It’s been said that “…the sweetest thing in all the world is … a mother’s love!" And, it’s that very special love that we’re going to talk about today. Parenting is a verb … and love is what you do best, mothers! So, with that in mind, what is a mother’s role in the family? To love those entrusted to her the way that Jesus loved… But, how? As we continue to study biblical principles for parenting—even on this Mother’s Day … this is where we have to begin! Here’s the first step; listen, now, to Paul’s words to the Ephesus church… 

“Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ. 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For a husband has authority over his wife just as Christ has authority over the church; and Christ is himself the Savior of the church, his body. 24 And so wives must submit themselves completely to their husbands just as the church submits itself to Christ. … 25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it. … 31 As the scripture says, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one." 32 There is a deep secret truth revealed in this scripture, which I understand as applying to Christ and the church. 33 But it also applies to you: every husband must love his wife as himself, and every wife must respect her husband. – Ephesians 5:21-25, 31-33 (TEV)

Mom’s find themselves wearing many hats—being a wife, a sister or sister-in-law, and being a mom, of course. The most important relationship, however, is between mothers … and God. And, that’s really what the scripture we just read is all about. Today, let’s start with the foundational relationship in the home—the parental one… (Now, if you’re a single mom, or aunt who’s helping raise kids, or a grandma who’s doing the same, please hang in there with me; I believe God’s word is for you today, too … if you’ll give me a chance.) Let me begin here: Basically, a mother’s role, folks, is to learn to love those in her home just like Jesus would … and teach them to do the same! And, the first step is this:

A farmer’s boy decided to get married. His father said to him, "John, when you get married, your liberty is gone."

 

The boy said he did not believe it. The father said, "I’ll prove it to you. Catch a dozen chickens, tie their legs together and put them in the wagon. Hitch up the two horses to the wagon and drive into town. Stop at every house you come to, and wherever you find the man is boss, give him a horse. Wherever you find the woman is boss, give her a chicken. You’ll give away all your chickens and come back with two horses."

 

The boy accepted the proposition and drove to town. He had stopped at every house and had given away ten chickens when he came to a nice little house and saw an old man and his wife standing out on the front lawn. He called to them and asked, "Who is boss here?"

 

The man said, "I am" Turning to the woman, the boy said, "Is he boss?" The woman replied, "Yes, he’s boss." The boy asked them to come down to the street. He then explained his reason for asking and told the man to pick out one of the horses. He said he would bring the horse back to him that afternoon. The old man and the old lady looked over the horses carefully, and the husband said, "I think the black horse is the better of the two."

 

The wife then said, "I think that bay horse is in every way the better horse. I would choose him."

 

The old man took a careful look at the bay horse and said, "I guess I’ll take the bay horse."

 

The boy smiled and said, "No, you won’t; you’ll take a chicken."

⁵ Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ Never forget these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷ Teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working. – Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (TEV)