As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
John 15:9-17 (NRSVUE)
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.
Friends, this is such a special place for me and my family. It’s such a joy to watch my kids help out with worship, and I love that I get to share my family with my “church” family every Sunday. Josh makes me so proud every Sunday as our acolyte, bringing the light of Christ in and out of our sanctuary. He does such a great job, and takes such care to show others how to help when we’re here and carry on when we’re away. And it is such a privilege and a treasure to be able to share my love of music, singing and playing with Megan on Sunday mornings. She makes my love of praising God through music and song even more special with her presence and her talent, and I’m so grateful for that.
I’m so proud of both of these kids. They grow up so fast and have so much going on in their lives with school and bands and theater and friends and scouts, weeklong camping trips, and even international travel! My heart overflows to have two such well-grounded kids who know who they are, and I hope they always know how much they are loved. And there’s also no way any of that would be possible without such a good partner, my soulmate, and though you may have seen it elsewhere on posters and coffee mugs, someone I’d nominate for World’s Greatest Mom! I would easily say that my family and my faith are the two most important things in my life.
We had some great weather for our fair yesterday, and we’re at that time of year as we move from spring to summer, the days are getting longer and warmer, and we’re more comfortable getting outside and enjoying the world. Lent and Easter are behind us, and we’re not yet into the summer holidays, but there are two holidays coming up that remind us about the love of family: Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
Now, these holidays may not be as big a deal as others during the year, not like Christmas, or birthdays. But kids, I promise you that anything you do to remember Mom on Mother’s Day and Dad on Father’s Day, will mean SO MUCH to them because it came from YOU, with love.
Now, I also know that sometimes, for some folks these two holidays can also be difficult days. Maybe, like me, your mom and dad have passed away, and you miss them so much, wishing they were still around to see the person you’ve become and how your family has grown. Some folks had difficult or even traumatic relationships and experiences with the mother or father they knew. Others grew up never knowing their biological mother or father.
Many families aren’t the “traditional” Mom, Dad, and two kids. Some families have two moms or two dads. Some were raised by a single parent, adopted, orphaned, or grew up with foster parents. Sometimes, when it seems like everyone’s celebrating a picture that doesn’t match our personal experience, it can feel a little bit exclusionary, and it’s hard to feel that “happy-happy” feeling that the world seems to expect us to feel. As a result of all of that, sometimes Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be a bit challenging. My friends, if that describes you, I want you to know that you are seen, you are heard, and you are loved!
We’ve talked about the fact that sometimes the Holy Spirit leads me in unexpected directions as I choose music for worship or pull together a sermon, and this time was no exception. I was reading stories in the Bible that talk about families, stories about the love that mothers and fathers have for their kids. And I’d read a number of different stories, but the spirit kept bringing me back to a story that I always had a little trouble understanding. It was notable enough that it’s included in both Mark’s and Matthew’s gospels, but it never really made sense to me until I spent time with it for today’s message.
The story picks up with Jesus already having begun his ministry, gathered his disciples, and traveled to lots of different places preaching and teaching. He’s done a few miracles and healed a few folks, and become widely known as a wise and amazing teacher, even though he ruffled a few feathers of the religious leaders of the time. People are gathering and following Him everywhere He goes, in town after town, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of people.
And one day, while He’s speaking to a big group of people, His family comes to see Him. Jesus has been away from home and family for a while now, and you’d think he would drop everything and run to see His family quicker than prodigal son’s dad. But the story doesn’t quite turn out as expected. Here’s how Matthew tells it:
While he was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” And pointing to his disciples and His followers, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Umm… okay…? I can just imagine Jesus’ mother and brothers standing outside, hearing this, and saying, “Wait, what now?” “What do you mean Jesus isn’t coming out to see us?” Did He really just dismiss His mom and His brothers after they came to see him? What about “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”? I mean, that’s one of the “big ten” from the Hebrew scriptures, the only one that comes with a promise of good things if you follow it. Why would Jesus not care that His mother and His brothers wanted to see him? Well, it’s not that He didn’t care about them; it’s that He loves everyone so much that we are all His Mother and His brothers.
What Jesus says, what He’s teaching His disciples and followers, and us, is this: “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” He’s not dismissing His mother and brothers; He is raising up those of us who do God’s will as God’s hands and feet in this world. As Megan read to us earlier, Jesus is reminding us to love everyone just like He loves us, to love everyone like they are our own mother and our own brothers.
The Bible tells us over and over how important it is to love each other. Later on in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus tells us clearly it’s the second most important thing for us to do. Right after loving God with all your soul, your heart, and your mind, He tells us: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Even the people who we wouldn’t normally be expected to love. Even the people who might not love us back! Jesus is teaching us that we should love everyone as our mother and our brothers. So, how do we do that? How can everyone be our mother and our brothers? Or how can we be a mother or a brother to everyone?
Well, when we think of what “motherly love” is, we often think of things like caring, nurturing, kindness, showing compassion, going out of your way to make sure that someone knows they are loved, valued, and remembered, all things that mothers do for their children.
As some of you may know, my birthday was about a month ago. And now that I’m “old,” we don’t really do big birthday parties any more, just a little extra family time together. This year, on the day before my birthday, I got an email from Jim Koepfler, totally out of the blue, wishing me a “happy pre-birthday!” It was just a quick and simple note, but it let me know that I am remembered and that I am cared for. A random act of kindness, caring, nurturing. Motherly love. So I thank you, Jim Koepfler, for loving me like my mother.
When we think of when we think of “brotherly love,” we often think of providing support and strength for someone, caring for someone by having their back, standing up for them, providing what they need, encouraging and working together. A brother is someone you can count on being there for you no matter what.
We really love music in worship at Oldtown. It’s what made this place feel so much like home to us when we first came here to worship over twenty years ago. Our “Oldtown Singers” have been such a great addition to worship over the past few years, and Janice has done a great job pulling the group together, choosing songs for us, and making sure we’re all comfortable with the songs we sing. It’s so great to have our choir back as the “Oldtown Singers” and having someone like Janice who loves the music as much as I do is truly a joy. I know that wherever we want to go with music, and whatever we need, no matter how unexpected or on how much short notice, Janice will always be there without question. So I thank you Janice, for being my brother in music.
Jesus is reminding us that we are all children of God, which means that we’re all brothers and sisters, and we can all be mothers and fathers to those who need us. The people in our lives who love us like family even if they’re not related to us, can be some of our greatest heroes.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with our families this year, let’s remember to thank our mothers and fathers whoever they are. Remember all the people who have showed us how to be strong and support each other like a father would and to love and care for each other in every way we can, unconditionally, like a mother would. Tell them how much they meant in your life with a phone call, a card, or an email, and thank them for being like a mother or a father to you, whether they were your mom and dad or not.
And let’s all look for opportunities to be a mother or a brother to everyone, folks you know, or folks you encounter for the first time. Because when we care for each other like mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, that is how we live out God’s Kingdom here on earth. And when we hear someone asking Jesus’ question “Who are my mother and my brothers?” let us all proudly, eagerly, and lovingly answer, “Here I am, Lord.”
Brothers and sisters, may it be so. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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