Stubby

Posted on September 21, 2018 by glenn

It wasn’t really his name but everyone called him Stubby. He was a fun-loving character. He loved life. He always had a smile. He made me feel important. He conveyed a genuine concern for me as a young man. He had that effect on everyone.

I remember eating watermelon at his house after the evening worship services when I was a young man.

I was friends with his son. We played high school basketball together. This relationship led me to Christ. Stubby baptized me into Christ one evening in 1976 a few months shy of my 20th birthday. He later performed the wedding when my Teresa and I were married and a short time later, he baptized her as well.

There is one story I remember above all others when I think about Stubby. As a younger man, he and his wife lived very near an electrical substation. Late one night, there was a malfunction at the electrical station and there was a loud noise, like a sonic boom, that likely woke the entire neighborhood. The light was as bright as day for several minutes. Stubby’s wife recalled that he was jumping up and down in the middle of the bed thinking it was the coming of the LORD.

“For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day.” Luke 17:24

I don’t know what that event will be like. It is beyond man’s ability to even imagine. What I remember is Stubby’s reaction to what he thought was the second coming of Christ. He was literally jumping for joy.

What will be my reaction? If I am alive when that event occurs, what will be my reaction? What is my reaction to just the thought even now? Is it a thought of fear and doubt or is it a thought of joy? Would the event cause me to be jumping for joy? Does the thought of that event cause me to want to hide or jump for joy?

Notice what the Holy Spirit through Paul had to say about the event.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

To all them that love His appearing. No fear, no doubt; but love His appearing. Joy.

I want to be in that group. As the old song’s refrain goes, “Oh LORD I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in.”

But I realize in order to be in that group I have to prepare for the event.

I read in John 14:6 that Jesus is the only way. There are no multiple routes to heaven. He is the way.

I read in Hebrews 11:6 that without faith it is impossible to please Him. I must believe in Him.

The rest of Hebrews 11 illustrates that this faith is more than words. It is an active, obedient faith. My life’s actions must be a testament of my faith. John says that I must walk in the light (1 John 1:7). James tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22).

If I want to celebrate His return, I must be ready. LORD, help me prepare. I, too, want to jump for joy.

Posted in discipleship, faith, memory, opportunity, reflection | 1 Comment

Faith Hope and Love

Posted on September 15, 2018 by glenn

I have a friend who has three daughters named Faith, Hope, and Love. Actually the 3rd one is named Charity which is the older rendering of the word love in Scripture.

It is interesting to note how many times we find all three of these terms in the same context in the Scriptures. In the book of Hebrews, for example, read passages like 6:10-12 and 10:19-23.  Another example is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:8.  The most familiar text where all three are found might be the last verse of 1 Corinthians 13.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Let us briefly note that each word is rooted in Scripture.

Faith, according to Romans 10:17, comes from hearing and hearing comes from the word. Our faith originates in the Word.

Romans 15:4 notes that Scripture is also our source of hope. In this passage we read that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we have hope. Hope comes from the Word.

Lastly we observe that love is rooted in the word as well.  2 John 6 reveals that love is walking in His commandments, i.e. to walk according to truth, the Word.

But why do you suppose the Spirit identified love as the greatest of the 3? Our remaining comments will focus on love.

Paul wrote that love was greater than faith and greater than hope in 1 Cor 13:13. Love.

He wrote to the evangelist Timothy that the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart in 1 Timothy 1:5.  Love.

Jesus identified love as the greatest of all commandments in Matthew 22:37-39. You shall love the LORD your GOD and you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love.

Paul summed up the entire Old Law with one word in Galatians 5:14. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love.

James 2:8 refers to the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” as the royal law. Love.

Colossians 3:14 notes that love is called the bond of perfection or maturity.

Love. The bond of maturity. The royal law. The summary of the Old Testament. The greatest of all commandments.

To ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ is a quotation from Leviticus 19:18. Some have noted this is the most commonly quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament.

Why then did Jesus refer to it as a new commandment in John 13:34? He said “as I have loved you, you also love one another.” It was new only in the sense that He was giving us the perfect Example. As I have loved you.

Just imagine for a moment a world filled with love. The kind of love that Christ had for us. Imagine all of our neighbors loving each other like that. Looking out for the needs of each other. Putting others before self. Alas, it would be a very different world.

