Pastoral Letter 64

Dear Members of St. Andrew’s Uniting Church, Friends and Adherents,

Grace and peace to you all.

I hope those who joined the Mother’s Day Munch last Sunday after the Church Service, enjoyed the meal and the fellowship we had together. Congratulations to Anne Campbell for being the Lucky Lady and winning the prize. Thanks to Dee for organising and thanks to those who helped with the serving, washing and cleaning.

Sadly, after opening our doors in February and running our programs smoothly in the last few months, once again the NSW government has tightened COVID-19 Restrictions. Following the recent outbreaks within the Sydney area, restrictions have been temporarily tightened for those who are in the Greater Sydney area from 5:00 pm 6^th May until 12:00 am Monday 10^th of May 2021. Synod has sent Guidance Note 29 to congregations and has instructed that this Sunday we will need to wear masks, there will be no singing and we will not be having morning tea after the service. Therefore, we will not sing during the Service and have the hymns as videos on the screen and we will not have Morning Tea.

On the positive note, this means that we will have ample of time to go to the family Mother’s Day gatherings, though with a limit of 20 people. We do hope and pray that these restrictions will be just for this weekend. We will keep you posted for what we are going to do after Monday depending on the instructions we receive.

In the meantime, if you are not able to come in person to this Sunday’s face-to-face worship, please join us following the Order of Service that you have received, light a candle, worship and pray with us.

Let me take this opportunity, wishing health and joy to all the mothers:

HAPPY  MOTHER’S  DAY

Krikor

MESSAGE

A Mother’s Request with Love

John 15:9-17 and Matthew 20:20-28

What is love?

Is it just an expression through gifts and cards on special days, such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, graduation?

Is it a kiss on the cheek of a child, a daughter or a son?

Is it the hugs we are all missing during this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

Or is it Jesus hanging on a cross to pay the price for our sins?

The answer to these questions could simply be “Yes”. Yes, we view all of these as love, but are they all the same? Are they equal acts of love? Of course not!

“What are the different types of love mentioned in the Bible?”

There are at least four different Greek words that are used for “love,” but not all of them are found in the New Testament.

The first Greek word for love is: “eros”, which refers to romantic or sexual love. From it we get the word erotic. This specific word is not used in the New Testament.

The second Greek word for love is: “storge”, which refers to familial love like that of a mother for her baby or of a brother and sister for each other. It is not used in the New Testament; however, the negative term astorgoi – “unloving” is found in 1 Timothy 3:3, and a similar term, astorgous – “no love” in the NIV and “without natural affection” in the KJV, is found in Romans 1:31.

The third Greek word for love is: “philia”, refers to friendship and comradery. This word is often translated as “friend” (one who is loved) in the New Testament.

Finally, the fourth word for love is: “agape” is used to speak of God’s love that He has for the world and that Christians are supposed to imitate. This is the word for “love” that is most commonly used in the New Testament.

So, let’s talk about love –

A. We Receive Love from Above.

“As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you. Now remain in My love” (vs. 9).

The starting point of the Christian journey is God loving us before we loved Him.

B. We Love Others

“My commandment is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (vs. 12)

We need to receive love… and give love.

C. We Sacrifice Self for Others

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (vs. 13)

Listen to the sacrificial nature of agape love: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God. ….” (1 John 4:7-8). 

This is the Perfect Love and as we said last Sunday, if you are looking for this kind of Perfect Love, look to Jesus!

On this Mother’s Day we could also say if you are looking for this kind of Perfect Love, look to your mother! She receives the love from the source, from God, shows to others and to her children, without any regrets and she demonstrates a sacrificial love. She does the unimaginable for her children. We find a good example in the gospels, where a mother comes to Jesus with a sincere request.

The sincere request of the mother of Zebedee’s sons to Jesus mostly has been taken in a negative way. But it is worthwhile to take this request in a positive perspective; especially being that a mother’s heartfelt request for her children. We should be honest enough saying that who is that mother that does not desire to see her children on good positions and achieving success.

It was a similar desire that the mother of James and John had, when she went to Jesus with her request.

In this case we should also see that when she came to Jesus with her request, Jesus did not give her what she asked for, but at the same time He did not reject her. He simply reminded her that the decision of sitting on His right or the left belongs only to the Father and that the price to be paid for that position is too high.

If we look to this request in this manner, then we will be able to see this request in a new perspective and explain a mother’s sincere desire.

In her request we can see the following three points:

1. She Prayed that They Take Part in the Kingdom

In this case the positive thing that we see is that the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to the Lord Jesus with prayer and seeking for her children to have their share in the Lord’s Kingdom. A mother cannot have a bigger responsibility than this, which is to pray for her children and express her desire for her children to have a place in the Kingdom of God. Yes, mothers always pray for the needs of their children. They pray, because they realise that the motherly duty that they perform is not an easy task and it needs God’s help and blessing. They also pray realising that being parents they have happy and sad periods; they are sometimes happy and sometimes they shed tears for their children. What’s the benefit of having financially successful children, who do not know God? What benefit they will have if they gain the whole world, but they lose their soul? Being a mother is not an easy thing. The mother of James and John gives us a beautiful example, who prayed for her children ardently seeking that they have their place in the Kingdom of God. All mothers should have a similar desire for their children.

It is essential that every mother and father go to God with this desire of salvation for their children.

2. She Prayed that They Have Active Roles in the Kingdom

The mother of Zebedee’s sons did not only pray for her children to have their place in the Kingdom, but she prayed that they play an active role in the Kingdom of God. What a beautiful wish. It is not enough, their formal salvation, but to see them in action.  Today it could be easy to fill the pews of our churches, but it is necessary to have people who are willing to labour and serve for the glory of God. There are many in the church that sit crossed arms and receive God’s blessings, but they don’t have the desire and the willingness to take action in the church. This behaviour is ambition, showiness and hypocrisy. People’s desire to have a serving spirit starts from the home, when the mothers and fathers pray for their children, they play their active role in the field of God. The mother of James and John prayed ardently for them to labour in the Kingdom of God.

3. She Had High Expectations

The mother of Zebedee’s sons had great expectations from her children. She did not pray for them to be gatekeepers, but she wished them to sit on the right and the left of Lord Jesus. If we want to labour in the Kingdom, we will not find a higher position than being on the left and the right of the King. She desired this position for her sons to have.

We can say this mother was ambitious or proud.  But if we think about it for a minute, we will not say so. On the contrary we will appreciate this mother for her desire, because she was ready to see her sons in the way that Jesus walked. She would not want to see them sitting inactive and indifferent. Sadly, there are many in the circle of the church who have a similar attitude and that’s why we don’t see much progress in the mission of the church.

It is time that people take responsibility and labour for the glory of God, doing and giving their best. The mother of James and John with this great expectation requested from Jesus that “glorious” places for her children.

How much good it will be if we, with the same desire, continue our life and serve the Lord?

This is the love of a mother for her children.

A love which is:

• Similar to God’s love.
• Sacrificial, consecrated and lasting.
• Keeps us under any circumstance, even if walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil, for He is with us.

It comforts us, it strengthens us, and it asserts us.

The love of a mother seeks the best for her children, protects her children and gives the best like God Himself.

The love of a mother is a Perfect Love, as the Love of God.

Amen!