Mrs. Zebedee
A Mother’s day sermon
Charles Sligh
May 10, 2020
NOTE: PowerPoint presentation is available for this sermon by request at chucksligh@hotmail.com. Please mention the title of the sermon and the Bible text to help me find the sermon in my archives
NOTE: Adapted from a sermon by Melvin Newman on SermonCentral.com
TEXT: Turn to Matthew 20 and we will read verses 20-23 a little later.
INTRODUCTION
Illus. – Someone wrote,
Mother’s Day is traditionally the day when children give something back to their mothers for all the spit they produce to wash dirty faces, all the old gum they held in their hands, all the noses they wiped, and all the bloody knees they ‘made well’ with their kisses
This is the day mothers are rewarded for washing sheets in the middle of the night, driving kids to school when they missed the bus, and enduring all those football and soccer games in the rain. It’s a day of appreciation for making your children finish something they said they couldn’t do, not believing them when they said, ‘I hate you,’ and sharing their good times and their bad.
What are mothers? Well, mothers are teachers. Mothers are disciplinarians. Mothers are cleaning ladies. Some mothers are gardeners and mowers of lawns. Mothers are nurses and doctors and psychologists and counselors and chauffeurs and coaches.
Mothers are developers of personalities, molders of vocabularies, and shapers of attitudes. Mothers are soft voices saying, “I love you.” And mothers are a link to God, a child’s first impression of God’s love. Mothers are all these things and much, much more.
Illus. – The late columnist Erma Bombeck told of God in the act of creating mothers. She says that on the day God created mothers He had already worked long overtime.
I think I missed that somewhere in the book of Genesis but bear with me a minute. An angel said to Him, “Lord, you sure are spending a lot of time on this one.”
The Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this model? She’s supposed to…have 180 moving parts. She is to have a kiss that will heal everything from a broken leg to a broken heart. She is to have a lap that will disappear whenever she stands up. She is to be able to function on black coffee and leftovers. And she is supposed to have six pairs of hands.”
“Six pairs of hands?!” said the angel, “that’s impossible.”
“It’s not the six pairs of hands that bother me,” said the Lord, “It’s the three pairs of eyes. She’s supposed to have one pair that sees through closed doors so that whenever she says, ‘What are you kids doing in there?’ She already knows what they’re doing in there. She has another pair in the back of her head to see all the things she is not supposed to see but must see. And then she has one pair right in front that can look at a child that just goofed up and communicate love and understanding without saying a word.”
“That’s too much.” said the angel, “You can’t put that much in one model. Why don’t you rest for a while and resume your creating tomorrow?”
“I can’t,” said the Lord. “I’m close to creating someone very much like myself. I’ve already come up with a model who can serve when she’s sick; can feed a family of six with one pound of hamburger; and can persuade a nine-year-old to take a shower.”
Then the angel looked at the model of motherhood a little more closely and said, “She’s too soft.”
“Oh, but she’s tough,” said the Lord. “You’d be surprised at how much she can do.”
“Can she think?” asked the angel.
“Not only can she think,” said the Lord, “but she can reason and compromise and persuade.”
Then the angel reached over and touched her cheek. “This one has a leak,” he said. “I told you that you couldn’t put that much in one model.”
“That’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “That’s a tear.”
“What’s a tear for?” asked the angel.
“Well it’s for joy, for sadness, for sorrow, for disappointment, for pride.”
“You’re a genius,” said the angel.
Well, the author took a few licenses there—I mean God created everything simply by His Word—but it got the point across: God created something special when He created mothers.
This morning I would like for us to look at Mrs. Zebedee. Follow along with me as I read Matthew 20:20-23 – “Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21 And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22 But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23 And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.”
Mrs. Zebedee was aware of the teachings of Jesus about His kingdom. She was also very aware of the fact that her sons, James and John, were close to Him. They were two thirds of Jesus’ inner circle of Peter, James and John. So she was certain that when the Lord formed His kingdom, they would have positions of responsibility and authority.
But in the first part of this same chapter, Jesus told a parable that must have disturbed her. It was a story about a landowner who went out to find laborers early in the morning. They agreed upon a fair day’s wage and started working. Then at noon he went out and found some more, and they started working. Then towards evening he went out and found some more and they started working. Yet, when the Lord paid them at the end of the day, they all received the same wage.
The teachings of this parable would be a good study for another day, but for now, it must have caused Mrs. Zebedee to wonder, “Will my sons really have positions of authority in the Lord’s new kingdom?” So when she had an opportunity, she came to Jesus and asked, “When you establish your kingdom, would you let my sons sit in places of authority and honor on your right and left hand.”
Now, when I was trying to think of a mother to use as my text for Mother’s Day, at first I ruled out Mrs. Zebedee, because at first glance, it looks like she’s being selfish and presumptuous. But as I thought about it, it occurred to me that maybe we’re looking at her all wrong. Maybe we’re not giving her a fair shake.
I realized that, though Jesus did not grant her request, neither did He deny it. He simply reminded her of the cost of being seated on the right or left and told her that it is the Father who determines who will be seated where. Not so much a rebuke per se, but more of a reminder that she needs to let Him run the kingdom, not start meddling where she had no business meddling.