Faith, hope, and love. Love is the greatest of these three. One day my faith will be sight. One day my hope will become reality. But love will endure throughout eternity.

Posted in discipleship, faith, opportunity, service | 1 Comment

He Calls Them by Name

Posted on August 29, 2018 by glenn

Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; Not one is missing.

I love living away from the lights of the city. On a clear night I am able to see the stars. The longer one looks, it appears the more stars that can be seen. Indeed, using a set of binoculars or telescope makes one realize the stars are almost numberless. It gives appreciation to the way Isaiah said, the Creator “brings out their host by number.”

I have read that astronomers estimate there are 10 Billion galaxies in the observable universe. It is estimated there are more than 100 Billion stars in each. If those estimates are close, there would be 10 Hexillion stars. That’s another way of saying 10 Billion-Trillion stars. Think of it this way. That number is 10 to the 21st power or we might say a 1 followed by 21 zeroes! That number boggles the imagination. We can’t really even think that large.

Don’t get lost in the numbers. Here’s the point. GOD made all those stars. Isaiah reminds us that He created these things. Earlier in Isaiah 40:22 we read, that He “stretches out the heavens like a curtain.” The language here paints a picture of GOD spreading out the heavens like one would spread out a table cloth. I think about snapping the table cloth over the table. GOD spoke and the heavens were spread out! Every one of those almost numberless stars came into existence as He snapped the heavens into place.

And He knows all of those stars individually. The text says He calls them by name! I am like my parents when trying to call the name of one of my 5 boys. Sometimes I will call several names before finally getting it right.

GOD calls them by name. Each of those stars was spoken into existence by our Creator. Matthew tells us that GOD is aware of even the activities of the sparrows (Matt 10:29). Being the all-knowing GOD, He is aware of His every creation. And that includes me!

John 10:3
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

He calls them by name. He knows them. He knows me. Out of more than 7 Billion people on earth today. He. Knows. Me.

But here is a greater consideration. “Do I know Him?”

Continue reading verse 4 of John 10. And when He brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

The great question is “Do I know His voice?” Do I know Him?

I’m not asking, do I know about Him? That is important. But that is not enough. Do I know Him? Personally.

There are many people in the world who know about Jesus. I want more than that. I want to know Jesus. I want a personal relationship with Him. I want to communicate with Him. I want to read about Him. I want Him to mold me into the man He wants me to be. I want to influence those around me for good. I want to bring honor and glory to Him and to my Father in heaven. I want to hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Out of all the people on earth, He knows me. What a thrilling thought.

Out of all the voices out there, do I know His?

Posted in authority, humility, stewardship, worship | 1 Comment

Frapping

Posted on August 11, 2018 by glenn

No, I’m not talking about going to the coffee shop to share a Frappuccino. The word frap is a nautical term meaning to bind something tightly or securely. To frap a sail is to secure it by binding it with a rope.

We don’t use the word frapping very often but it refers to wrapping or binding a vessel tightly with a rope or chain. Think about a boat under stress to the point it is about to come apart. In order to secure the vessel, there would be a need to give it additional support by wrapping it tightly with chains.

This is the exact scenario described in Acts 27:17. Here the NKJ translates a Greek word, boetheia, as cables. Other translations use helps or supports. The text says they used cables to undergird the ship. This is the idea of frapping a vessel.

In the context, Paul and the other passages on the ship are in a storm called a Euroclydon in verse 14. We sometimes refer to this as a Northeaster; it is a storm of hurricane force winds.

Having been in the storm several days, they are concerned the ship is about to break apart. They would eventually throw everything possible overboard. In an attempt to try and secure the ship and hold it together, they used cables to undergird the ship. The term, boetheia is defined as a rope or chain for frapping a vessel.

It is noteworthy that the Greek term, boetheia, is found only one other time in Scripture. As we will observe, in the other reference it has no obvious connection to a nautical idea. The Greek language was a powerfully descriptive language. We often lose great lessons in the translation process.

The term is found in Hebrews 4:16 and is translated as simply “help.”

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

This is in the context of identifying Jesus as our great High Priest. As such, He offers us mercy and grace to help in time of need. Help. Boetheia.

So in the first case, the chains were placed around the ship in order to strengthen it and prevent it from coming apart during the stress of the storm.

In the second case, the imagery is clear. Jesus is our High Priest. He is our help. He is that chain that holds us in the storm when we would come apart otherwise.

