Mother's Day Message: Love Never Fails (1Co 13:4-8a)

 Mother's Day Sermon for Milledgeville and Whitestown UMC

Love Never Fails (1Co 13:4-8a)

 

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast.
1st Corinthians 13:4

An old man calls his son and says, "Listen, your mother and I are getting divorced. Forty-five years of misery is enough."

"Dad, what are you talking about?" the son screams.

 

“We can't stand the sight of each other any longer,” he says. "I'm sick of her face, and I'm sick of talking about this, so call your sister and tell her," and he hangs up.

 

Now, the son is worried. He calls his sister. She says, "Like hell they’re getting divorced!" She calls their father immediately. "You’re not getting divorced! Don't do another thing. The two of us are flying home tomorrow to talk about this. Until then, don't call a lawyer, don't file a paper. DO YOU HEAR ME?” She hangs up the phone.

 

The old man turns to his wife and says, "Okay, they’re both coming for Christmas and paying their own airfares.

 

Happy Mother’s Day to you all! And I mean all of you, for you all had mothers or at least of nurturing person in your life. And you’re all Methodists! Mother’s Day was started by a Methodist.

 

It was established by Anna Jarvis, with the first Mother's Day celebrated through a service of worship at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908.

 

Wikipedia informs us that Anna Jarvis’ mother, Ann Jarvis was part of an effort called Mothers Friendship Day, an event meant to reconnect families estranged by the Civil War. The committee formed in 1868. During the Civil War, Ann Jarvis served in Mothers Day Work Clubs, where she worked within military camps to improve sanitation and reduce the possibility of disease. Most deaths during the war was because of disease, not bullets or cannon fire. My own ancestors died of pneumonia and tuberculosis during their service in the Union Army. Ann Jarvis’ passion to serve with other women led her Mothers Friendship Day group to work toward an annual Mother’s Day celebration. When Ann passed away in 1905, her daughter Anna Jarvis carried the torch, desiring to see her mother’s dream come to fruition. In 1910, the state of West Virginia officially recognized the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day, close to the date Ann Jarvis had died in 1905. Other states soon followed. On May 8, 1914, The US Congress passed a law, officially establishing Mother’s Day.

 

Our New Testament text this morning comes from the apostle Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, Greece. Corinth was a port city with a temple to Aphrodite seated above the city. Sailors frequented the temple and its shrine prostitutes. In Paul’s letter, he deals with divisions, sexual immorality, and other issues with the former pagans now following Jesus. They argued over which spiritual leader they should follow. Some said, Paul, some said Cephus (Peter), some same Apollo, one of Paul’s contemporary Christian evangelists. Paul pointed out that they should follow only one head, Jesus Christ alone and forget about popular personalities. The Corinthian church even fought over who has the greatest spiritual gifts.

 

Some had the gift of healing. When they prayed for the sick and inform, God often restored health. Some were passionate preachers and teachers. Some spoke in ecstatic tongues when filled with the Spirit. Rather than a source of pride and division, Paul taught that the Church is one body, the body of Christ, of which Jesus is the head. The Spirit gives gifts according to what the church needs. Spiritual gifts are meant to build up the body, not tear it down through prideful division. The body is one but made of many parts. The eye cannot say to the hand, I don’t need you. Nor can the ear, see, or the mouth, hear. Each part of the body has its specific and necessary function which supports the whole. So while each member has different gifts to share, they are interdependent upon one another within the church body.

 

After listing various spiritual gifts, Paul then gives the Church his beautiful thoughts on agape (divine love). Paul says that the greatest of all the gifts of the Spirit is agape. If we don’t have love, nothing we do matters in the Kingdom of God.

 

When you buy an apple pie from Costco or Sam’s Club, they are exceptionally delicious. But compare it to your grandmother’s or mother’s apple pie. Which do you remember tasting best? They’re made with the same basic ingredients, so why is grandma’s pie the best? It is because grandma’s pie is made with love. That special ingredient of God’s self-giving love should be in all that we do. Love makes everything special.

 

If I am tasked with watching my grandchildren, I can do the basics. I am the responsible adult present, should there be any medical emergency. I use the term responsible, loosely. Would you agree, dear? But when Michele watches the grandchildren, she is fully engaged. She plays with them, organizes crafts and such. And she does it with love. When the grandkids come over they run to Mimi for hugs. Why? Because she loves them selflessly. Agape love leaves a lasting impression. It is love that expects nothing in return. It is love that costs the recipient nothing. It is the love that Jesus showed us when he died for us upon the cross.

 

We have come to know love by this that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for each other. (1Jn 3:16)

 

I thought it might be meaningful for us to have a time of open sharing. Paul gives us a list of the qualities of agape. Love is patient. I know that Michele possesses patience. She’s been married to me for near 40 years. My son says that Michele is the perfect example of love. The Greek means longsuffering, being slow to anger, carrying offenses with a heart that does not give into vengefulness.

 

Please take a moment to think about your mothers and grandmothers and share a story of how they show love through patience.

Love is kind. To be kind is to exhibit a mild disposition. Interestingly, 1^st Corinthians 13 is the only use of the Greek word in the New Testament. It is derived from a word meaning useful, not harsh, pleasant and benevolent.

 

Can you share a story about your mother’s or grandma’s kindness?

 

Random Acts of Kindness blog shared how a girl had many mothers in her small town that looked after her. One summer her parents both had to work, so neighboring mothers looked after them during the day.

 

Her friend’s mother

 

Took her to basketball games and track meets.

Made homemade potpie, just for her.

Gave great hugs.

And listened when she needed to talk about life.

 

That kindness helped her to feel loved and cared for. She was secure, even without her own mother because of kindness.

 

In what ways did she protect you?

 

How did she exhibit faith?

 

Once I was dealing with a bully at school. I was telling my mother about it. She said, “Let’s pray for him.” I was like, “Why would I pray for him? He’s mean to me.” She reminded me that the Lord taught us to love our enemies and pray for them. As she prayed, I felt my heart’s sadness leave me. I felt a fresh inspiration of the Holy Spirit fill my chest like a burst of air. I was awestruck by the experience. And my mother was there to help me understand what had happened. It was a fundamental moment where my faith became something more and I have my mother’s faith to thank for that.

 

Agape love is self-giving, self-sacrificing, and other seeking. Love puts others ahead of your desires. Love builds up.

 

Pride puffs up and exhibits negative behavior like jealousy, arrogant boasting, rudeness, and vengefulness. 

 

But God’s love bears all things with patience, believes all of God’s promises, hopes in love’s ultimate victory and stays faithful to the end. You can count on love because love never fails.

 

I pray you all had a mother to love you like that, but even if you didn’t you have the love of Christ to show you how. You are loved forever and without condition. No strings attached, God’s love is free and lifegiving. Just as you are loved, go and love others.

 

Happy Mother’s Day