Nougat 10

Happy Mother’s Day to us all! Even if we aren’t mothers, our being here is by God’s grace and a mother who accepted the challenge of carrying us to term and giving birth. For the actual mothers, I pray you bask in the gift God gave you for nurturing and caring in the way you do. Men are also carers, but your day is next month.

As I prepared for our reflection today, I knew the letter (epistle) to the Corinthian church would not make the cut. It is my prayer that you will find Today’s Holy Nougat more aligned with our celebration of motherhood.

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 CEVDCI

[7] But as apostles, we could have demanded help from you. After all, Christ is the one who sent us. We chose to be like children or like a mother nursing her baby.

[8] We cared so much for you, and you became so dear to us, that we were willing to give our lives for you when we gave you God’s message.

Like a Nursing Mother

There is something to be said for the maternal instinct. It’s a bit more than just care, it’s also that protectiveness that may extend to others not our own. To some extent, we might see it as connected to the capacity for casting a life and giving birth. But it isn’t always the case. Although there is a tenderness I’ve seen displayed by nursing mothers that might have come with birthing their baby.

Self-Check

Regardless of gender, is tenderness an attribute that is attributed to us?

Why/not?

Deeper Dive

I would not describe Paul as tender. We’ve read most of 1 Corinthians 4, which shows us just how stern Paul can get. But then, a tender mother can move from calm and gentle to fierce and dangerous in seconds. Especially if/when her child is under threat or endangered. And before we get off tangent, many people are like that with other children. We could say that it’s also the maternal instinct.

Interestingly, we don’t see many literal analogies of God to mothering or womanhood in the Bible. Yet, if we consider Y’shua’s compassion to the children turned away by the disciples in Mark 10:13-16, that was clearly a nurturing moment. Likewise, the miraculous feeding of the multitude began with a mother’s compassion for the physically and spiritually hungry.

Paul takes the analogy further. He argues that it is a mother who gives her life willingly for her child. When Y’shua says therefore, no human display of love is greater than laying down one’s life for friends (see John 15:13), by Paul’s standard, He has demonstrated the maternal instinct.

A maternal instinct therefore, isn’t only about our ability to reproduce and nurse an infant. It also requires the willingness to give love, the capacity for sacrifice, and the gentle, yet fierce protectiveness for the vulnerable. It could be a physical baby, or someone young in the faith. It could be someone who’s living with a disability that affects their motor or mental functions.

We salute mothers and motherhood today, recognising that God has given us beautiful examples in the Bible, we just need to look for them. May we be like nursing mothers toward those God has placed in our care.

Point to Ponder

Is there someone whom God has placed before us who requires a special touch today? Let’s pray for wisdom and discernment. Is there a mother who needs to be celebrated in a special way today? Don’t hesitate – let’s lift her up.

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May all we seek be found in Christ