The storms of life are inevitable. It has been said there are 3 states of man: we are either in a storm, we have just emerged from one, or else we are about to enter one. Job 14:7 declares that man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.

When the storms of life occur and it appears our ship is about to come apart, let us be thankful for our Lord Who serves as our help, the chain, the frapping, during these times to hold us securely.

Posted in discipleship, faith | 2 Comments

Haggling

Posted on July 20, 2018 by glenn

I used to love a good haggling session. Many years ago my Teresa would get so embarrassed that she would walk away and pretend to be looking at something else as I bargained back and forth over some item. Of course, in the end, if it saved us some money she was always glad. I just always had the mindset that I wasn’t going to pay sticker price. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. I walked away many times without the item.

Once at a large flea market we saw an item that we liked and we took a picture of it. The owner came over and before I even had a chance to haggle with him about the price, he became irate. I wonder if he thought getting mad at me because I took a picture was going to make me buy the item. I don’t think so.

And I should note that my haggling no longer embarrasses Teresa. In fact she now haggles with the best of them.

Haggling. Bargaining. The fun was in the process.

But turning to the serious side of haggling, let us note a prophecy of the betrayal of the LORD found in Zechariah 11:12-13 that involves haggling. A thorough study of this passage will strengthen one’s faith. There are at least seven specific details contained in these two verses that were fulfilled with complete accuracy about 500 years later.

The remarkable accuracy of these prophecies distinguishes the Bible from the book of Morman, the Koran, and all others. The prophecy found in Zechariah is not some vague, generic, superficial reference to some event that when it happens can be applied to most anything. It is specific and detailed. This strengthens our faith in the truth of the Bible. It encourages us to put our full trust in His word.

One of the prophecies noted in Zechariah 11, is that there would be haggling involved in the betrayal process. Verse 12 reads, “Then I said to them, ‘If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain.’ So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.”

If it is agreeable to you let’s proceed, if not refrain. If this first offer is not acceptable then give me a counter offer.

The selling or betrayal of the Savior would involve a bargaining process. There are two verses in the New Testament that should be considered to appreciate the fulfillment of the prophecy.

In Matthew 26: 15, Judas said to the chief priests, “What are you willing to give me?” Judas seems to be saying let’s haggle, let’s deal.

In Luke 22:5 we read, “And they were glad, and agreed to give him money.” Agreed is an interesting word in this test.

In the Luke passage, the ASV and the KJV both use the word covenanted for the word agreed. The Greek word means to join together or make an arrangement. And thus we have a bargaining or a haggling eventually ending up with an agreement or covenant.

What was the agreement? And 30 pieces of silver was agreed upon. 30 coins. Coins of silver, no doubt. This is another of the prophecies. Not gold. Not copper. Not brass. Silver. 30 pieces of silver, that according to Exodus 21:32, was the price of a wounded slave.

A wounded slave is a perfect description of Jesus Christ. He was wounded for our transgressions (Isaiah 53:5) and He took the form of a bondservant or slave (Philippians 2:7). The details are remarkably accurate indeed.

My Lord and Savior was betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. And it was through a bargaining process at that. We know the rest of the story.

I am thankful He was willing to die for me. But this is one haggling story of which I am not proud.

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I’m in the Short Rows Now

Posted on July 6, 2018 by glenn

I’m in the short rows now. This will have meaning only to those who have grown up on a farm. As a young man my family had a small farm that produced much of the food we consumed year round. Growing various crops meant a lot of work during the growing season. One of the things we had to do was use a garden tool known as a hoe, to cut out the weeds growing along with the vegetables. This was a laborious back breaking job.

As we worked, the rows would seem like they reached forever. But as one neared the end of the field, the rows would grow shorter. And thus the saying, we are in the short rows now, meant we were nearing the end of the job. And as those short rows would get shorter and shorter, the time in each row went by faster and faster. Those shorter rows went by much quicker when compared to the longer rows in the middle of the field.

Now I make an application of this when I say “I’m in the short rows” of life now. I’m in good health and hope to live to see all my grandchildren grow up and have families of their own. But at 61 years of age, I know that I have lived to see many more years than what I have left. And just as those short rows in the field seemed to go faster and faster, the same can be said of my years now.

Time certainly passes quickly.

