On Mother’s Day weekend, Pastor Kong Hee shared about the life of one of the most celebrated mothers in the Bible, Mary, Jesus’ mother.
City Harvest Church celebrated Mother’s Day on May 13 and 14 with a special song performance by Emma Ng and Aretha Lim from Harvest Kidz. As they belted out the heartfelt words to “When God Made You My Mother”, the LED displayed a video compilation featuring photos of mothers from CHC with their children. This was followed by a prayer led by Twinkle Chong, also from Harvest Kidz, who said a prayer for all the mothers in the congregation.
Kong Hee, the senior pastor of CHC, then took the stage to share a special Mother’s Day message.
The Bible is filled with stories of wonderful mothers, such as Eve, the mother of all humanity; Sarah, mother of Isaac, who was praised for her unwavering faith; Rebekah, mother of Esau and Jacob, who was known for her kindness; Rachel, mother of Joseph and Benjamin, who showed a deep love for her husband; Jochebed, mother of Moses, who was courageous in protecting her son from being killed by Pharaoh; Hannah, mother of Samuel, who was blessed for her prayer and devotion; Beersheba, mother of Solomon, who was known for teaching her son in the ways of the Lord—among many.
“All these mothers played an important role in God’s plan. And none of them had an easy life—because being a mom is one of the toughest jobs in the whole world,” Pastor Kong shared.
He went on to suggest that the best-known mother in history is probably Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was a young girl who was engaged to Joseph when the angel Gabriel told her she had been chosen by God. She was to bear a son who would be the Saviour of mankind.
Mary led a difficult life and was widowed at a young age—Joseph died when Jesus was a young teenager. She was left as a widow, to raise four other sons and at least two more daughters.
Furthermore, this was during the Roman occupation when society was unstable. Mary had no husband to protect her and had to face emotional stress and loneliness. On top of that, she also had the stigma of bearing a child out of wedlock, which was considered scandalous in an ultra-conservative society.
When Jesus grew up and launched His ministry, He faced ridicule and persecution as a “false prophet”. Pastor Kong imagined that Mary would probably have heard accusations of how if she had been a better mother, this might not have happened.
“From the moment she met Joseph, she never had an easy day,” Pastor Kong continued. In the face of such discrimination, Mary must have had days of feeling inadequate, just like many mothers today.
Gabriel’s initial declaration that Mary was “highly favoured” and that “the Lord was with her”, and Elizabeth saying that Mary was “blessed among women” must have stung on the days that Mary did not feel this favour or blessing from the trials she faced.
Despite all, Mary demonstrated perfect faith in God. Hers was a life that was inspiring, and selfless in love and devotion to her son, Jesus.
Pastor Kong shared four things that mothers today can learn from Mary.
1. MARY WAS A CARING MOTHER
In Luke 2:27, Mary gave birth in a manger. She had to do everything herself under those conditions—nursing and making sure her baby was comfortable in an unfavourable environment. When she was warned about King Herod, she did not think twice before fleeing to Egypt with Jesus, to protect His life.
Pastor Kong then shared about a young mother who was found buried under the rubble after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. Her body was found shielding her 3-month-old baby who managed to survive. They also found a hand phone with a text message that read, “My dearest child, if you survived, remember that Mummy loves you.”
“Such is the love of a mother,” the pastor said. “The mother died protecting her baby.” Mary was willing to risk her life to protect Jesus.
2. MARY WAS A SUPPORTIVE MOTHER
Mary was a constant source of comfort to Jesus and supported His ministry. At the wedding in Cana, she had faith in Jesus and bravely called upon the people there to follow His instructions.
She was very convinced of what Jesus could do from the very beginning and was always present during the key moments of His life. “We all need support like this from our moms!” Pastor Kong said.
At the end of Jesus’ life, Mary was also with Him. In John 19:25, when Jesus was crucified and three women stood before Him, His eyes were on His mother. “When in pain, your eyes will not rest on anyone except your mother,” Pastor Kong said. Seeing her own son in such agony must have been so difficult and yet Mary remained with Him until the end, even when many had forsaken Him.
Such was Mary’s faith in Jesus that when He told His disciples to stay in Jerusalem until the coming of God’s promise, Mary was one of those who believed. She prayed and waited until the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:13). She continued His legacy even after Jesus ascended to heaven.
3. MARY WAS A NURTURING MOTHER
Mary was key to Jesus’ spiritual growth. She raised Jesus in a godly household that allowed Him to grow in the Lord. She herself was strong in the Word and taught Jesus from the Scriptures. From a young age, she would bring Jesus to the synagogue and encourage Him to serve there. Luke 4 records that it was Jesus’ custom to go to the synagogue and serve actively. Mary also ensured that the family observed the feasts and customs together. Her obedience to God influenced Jesus greatly.
Her knowledge of the Scripture is evident from her composure of the Magnificat, the hymn of praise she sang in Elizabeth’s home. Almost all of the 10 verses were from the Old Testament—she drew from Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2 and Psalms 103.
Pastor Kong observed that Jesus must have learnt how to pray, love the Word, and live a life of faith from Mary. He knew the Scriptures so well that He could use it against Satan in the desert.
Mary’s faith was also exceptional. When the angel Gabriel told her God’s plan of the virgin birth, she immediately believed and humbly submitted to the will of God—even though it was humanly impossible. Jesus probably learned to trust in God by observing Mary’s complete obedience to God.
“Mothers play such a vital role in their children’s spiritual formation,” Pastor Kong said. “Just by your simple obedience to God, you are helping your kids grow up to become people of destiny.”
4. MARY WAS A LOVING MOTHER
She loved Jesus and treasured every moment with Him. Her love was patient as displayed during her tumultuous pregnancy which she preserved through such a long physical journey.
Her gentle spirit was seen when Jesus was lost for three days only to be found later in the temple. She gently scolded Him when she found Him, but she also listened to Jesus’ explanation with patience and understanding.
At Cana, when Jesus told her that “my hour had not yet come”, she did not use her position to pressure Him. She had to wisdom and patience to wait for the right timing.
In Mark 3, Jesus’ critics were starting to attack Him, and Mary, with her sons came looking for Him at the temple. Jesus made the statement, “Who are my mother and my brothers, and whoever does God’s will is my family”. Mary did not take offence at this and understood what Jesus meant.
“Mary’s love is a reflection of God’s love for you and me,” Pastor Kong said.
In conclusion, Pastor Kong acknowledged how difficult it is for mothers to be caring, supportive, nurturing and loving like Mary. However, He encouraged the mothers in the congregation to lean on the Holy Spirit. “Mary was so loving because she herself had experienced first-hand, God’s love for her,” the pastor noted.
Mary gave herself to God’s Word and loved Him deeply. Even when life was difficult and frightening, she trusted that God would make a way for her.
“The Holy Spirit will help you to be loving. It may seem humanly impossible unless you are full of God in your life. He is the secret weapon in your arsenal.” Pastor Kong said, encouraging the mothers in the congregation.
