TLP 54: Who Is My Mother?

Which kind of mother are you on this Mother’s Day? One is good, but another is better. Join AMBrewster as he discusses how Christian moms and dads can be the best kind of moms and dads.

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Transcript

Topic

Happy Mothers’ Day!

Mothers come in all states and prizes, but which kind of mother are you: biological, step, adopted, foster? 

Or are you the kind of mother Jesus introduced to us in Matthew 12 and Mark 3? 

This type of mother is the most unique on the planet, and there are more people in this category than you may think.

But more on that in a minute.

Recently Mrs. Johnson left this comment on our website: “Praise God for TLP! It is truly a ministry that equips, empowers, inspires and CHALLENGES parents who desire to be followers after God's own heart. God is using this ministry to speak directly to the heart of my challenges as not just a parent but as a Follower of Christ. Through the podcast, I am able to learn and apply biblical principles in my parenting and my personal growth. God is using this ministry to break strongholds and grow me and my family. I am eternally grateful.”

This is exactly what Team TLP is working toward!

And, to that end, some of you know that I’m working on a parenting book about God’s cure for family strife. If you go over to our TLP Friend page you can learn a lot more about TLP’s upcoming projects and goals.  

And if you become a Tier 100+ Friend or higher, you can not only have access to the book before it’s published, but you can have input into the actual work itself. 

And speaking of mothers and newly published books — I want you to know that in about a month I will have another special guest here on TLP. Natasha Crain from “The Christian Mom Thoughts Blog” and author of “Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side” will be joining me in a three part interview. We’ll be talking about her ministry, the best devotionals for your kids, her book, and we’ll also have an entire episode dedicated to answering your parenting questions. If you’d like to submit a question for Natasha, please email us at [email protected]. We’ll also be advertising the interview on Facebook and you can leave your question there as well.

Okay, so that was a lot of information, but it was all helpful, so thank you for paying attention. 
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Alright, do you think you’re a Mark Three Mom? Let me read the parallel passage in Matthew 12 to jumpstart the discussion:

Introduction

“While He was still speaking to the crowds, behold, His mother and brothers were standing outside, seeking to speak to Him. Someone said to Him, ‘Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.’  But Jesus answered the one who was telling Him and said, ‘Who is My mother and who are My brothers?’”

Which of you mothers wouldn’t feel at least a little offended to hear your son ask this question as you struggled to get to him? After all of the diapers, baths, games, money, and let’s not even mention child-birth or the lengthy adoption process! How dare he be so calloused! However, Jesus was sinless and not capable of being rude or calloused (this is an important reminder that just because we may feel offended, it doesn’t mean we should).  Instead, with further study we realize that Jesus is teaching us a valuable lesson about blood, water, and spirit. We talked a little about this is episode 13, “Parenting Blood to Water.”

We know the fleshly bonds of blood relations are greatly idolized in our culture. I don’t fault anyone for this state of mind as I too feel more affectionate for my family than I do most other homo sapiens.

Still, the spiritual reality is that the spiritual is a stronger reality. 

Consider Christ’s explanation for his words: “And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said, ‘Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.’” Matthew 12:49-50

This is spectacular!

It’s stunning!

And to some, it’s scandalous.

It’s hard to say what Mary believed about her son at this time in His life, but we know for certain that His brothers did not yet believe in Him. 

Here’s the takeaway: there is no one in this life more dear to a believer than a brother and sister in Christ. Not even blood relatives — unless, of course, they too are spiritual siblings. What does this mean for the biological, the step, the foster, and the adopted mother? It means that the greatest gift a mother can give her children is to be their spiritual mother. 

Whether this means accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior or introducing your children to Him, or both, there’s no greater relationship you can have with your kids.

Conclusion

The sweet kiss of a mother soothes the scraped knee and makes nightmares flee. But there is nothing sweeter or stronger than a mother who is also a sister in Christ. That’s why it’s so important to do everything you can to introduce your unsaved children to Jesus. To that end, I’m very excited about the new series we’re starting on Tuesday! Are you familiar with the Parable of the Soils? Have you ever wondered which soil best represents your kids? Well, we’re going to take five episodes to discuss each one in detail, help you figure out which category your child is in, and then do our best to equip you to work the soil of their hearts. Please join us for our next series, “The Four Children.”

And I’d like to give special thanks to our newest TLP Friend, Cara. Her gift enabled us to achieve our second ministry goal, and set us on course to meet our third. If you’re interested in what those goals are or how you can help us reach them, just click the “Support TLP” link in the description.

And don’t forget to Like TLP on Facebook and Twitter and follow me on Twitter as well @AMBrewster.

If you’d like to give us some feedback, ask a question, or find help for your family, please email us at [email protected].

Mother’s have life-changing responsibilities. But the biggest one of all is reaching your child’s heart with the saving Truth of Jesus and His sacrifice for our sins!
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Stay tuned for future episodes about how to win your lost child to Christ, and continue being God’s witness in your home.