The last words of Crowfoot the Indian, as he died, expressed such when he said, “What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

James noted this when he said, “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” James 4:14

Job expressed man’s life in terms of days in Job 14:1. And observe that he referred to it as a few days.

The Psalmist expressed time with 6 descriptions in Psalm 90: 4 – 9. All the phrases describe how quickly time passes. He says, “For a thousand years in Your sight…” and then proceeds to give the following comparisons:

1. Like yesterday
2. Like a watch in the night
3. Like a flood
4. Like sleep
5. Like the growing grass
6. Like a sigh

And then in verse 12, he says to “teach us to number our days.” It is interesting the text doesn’t say “teach us to number our years”.

When we are asked how old we are, we always reply in years. But we should note, life is not made up of years. Life is made up of days. Not years. Days.

Sir Walter Scott had some interesting words to say as he died. With his last breath, he said, “Be a good man – be virtuous – be religious – be a good man. Nothing else will give you any comfort when you come to lie here. GOD bless you all.”

Lord, help me to number my days. Help me to realize the brevity of life. Help me to appreciate each day. And help me use it for good. I want my days to glorify You. Help me to that end.

Posted in family, memory, opportunity, reflection, stewardship | 3 Comments

10 Directives to Dads

Posted on June 14, 2018 by glenn

A study of the 6th chapter of Deuteronomy is a wonderful text for fathers.  The statements of “You shall” or “You shall not” comprise a list of 10 directives to Dads.  I have them marked in my Bible.

  1. You shall love

It has been said the best gift a man can give his children is to love their mother.  A child reared in a loving home with mom and dad both present is blessed indeed.  This passage refers to loving GOD.  That is our first love. The greatest blessing of all would be for mom and dad to both love GOD and pass that love on to the children.  That is precisely what is being taught in Deuteronomy 6.

  1. You shall teach

Talk of them – when, when, when, when.   The commandments were to be the subject of conversation inside and outside the home, from beginning of the day to its end.   GOD’S revelation should be so central to a godly family that they should naturally talk about Him while they perform daily activities.  GOD cannot be compartmentalized in our lives.

  1. You shall bind

You shall bind them on your hands and as frontlets between your eyes.  This referred to the practice in that culture but has application to us.  GOD’S words must be personal to each.  The Psalmist said to hide them in our hearts (Psa 119:11).

  1. You shall write

You shall write them on the doorposts of your house.  We should have visual reminders of the LORD and His word in our homes.  I recall Teresa having posters of Scriptures to learn in our son’s bedrooms when they were young.

  1. You shall fear

You shall fear the LORD your GOD and serve Him.  Your actions speak louder than words.  All of the teaching and talking will be for naught if YOU do not fear and serve the LORD.  If you follow the LORD there is no guarantee the child will follow but if you don’t serve Him the odds are great your child will not as well.

  1. You shall not go after other gods

We live in a society filled with other gods.  You might say you would never bow down to a wooden idol.  That is not the gods to which I am referring.  How about the god of materialism, or the god of pleasure and recreation, the god of power, etc.  You get the idea.  Matthew 6:24 makes clear that we cannot serve GOD and mammon.

  1. You shall not tempt the LORD

Reference is made to the people tempting the LORD in the wilderness and asking “Is the LORD among us or not?”  (Exo 17:7)  Let us be very careful of a disrespectful attitude or any disrespect shown toward our GOD.

  1. You shall diligently keep the commandments

The word diligently is a very interesting word.  It means to be on guard.  One translation says to carefully observe.

  1. You shall do what is right

Paul in speaking to the Thessalonians noted that “we preached and we behaved” (1 Thes 2: 9, 10).  Our talk and our walk must be consistent.  Our say and our do must match.  No one can see that inconsistency better that a child in your home.

  1. You shall say to your son

Verse 20 of the text says “When your son asks ‘what is the meaning’…?”  When, not if.  When he asks! The doors of opportunity will open at various times.  Fathers, be ready to give the answers.

 

After observing these 10 very powerful points, let us close by noting the 1st 2 verses of the chapter make 2 very powerful points.  The first is that “GOD has commanded to teach you.” The first recipient of the lessons are the fathers themselves. The point is that we as fathers must have these things in our hearts before we can pass them on to our children.

 

The 2nd point is found in verse 2.  Here a reference is made to “you and your son and your grandson.”  My sons have long since grown up and have families of their own.  But these 10 directives apply to grandfathers as well.  So maybe we should say it is 10 directives to dads and granddads!  Dear GOD help me to be the father and grandfather I should be.