As I took a new look at this passage, I observed three good things about this mother in this text.
I. FIRST, SHE PRAYED THAT HER SONS MIGHT BE A PART OF GOD’S KINGDOM.
I can think of no more important task of motherhood than to seek to ensure that your children are a part of the Kingdom of God. I know that many mothers pray. Sometimes they pray out of necessity. Sometimes they pray because motherhood is not easy, but extremely difficult.
Illus. – James Dobson tells of a time he came home when his son, Ryan, was a baby. It had been a terrible day for his wife, Shirley. Ryan had been sick and had cried all day. Once, as she was changing his diapers, the telephone rang and Shirley reached over to answer it before fastening up his diaper. Just then Ryan had another attack of diarrhea! She cleaned up that mess and put him in clean, sweet-smelling clothes. Then she took him into the living room and fed him. As she was burping him he threw up all over himself, her…and the couch too.
Dobson writes, “When I came home I could smell the aroma of motherhood everywhere.”
Sometimes mothers pray just out of the stress of it all, and sometimes, in the frustration of trying to teach our children, we have communication breakdowns.
Illus. – I remember when we had caught Allen, our youngest son in a lie. Susan delivered Allen over to me, and said, “He just lied to me the third time in a row. I need for him to tell me what he just did. Make him tell me the truth.”
I pulled him aside—and remember, he’s like five-years-old at this time, right?—And you know how literal kids are at that age, right? So I made him look me in the eyes and very sternly I said, “Allen, you tell me the truth right now.”
He said, “Truf.”
Puzzled, I said, “Tell me the truth this very minute or you’re going to be in big trouble.”
Distressed, he said the second time with a little more earnestness, “Truf.”
I said, “Stop that and tell me the truth, do you understand?”
Starting to well up with tears, he cried out, “Truf, Daddy, Truf! Truf!”
Suddenly it occurred to me that we had a communication breakdown!
I knew I meant for him to tell me the truth about what had happened; but he thought I was telling him to say the word “truth”—and he was doing the best he could! Susan and I both realized what was actually going on at the same time, and we just broke down laughing…to Allen’s utter relief and confusion.
Another time—when we weren’t in stitches—we were more careful to explain the CONCEPT of truth, but right then the teaching moment was totally lost.
Trying to be a mother is not easy; but neither is being a kid sometimes, you know? Think about Allen at that moment: He was TRYING to obey, but he seemed to be getting in more trouble by the moment. Sometimes these kinds of situations don’t lead to a laughing fit, like the story I just told, but a crying session instead, as our children frustrate your best efforts.
Moms, it’s not easy being a mother, so you need to pray a lot. Sometimes parenthood is filled with JOY; sometimes SADNESS. Sometimes being a mother is INEXPRESSIBLY FULFILLING and sometimes OVERWHELMINGLY VEXING. Sometimes your children make you so proud you want to pop your buttons; at other times you can’t find enough Kleenexes to dry your tears.
Illus. – I can understand the feelings of the mother with three kids who was asked, “If you had it all to do over again, would you have children?” – “Yes,” she replied, “but not the same ones.”
Being a parent is difficult. But Mrs. Zebedee gives us a valuable example, because she prayed earnestly that her sons would be a part of His kingdom.
We need that same concern for our children. Moms and dads, that’s the most important thing isn’t it?—That we help our kids to get into God’s kingdom. What good is it if our children are successful in making money, driving fine cars, and living in good neighborhoods if they don’t know God? What does it matter if they gain the whole world, but lose their own souls?
I hope that in the heart of every mother and father listening this morning there is a burden to go to the throne of God and pray for your children’s salvation. Pray for many things, but never let a day go by without praying that they will be in His kingdom; that they will be saved.
That’s the place to begin. But don’t just pray for their salvation—put feet to those prayers. Teach them about God and the wonderful story of how Jesus died on the cross for the bad things they have done. Teach them about how they can put their faith in Jesus to have their sins forgiven and to have God as their Father and Jesus as their Savior. Bring them to church faithfully where those teachings are reinforced every week by our teachers.
II. SECOND, I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT MRS. ZEBEDEE ALSO PRAYED THAT HER SONS WOULD BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE WORK OF HIS KINGDOM.
You know, it’s not enough just to be saved. Churches are full of people content just to fill a pew on Sunday mornings. There are plenty of people willing to sit back and receive the blessings, but not so many willing to get involved in doing any of the real work of the church.
Where does the spirit of service begin? It begins at home, with mothers and fathers setting the example by being involved in service to the Lord themselves and praying that their sons and daughters might follow in their footsteps and be involved in the work of the kingdom as teachers and leaders and disciplers of others.
And it follows that kids—when they are appropriate age—should serve as helpers in the church wherever they can be involved. I’m thinking right now of a wonderful example, the Caleb & Brianna Smith family, who themselves model humble service, but whose girls also serve as Sunday School helpers, K.I.D.S. Church helpers and nursery helpers. Kids who grow up serving become servers when they grow up.
