“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord.'” — Luke 2:10-11
Honoring Mothers
College and professional athletes often acknowledge the hard work and sacrifice of their mothers in helping them reach the pinnacle of success. Nevertheless, we don’t always understand or appreciate our mothers.
In order to gain a better appreciation for our mothers, it is helpful to read about Ruth in the Bible. She didn’t know if she would ever be a mother. Ruth’s husband died young and they didn’t have any children. However, she decided to move to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi, while she figured out her future. In an unusual way, she met a man who would help her raise up a child for the next generation.
Bethlehem is a small town but it is surrounded by fertile fields, and Bethlehem means “house of bread.” As that area produces lots of grain to make bread, Bethlehem also produced several famous Israelites. Since Ruth was a Moabite, she didn’t expect to be part of God’s plan, but the Lord surprised her with a son after she and Boaz married. “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son” (Ruth 4:13).
Ruth’s son, Obed, was the father of Jesse. Then Jesse had a son named David, who became king of Israel. If it wasn’t for Ruth, we wouldn’t know anything about David. In a similar way, many mothers choose to stay in the background, but we should always understand the great value of our mothers and show appreciation by our words and actions.
Since Ruth is an ancestor of David, that means she helped bring Jesus into the world in Bethlehem. Therefore, all people can benefit from the life of that one precious mother. “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord'” (Luke 2:10-11).
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Ga.
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