Posted in authority, faith, family, growth, influence, memory, opportunity, reflection | Leave a comment

The Most Feared Passages

Posted on June 4, 2018 by glenn

Fear.  The word evokes strong feelings.  Terror.  Horror.

I recall as a young man going through a haunted house.  As we were going through the house I had 2 youngsters I didn’t even know wrapped tightly around my waist.  They were terrified.  I was too!

I was recently involved in a discussion about fear in the Bible. It is very easy to see that our English word for phobia comes from the Greek word translated fear (phobeo).

Fear can sometimes mean respect or reverence.  In the Old Testament, Solomon concluded that man should fear GOD and keep His commandments (Eccl 12:13).  I usually think of this fear as reverence for GOD.

Sometimes, like the word phobia, the meaning is to be afraid.  This is the meaning we most often attach to fear.  It is this second meaning to which I would like to give attention.

I remember as a child the one thing for which I was most terrified was the second coming of Christ.  Just from hearing some adults talk about it, I was greatly afraid.

I serve a loving GOD who does not want me to be afraid of this event.  He loves me according to John 3:16.  He wants me to be saved according to 1 Timothy 2:4.  His grace is sufficient to do just that according to Ephesians 2:8.  But having said of all that, there are some verses in the Bible that generate a trembling fear within me.  I have listed a few.

Matt 7:23                          I never knew you.  These are those it seems have done good things.  They seem to be surprised at the verdict from GOD.  But it also seems they like the Pharisee in Luke 10 are reminding the LORD (what gall!) of their goodness.  It is interesting the LORD said I never knew you; not at any time.  No matter how pious they considered themselves to be, they were never pleasing to GOD.

Matt 25:41                        depart from Me.  Truly the most terrifying words spoken in the Bible.  For the short time in which Jesus shouldered the sins of mankind on the cross, the Father turned away from Him, causing the LORD to cry out “My GOD, why have You forsaken Me?”  It is a terrifying thought to consider being cast from His presence for all of eternity.

John 12:39                         they could not believe.  Notice it is not “would not believe”; they “could not” believe.  We can allow our hearts to become so hardened and callous that the gospel message no longer can penetrate.  Could this be the sin for which there is no forgiveness?

Eph 4:19                             being past feeling.  Paul refers to the hardened heart condition as one being past feeling.  He also calls the condition a blindness of the heart.

Heb 2:1                               take heed lest we drift away.  The Greek word used in this text is found nowhere else in Scripture.  The idea reminds me of being in slow moving current and gradually over time, without realizing there is movement, we have drifted far away.  It is frightening to think of this happening slowly and gradually.  Later in Hebrews 4:1, the ASV renders “let us fear lest haply any of you come short of it”.  The idea of “haply” indicates inadvertence.   I think most Christians who are lost in the final judgment, will be lost not for turning their backs on the truth.  Rather it will be from neglect, from allowing the cares of the world to crowd out the really important matters (Matt 13:22).

Heb 10:31                          It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living GOD.

As I contemplate the judgment scene, I can only imagine standing before the GOD of the Universe, Who will pronounce my eternal destiny.  As I stand there, I realize I have no chance standing alone.  I can only hope that He looks not on me and my pitiful life but rather on the One Who stands by me.  1 John 2:1 says that I have an Advocate Who will stand by me.  My only chance is to know that GOD will not be looking on the pitiful Glenn but on the Glenn washed clean by the precious blood of my Savior.  My hope is for the LORD to say to the Father, “He is one of Mine.”  That is grace.  For that I will be eternally grateful.

Posted in death, judgement, opportunity, reflection | Leave a comment

The Glass Half Full

Posted on May 29, 2018 by glenn

Are you a pessimist or an optimist? How do you normally look at things? Do you tend to look at life with a positive outlook or do you lean toward the negative? When looking at the proverbial glass, do you tend to see the glass half full or half empty?

This tendency might be partially due to our nature and personality but I think we can have a lot of control over this. With practice we can become a more positive person. We have control over very few things but we can control our mindset. Victor Frankl, the concentration camp survivor, once said, “Everything can be taken from a man except one thing: To choose one’s attitude in any set of circumstances.”

