What does love look like? It’s a question that has been debated for centuries and many good answers shared. Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” He described in many different ways the need to consider others better than yourself, and by doing so, we love our neighbor and honor them.
A love like that doesn’t come often. It isn’t as frequent as television and songs make it out to be. We don’t find that deep kind of love easily. For a parent, there is a natural deep connection we want to have with those little people we get to bring into existence. Even before we get to know their personality and their behaviors and attitude, we love them.
One of the hardest thing I can imagine is giving up your child. I’ve heard many stories of times during World War II, in the Holocaust, where parents gave their children up to virtually anyone who would be willing to hide them away from the danger of the Nazis. Thousands of children hidden away without the people that love them the most. Why? What would compel a parent to give their precious child up with the possibility of never seeing them again? Love.
In Exodus 2, we read of Jochebed and her love she had for her son, Moses. The Egyptians were on a rampage to destroy all the Jews from their land. Hebrew babies were the target. Jochebed sent her son away not knowing how her decision would end, but trusting God for a positive ending. In the end she was given the privilege of raising her son in safety in the very palace where the command to kill the Jews originated.
Moses in turn spent his years honoring God and pleasing his parents for his service to free the Hebrews from slavery. Ten plagues and 80 years later, he would lead the Jews out of danger towards the Promised Land. The story of the Exodus is used constantly throughout the Bible as symbolism of the Messiah redeeming the slaves of sin from Satan’s snare and delivering them to the Promised Land.
That story is revealed in Jesus. From the day that Mary heard that she would be the one to carry the Messiah she praised God for the honor. But her time with Jesus had an expiration date. A day would come when she would realize her son would have to give His life to free us from what separates us from our Father.
At His death, Jesus looked down from the cross and took the time to show honor to the woman that had been there through so much of his ministry. She helped to prompt Him in His first miraculous sign to the world, and she would be there at the end when He would show the world His final miraculous sign in the flesh. Jesus said to John in John 19:26-27, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” Then we read that ‘from that hour the disciple took her into his own household.’
How do we honor those that have loved us so deeply to sacrifice so much for us? Those who have stood beside us when no one else would? Moses brought freedom to his mother’s kinsmen, Jesus brought spiritual freedom to everyone who trusts in Him. What can we do for our mother? Our father? Anyone who has loved us with that rare love that so few are privileged to see?
Solomon says in Proverbs 23:25, “Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her rejoice who gave birth to you.” What could you do with your life that would cause your parents to rejoice in your birth? Perhaps the same answer could be given for what pleases our Heavenly Father. Do you know what pleases your Heavenly Father? Those that will share in the ‘joys of the Father’ will be those who use their life to honor God, who love Him with all they have. People who trust Him and seek His will in their life. Through that service to Him, we help perpetuate the message of freedom made possible through Jesus Christ and His willing sacrifice on the cross.
It pleases God for us to trust Him and His words of truth and guidance. Consider how your obedience to God brings honor to your mother, then tell her, if you can, how much she has helped to define your purpose in life.
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