Mothers- Is It Well?
Text - 2 Kings 4:18-37
Introduction
There was a funny comic that I took out of last year’s newspaper about Mother’s Day. It’s a Calvin and Hobbs comic. Calvin is a very energetic little boy who gives his mother fits from time to time. On Mother’s Day, his parents were sleeping in and he walked into their bedroom and said. “Hey Mom, wake up! I made you a Mother’s Day card!” So, she sits up and says, “How sweet of you.” Then Calvin says, “I made the card all by myself, go ahead and read it.” Calvin’s mom starts reading the card which says, “I was going to by a card with hearts of pink and read. But then I thought I’d rather; spend the money on me instead. It’s awfully hard to by things; when one’s allowances is so small. So I guess you’re pretty lucky; I got you anything at all. Happy Mother’s Day to you; there I said it, now I’m done. So, how about getting out of bed; and cooking breakfast for your son.” As Calvin’s mother finishes reading his card she says, “I’m so deeply moved.” Then Calvin asks, “What about my allowance.
I know Mother’s Day doesn’t always start off or end up being all that you thought it should. But whatever happens today, I want to wish all of you who are mothers a happy Mother’s Day.
The history of Mother’s Day is an interesting one. It started because of a mother. She lived in a little town in Old Virginia. Her life was such an inspiration to the community in which she lived that at her death the Sunday School superintendent wanted a special memorial service to be arranged. Miss. Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, a daughter, was requested to arrange this service honoring her mother, and while doing so was inspired with the idea of a day of tribute for all mothers. So out of the beautiful service for her own mother grew not only the idea but also years of work on the part of Miss Jarvis in spreading her plan throughout the Sunday Schools and churches of the nation.
This idea of a special day for the outward expression of appreciation of a mother’s love became so popular that in 1914 President Wilson issued a proclamation setting aside the second Sunday in May as the official Mother’s Day for a national expression of love and reverence for mothers of the country.
The proclamation, issued May 9, 1914, read in part as follows:
“Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint Resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States flag on all government buildings and do invite other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”
The white carnation is the acceptable floral emblem for Mother’s Day; its whiteness indicating the purity, its fragrance the sweetness, and its endurance the everlasting qualities of a mother’s love. It is becoming more the custom for the red flower to be worn for the living mother and the white for the departed one, roses often being used instead of carnations.
The observance of the day has spread through public schools as well as Sunday Schools and churches and also into service organizations of all kinds, until there is hardly a person in the whole United States left untouched by the significance of its observance. With its theme and decorations both patriotic and sacred it lends itself to rituals most impressive and inspiring, and annually leaves its imprint deeper on the hearts and lives of American citizens.
I know that some of you here today are not moms. Some of you are married and some of you are single. It’s pretty difficult to preach a sermon just about mothers when not everyone is a mom. The tendency is for everyone else to tune out. So this morning I’ve chosen a passage in the Bible that is about mothers, but can be applied to everyone’s life no matter if you are a mom, married or single.
This morning our text is found in 2 Kings 4:18-37 and the title of my message is, “Mother’s- Is It Well?”
In order to understand this passage we must first look at the events which transpired in verses 8-17. There the Prophet Elisha was traveling through the land of Shunem on his way home to Mount Carmel and was visiting a woman and her husband. Each time Elisha traveled this way, the woman would run outside and invite him to eat and stay with them. This went on for some time. Every time Elisha went by their house, the women went out and invited him in for food and a place to stay the night. As a result of the numerous visits, the man and woman decided to build a room onto their house just for Elisha so he would have a place to stay and have some privacy.
Elisha was very thankful for their hospitality and what they had done so he decided he wanted to do something for them. After several suggestions, Gehazi, Elisha’s servant commented that she didn’t have a son. So, Elisha told her in verse 16, “At this season next year you shall embrace a son.” The woman had tried to have children but apparently was unsuccessful. Her husband was older and she didn’t want Elisha to get her hopes up. But sure enough, in verse 17 we are told that “the woman conceived and bore a son at that season the next year, as Elisha said to her.”
That must have been a very happy day. She wanted to have children, but wasn’t able to have any. But God blessed her through Elisha and she had a son. She must have anticipated that moment and experienced a great amount of excitement when the day finally arrived. Then she was able to watch her son grow. She must have had many pleasant experiences as a mother seeing her son learn and grow. I know from my own experiences with my own children how enjoyable it is to be a parent.
In verse 18 we are told that this child grew up and got to the age where he was able to go out into the field and work with his father.
2 Kings 4:18-19 One day when her child was older, he went out to help his father, who was working with the harvesters. 19 Suddenly he cried out, “My head hurts! My head hurts!” His father said to one of the servants, “Carry him home to his mother.” (NLT)
Apparently when the child was out in the filed he either injured his head in some way either by working or fell down, or maybe he had some kind of sun stroke. Something very tragic happened and the child became sick.
2 Kings 4:20-21 So the servant took him home, and his mother held him on her lap. But around noontime he died. 21 She carried him up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and left him there. (NLT)
Then the mother decides that she is going to go to Elisha at Mount Carmel. When Elisha saw her coming from a distance he told his servant Gehazi to run out to meet her.
I’d like to emphasize verse 26 where Elisha asked Gehazi:
2 Kings 4:26 "Please run now to meet her and say to her, 'Is it well with you? Is it well with your husband? Is it well with the child?' " And she answered, "It is well." (NASB)
This morning I’d like us to look at these three questions and apply them to our own lives today. If you were asked these same three questions, what would your answer be?