After all, the Bible tells us “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)

Choosing our attitude. There are many Biblical examples on which we can draw. Think about Paul. He most certainly looked on the brighter side of things. There are a few places in Scripture where he told us about some of his struggles and his reaction.

2 Corinthians 4:8 and following is one such place. Make the following notations. Paul said he was…

Hard-pressed but not crushed
Perplexed but not in despair
Persecuted but not forsaken
Struck down but not destroyed

As we consider Paul’s life we must admit it would have been easy for Paul to get down. It would have been easy to look at the glass half empty. But not Paul. He is a great example.
Let us work on developing a more positive outlook. Our prayer life might be a good place to start. As we pray let us consider the following taken from a personal Bible study long ago.

In youth, let us thank God for the brightness and prospect of life beckoning one to the future.
In age, let us thank God that life has been extended so long.
In health, let us thank God for the greatest of physical blessings.
In illness, let us thank God for wise physicians, kind nurses and the tender concern of loved ones.
In wealth, let us thank God for having been made the steward of such large accounts.
In poverty, let us thank God for Him, who though He was rich became poor that He might make many rich, and for His special promise, “Blessed are the poor.”
In the event of great loss, let us thank God for blessings he is yet permitted to retain.

You see it really does depend on how we look at things. As much as is possible, let us thank GOD for the blessings of life and let us look at the glass half full.

Posted in discipleship, memory, opportunity, reflection, stewardship | Leave a comment

Mothers Serve

Posted on May 11, 2018 by glenn

Mothers are often in the background.  They rarely find their name in lights.  Yet their influence spans across generations.  The old adage “the hands that rock the cradle rule the world” is true.

There are many mothers named in the Bible.

Eve, the mother of all mankind, was the first wife and mother.  Moses’ mother, Jochebed, serving as a nurse maid, was able to raise her son in the king’s palace.  Hannah, the mother of Samuel, was a praying mother.  Mary was the mother of our LORD and Savior.  These and many others make for a profitable study.

But I’d like to also consider the unnamed women of the Bible.

The mother of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and wife of Noah, remains to this day simply, Mrs. Noah.  Recall Potiphar’s wife and her false accusations against Joseph.  Consider Pilate’s wife and her confession of Jesus’ innocence when she pled for her husband to “have nothing to do with that just Man.”

Peter’s wife and mother-in-law are both unnamed women.   His mother-in-law is mentioned in a passage found in Matthew 8:14-15.  There is an interesting detail easily overlooked in these 2 verses.

So what do we know from reading this text?  We know Peter was married.  We can also infer that Peter had children because he was an elder (1 Peter 5:1, 1 Timothy 3:4).  And thus we have two unnamed mothers in this text.

For today, let us consider his mother-in-law and the incident described in Matthew 8. Peter’s ailing mother-in-law was being cared for in his home. Imagine what her mindset might have been.  She is sick; she is living with her daughter and son-in-law.  She is an older woman, perhaps thinking her life was over; maybe she thought it was her time to die.

What kind of changes had she seen come over Peter?  Peter who once was a fisherman was now this great apostle of Jesus Christ. Imagine the changes she had seen it make in him.  What has she heard Peter say about the Savior?  She was part of the generation that saw the coming of the Messiah.  And this day, she has witnessed Jesus come into the house.  Imagine a personal visit from the great Physician.  He is there to heal her.

Now note how the text ends.  Verse 15 says that when she was healed of the fever, she arose and served them.  Doesn’t that describe most mothers?  She served.  That’s what mothers do.  They serve.  She didn’t rise to begin doing something she had not done all her life.  That was her life.  She served.  Mothers serve.

My mother was one who served.  She worked an evening shift as a nurse and got home around midnight each night.  Yet she was always up in the morning before I was.  She served.  I never remember her not having a hot breakfast for us before we left for school.

During her hospital work various patients and visitors would give her soft drinks or candy bars.  But she never opened them.  She brought them home to two young boys.  In fact, it was known by her co-workers that if you gave her something you would have to open it or she would slip it in her purse to carry home.  She served.

She would always find a newspaper at work and bring it home for us to read.  That was the only newspaper we ever had.

She worked extra shifts each year to buy school clothes.

I never heard her complain.  She served.

My mother has been gone for many years but her influence still abides in her children and grandchildren.  You see, by the world’s standards we were poor.  But no man is poor who is blessed with a loving, serving mother.  And we were.  Thank you, Mom.

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