VIP Ministry Network

Sermon in a nutshell: Matthew 14:1-21

Today is Mother’s Day. In the Bible, today, we see two different mothers. One mother was Herodias and the other mother’s name we do not know.

Herodias was the wife of the King Philip. King Philip’s brother, King Antipas fell in love with Herodias and asked her to marry him. However, he was already married to Phasaelis, the daughter of King Aretas of Nabatea. In other words, King Antipas divorced his first wife and stole the wife of his brother. John the Baptist criticized the King Antipas. And John the Baptist was arrested to put in a prison. Herodias hated John the Baptist. She wanted to silence him to save her face. Now she had a chance.

On the king’s birthday, they had a big party. Herodias’ daughter danced for the king. The king was so pleased and promised to give her reward. The Bible says, “Prompted by her mother,” she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist her on a platter” (Matthew 14:8). John was beheaded in the prison. His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, who brought it to her mother (Matthew 14:11).

This mother betrayed her husband. Then she planned to silence all the criticisms. When she could not silence John the Baptist, she used her daughter. This mother made the daughter to kill God’s prophet through the power of a king!

However, here is another mother. We do not know the name. She must be a follower of Jesus. She wanted her son, a young boy, also to follow Jesus. She sent the boy to the gathering place, to a wilderness so that he could listen and learn from Jesus. She also prepared a lunch box for her son. She knew that the lessons would be all day and she did not want her son to return in the middle of the teaching. This mother valued the teaching of Jesus. This mother had a wish for her son to be a holy person taught by the Son of God.

This mother taught him to share his lunch with others. This mother made sure that when Jesus asked anything her son should give that to Jesus. This mother made the son to feed more than five thousand people in the wilderness through the Grace of God!

What did make differences in these two mothers? It all came from their personal shrines, personal cathedrals, and personal sanctuaries. Whatever they did in their private times, they grew and nurtured fruits in public lives. One mother enjoyed physical pleasure in her private time and became a murderer. Another mother had fellowship with God in her private time and became a disciple of Jesus.  May God bless all of our mothers, who dedicate their lives to nurture the sons and daughters of God!

1. What was your mother like?
2. What do you do in your private time and place “usually”?