You see, the work of the church of God is not just in what you do now; but in what you instill in your children to carry on God’s work in the next generation! Mrs. Zebedee prayed that her children would be actively involved in the work of God’s kingdom, and we need to follow her example.
III. LASTLY, NOTICE THAT SHE HAD BIG EXPECTATIONS FOR HER SONS.
When you’re working in a kingdom, there are no higher positions than those on the right and left of the King himself, and that’s what she wanted for her sons. Now, at first, it seems like Mrs. Zebedee is being brash and presumptuous, doesn’t it? But I admire her boldness. Too often people have settled for lesser goals for their kids.
Moms, don’t be afraid to pray for big things for your children if they’re worthy and honorable things. And don’t be afraid to convey those expectations to your kids. Create for them a destiny they would long to fulfill.
Illus. – My parents had an abiding desire the whole time I and my siblings were growing up that some of their kids follow them into the ministry. I caught the vision and so did two of my siblings. Mom and Dad knew that full-time service might not be God’s will for all of us, but they challenged us to make it our FIRST choice and only turn from that path when God made it clear that it was not His plan for us.
Illus. – The same was true for college for the ones of us that were college types. My parents knew that one of my brothers was mentally-challenged and could never go to college, but for the other four of us, that was their expectation. They accepted nothing less from us; in fact, there never was really an option in their minds unless one of us showed a tradesman-orientation. Three of us four finished college; two attended graduate school; one attained two advanced degrees.
Mrs. Zebedee had big expectations; and so should you. If your child is not performing to his or her potential in school, challenge him to be better; teach her to be more disciplined. If your child is exhibiting behavioral problems, then work on their behavior with unflagging persistence and consistency. If your kiddo has a talent, do all you can to develop it and train him or her to stick with it with discipline and persistence—and to use it for God’s glory.
Have big expectations and pray for your kids, and then work to do your part to fulfill those expectations and those prayers for your children.
CONCLUSION
So Mrs. Zebedee wasn’t so bad after all, was she?
Mothers, this is your day, so I hope that God blesses you in it.
1) But before I close, I want to talk to those who maybe have not experienced God’s love gift of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
I was thinking about Erma Bombeck’s story of when God created mothers. It’s a fictitious story, of course, but we all know that the part where God says that He was on the verge of creating someone much like Himself is true.
I think one reason Mother’s Day is so special is because a mother’s love is probably the closest example we have to God’s love. It’s a love that goes through the valley of the shadow of death to bring life into being. It is a love that sacrifices itself over and over again, and would even dare to lay down its life for its own offspring.
Illus. – Solomon Rosenberg, a Jewish guy, tells the heartrending story of how he, his wife, his two sons and his parents were arrested and placed in a Nazi concentration camp during the Holocaust. It was a labor camp, and the rules were simple: As long as you could do your work, you could live. When you become too weak to do your work, you would be exterminated.
One day, Rosenberg watched his parents march off to their deaths, and he knew that next would be his youngest son, David, because David had always been a frail child. Every evening Rosenberg came back into the barracks after his hours of labor and searched for the faces of his family. When he found them they would huddle together, embrace one another and thank God for another day of life.
One day Rosenberg came back and didn’t see those familiar faces. He finally found his oldest son Joshua in a corner, weeping and praying. He said, “Son, tell me it’s not true!”
Crying, Joshua turned and said, “It is true, Poppa. Today David was not strong enough to do his work. So they came for him.”
“But where is your mother?” asked Rosenberg.
“Oh Poppa,” he said, “When they came for David, he was afraid and he cried. And Momma said, ‘There’s nothing to be afraid of, David,’ and she took his hand and went with him.”
I pray that if there’s someone here who has never experienced the love of God that is even greater than the love of a mother, that this will be your time of decision to follow Him. I pray that if you have felt that you have had to walk through that valley alone so many times, that you will recognize that there is a hand reaching out to you, saying, “There is nothing to be afraid of. I’ll go with you.” And I pray that you’ll recognize that there is one who has already gone through the valley of the shadow of death for you, and made it possible for you to live forever.
He extends His loving invitation in much the same way that as a mother opens the doors of home and calls her children home. ACT OUT MOTHER CALLING: “Chucky, Timmy, Mary, Stevie, come home!”
He calls you, too; would you come?
2). Here’s something else to take away from today’s sermon: Christian mom, let me encourage you to be a woman of prayer.
Remember that the biggest battles your kids will face are the spiritual battles. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against rulers, against powers, against the world forces of this world, against spiritual wickedness in heavenly realms.”
Paul is saying that the biggest battle is with spiritual forces even more than the physical threats. Paul goes on to talk about putting on the whole armor of God. And he ends the passage in verse 18 – “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication…”
How critical persevering prayer is for mothers and fathers.
Pray for the things we talked about today for your children. Pray for their salvation and their involvement in the kingdom of God. And pray for great things for your child. Also pray for protection from evil for your kids.
Pray not only for your kids, but for you as well. Pray for wisdom, guidance, patience and a positive spirit. Pray for strength and perseverance.
Prayer changes things. James 5:16 says, “The effective, fervent prayer of a faithful person avails much.”
Be a woman of faithful, fervent prayer!
