John 14:23-31 Jesus answered him, "If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 "These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, 'I am going away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.1 Remember your Mother. Think fondly of Her. Consider all that She has done and continues to do for you. She gave you life from Her body and fed you through Her body. She labors tirelessly for you and would give all of Herself so that you might receive a matchless inheritance. There is no other Mother like Her, none who works so hard, none who gives so much, none who loves you as much as She. Think of Her, remember Her, and give thanks to God for Her.
2 If you only honored your Mother one day a year, you would be a wicked, faithless child. I am not speaking of the lady who gave you your first birth. I mean She who gave you your second birth. Your Mother is the Church. The calling to be a mother is a holy one not because of the women who occupy that office, but because of the Mother, the Church, who gives meaning to all motherhood. Certainly, you should honor your earthly mother, not just on Mother’s Day, for then you would be a wicked child, but on every day. Give thanks to God for her every day. The estate of motherhood is ordained by God and holy. So, if you have looked with disdain on those who take this task so seriously that they devote themselves to it full-time, repent. If you have begrudged the task of being a mother or considered it more of a burden than a blessing, repent. If you have been a wicked child, repent.
3 Being a faithful child is not your nature. By nature, you have only one mother. You inherit from her your wickedness, your rebellion, your sinfulness. She is Eve, and she is your natural mother. But all you will receive from her is death. You need another mother. You need a Mother who will give you life as your inheritance. So do not despise or dishonor your Mother, the Church. Do not despise the faith She has labored to deliver to you. Do not spurn Her faithfulness toward you. Do not show Her honor only because you feel you should. If you want life and salvation, you need Her as your Mother. But first, you need another Brother.
4 Motherhood received no greater honor than it did when the angel Gabriel spoke the word of comfort and hope to the Blessed Virgin Mary. From that word, God was borne inside her. She gave birth to the Savior and called His name Jesus, because He would save His people from their sins. The Son of God became the Son of Mary. And He grew up. The Son of Mary is the Son of God who was nailed to a cross. There He bore the sins of all humanity upon himself, all sins of the children of Eve. He took your sins upon Himself, sins of scorning the holy calling of motherhood, sins of dishonoring your parents, sins of not loving Jesus or keeping His word. And while hanging dying, He commended His mother into the care of the Apostle John. He died, He rose, and He ascended into heaven. And by His death and resurrection, he makes you His brothers and sisters by faith, children of the same Mother.
5 In the 13 days between Christ’s Ascension and Pentecost, His disciples might have seemed hopeless. But Jesus had warned them of His departure. And He gave them the comfort of knowing He would send the Holy Spirit. “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” You cannot by your own reason or strength believe in your Lord Jesus Christ or come to Him. That’s why He sends the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has called you by the Gospel, enlightened you with His gifts, sanctified and kept you in the true faith.
6 As Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to the Apostle, so He entrusts the care of His Church to those in the office of the apostles. That’s where the Holy Spirit is at work. In the same way, he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. He made you a part of the Lord’s Holy Church through the waters of Holy Baptism. He daily and richly forgives your sins and the sins of all believers through the word of Holy Absolution. And He feeds you with the very Body and Blood of Jesus in the Supper that forgives your sins. The Holy Spirit has come to you and continues to come to you to deliver the benefit of Jesus’ death on the cross.
7 The sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost continues today. The same Gospel the disciples preached is preached today in your own language and in the languages of people across the world. The same baptism in which Peter exhorted the crowds to find forgiveness of sins and faith during his Pentecost sermon continues to be the means through which the Holy Spirit draws people of all ages into the Lord’s Church. Pentecost was originally a harvest festival. The harvest continues where the word is proclaimed and the means of grace are given out. The Lord has gathered you into the harvest of salvation.
8 And the Church remains your Mother because the Holy Spirit keeps you in the one true faith. Because of the honor She has shown you in calling you to be her beloved child, you may honor her on this and every other day. Because the Lord guarantees that His gifts will not cease to be given out, you may receive the treasures from Him that hold you firm in your Mother, the Church. Because of death and resurrection of the Lord, His Church has salvation. Because of Her, you have salvation. Think of Her, honor Her, remember Her, give thanks to God for Her.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Soli Deo Gloria
Pastor Jeff Hemmer
Hope, Jerseyville