.
The Holy Scriptures tell us this wonderful story from the very beginning: “In the sixth month, God sent the Angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The Angel went to her and said: “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 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. 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, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His Kingdom will never end”. “How will this be”, Mary asked the Angel, “since I am a virgin?” 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” (Luke 1:26-35).
Before the whole world learns that Mary is the mother of God, she would have to go through humiliation and shame knowing that she was carrying an illegitimate child under her heart. A long journey on a donkey to Bethlehem, birth of Jesus in a manger, the years of hiding from the king Herod in hopes of saving Jesus from death, crucifixion and the death of Jesus… God’s truth could not be born without suffering.
But in her heart, Mary knew that a miracle had happened to her. From the moment she received news that she would give birth to the Savior, her life changed. Mary devoted herself to Jesus knowing that the time would come when she would have to let Him go and give Him into God’s hands. Never ending patience, wisdom, obedience and most importantly the love that filled Mary’s heart, helped her walk that journey together with Jesus. The most painful thing for Mary was to acknowledge that at the peak of His life Jesus would have to go through physical sufferings and pain, to be crucified on the cross without committing a crime. No matter what trials He would have to go through, Mary’s eyes always reflected love and compassion for the One she gave birth to. Mary’s sensitive mother’s heart cringed in pain during Jesus’ suffering. Perhaps at that time, she did not understand why Jesus had to shed His blood on the cross, but her love for God, her faith and trust gave her the courage and strength to go on.
Mary went with Jesus all the way to His end. We don’t see many descriptions of Mary’s emotions in the Bible during the life of Jesus on earth, but we can surely say that her heart was filled with love for Jesus the Lord God. She believed and trusted, humbled herself and served, loved, prayed and blessed…
Very often our mothers’ troubles, prayers and cares remain hidden from our eyes because a mother’s love is inside her heart that always worries for us and never stops thinking about us. A great caring heart of a mother will always love her child.
Let us be thankful to our Lord Jesus Christ for our mothers, for their kind, tender, caring and loving hearts!