As Mother’s Day draws near, many are celebrating the joy of being a mother. Yet others find this day to be one that places a piercing spotlight on the brokenness of their heart. Even the founder of Mother’s day regretted her decision. Still, I find hope in celebrating it.
Celebration of Mothers over the centuries has appeared in varying forms and traditions since and possibly before Roman times. The seed for our modern Mother’s Day had its beginning in 1858 with Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis, a Christian lady who was working to heal the nation after the Civil War. Her strategy was to promote and elevate the important role of mothers and help them to create healthier and more hygienic homes.
On May 9th, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson, proclaimed the Second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day and a national holiday. It was not long before the Mother’s Day celebration was embraced by other nations as far away as Japan, China, Africa, South America, and some Asian countries.
Within ten years, the rapid commercialization and exploitation of this sacred and celebration for mothers caused Anna Jarvis (Ann Marie’s daughter) much grief. She had been pushing for this celebration for many years. She went on to spend her inheritance fighting against the abuse of what she had hoped would be a Christian-based celebration and said that she “wished she would never have started the day because it became so out of control…”
Despite Anna Jarvis’s misgivings, Mother’s Day has flourished all around the world. In the USA the second Sunday in May has become the most popular day of the year to dine out, and the telephone companies record their highest traffic.
We may say with starry eyes and melting hearts that being a mother is the most important job in the world, but Jesus clearly had some issues with the topic as well. As much as we like to think of Jesus as a big “family values” guy, he challenged their assumptions about family norms, saying things that were as shocking to his own culture as they are to ours.
Take a look at Luke 11:27–28
“While Jesus was saying these things, a certain woman in the crowd spoke up: ‘Happy is the mother who gave birth to you and who nursed you.’ But he said, ‘Happy rather are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.’ ”
And Luke 8:19–21
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
Jesus saw the most important human role as that of disciple. In this passage, as well as many others, we see Jesus laying the foundation for one of the most fundamental concepts in the church—the redefinition of family.
The relationship between a mother and her child has as much potential to be filled with pain and grief as any other human relationship. In fact, disappointments in the mother-child relationship may be exacerbated by the fact that motherhood is glorified, and mothers are expected to easily love, care, and devote themselves to their children in a superhuman way.
I’m grateful that Mother’s Day falls on a Sunday. As part of a fellowship that shares communion regularly, I am reminded of the tight connection that binds all broken-hearted people to the entrance of the empty tomb. It is with hope that we wait for the total fulfillment of all joy and peace. It is with hope we wait for the day our stones will one day be rolled away.
If Mother’s Day is hard for you, please give yourself permission to be wherever you are emotionally. Feel what you need to feel. Focus on Jesus and his resurrection power, his promise to redeem all pain. Open the eyes of your heart to glimpses of his joy and his peace that are within you. Embrace the family as Jesus defined it and together we can celebrate.