Biblical Mothers for Mother's Day Sermons: Go Beyond Proverbs 31

We understand why Proverbs 31 gets so much attention on Mother's Day. But as we argued in the first part of this series, it isn't actually about mothers. And if you aren't careful, you can do harm by heaping guilt on women who can't measure up to a woman who is practically Wisdom personified.

We have good news. The Bible is full of great Mother's Day options—the stories of Biblical mothers across the whole of salvation history. Mothers move the story of the Bible along. From Sarah's laughter to Hannah's tears, to Jochebed's craftiness to the faith of Eunice and Lois, mothers shaped the whole story and are criminally underpreached, except perhaps as addenda to the famous men in their lives.

This post is a guide to preaching on these women, with angles to get your Mother's Day sermons started.

But, wait. We didn't mention the best option. So let's start with her: Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Reclaim Mary for Mothers

There's a reason that Mary doesn't get preached on too often: we Protestants get squeamish about Mary. We’re at such great pains to distinguish ourselves from the level of veneration of Mary in Roman Catholicism that we de-emphasize her to our cost. 

In our churches, Mary gets “air-time” during Advent and Christmas, but rarely return to her throughout the rest of the year. But Mary’s character and life sings on Mother’s Day. We need to get over our "hang ups" about Mary. We're missing out!

Let’s talk about three approaches you might take to her in your sermons.

The First Christian is a Mother: Luke 1:26-38

Mary is the first Christian: She has been called this because of her response to the angel. This humble “yes” to God is a type of all Christians' acceptance of God and his plan. She is the first one in the Jesus story to do this. In this sense, she is the first of us. Further, her “yes” is that moment in salvation history which brings the Messiah into the world. She accomplishes this by embracing motherhood.

Cells from a child are carried in the mother throughout her life. Mary literally carried a little of Jesus's body in her over her whole life.

She was perhaps the single greatest human influence on Jesus. She probably told him the stories of Moses, his ancestor David, the Temple, the exile, the prophets... she probably sang him Psalms when she put him to bed. She probably taught him to pray. What human was more important in Jesus’ life?

If you’re feeling bold, mention "Theotokos" (God-bearer): This is NOT a word that most modern American Protestants know. But it expresses a deep truth of Christianity that elevates motherhood. She was called God-bearer in the early church because of the doctrine of the Incarnation. Talk about it. God was in the womb. And God was born. That's an incredible affirmation of motherhood. And it may also deepen your congregation's appreciation of Christology!

Pumped Fist or Folded Hands? Luke 1:46-55

If you look at the way Mary is depicted in Christian art, especially since the Renaissance, she is usually portrayed as serene, quiet, contemplative. And she probably was, at least some of the time (see Luke 2:19). 

But that isn’t all she was. In Luke 1:46-55, she is a spitfire. Just read the song! She was pumped about what God was doing in the world. She knew God was becoming king (to use N. T. Wright's phrase) and she expected great things. The Magnificat is more at home with a pumped fist than folded hands. She was part of a movement from Day One. 

There is also a rich connection to be drawn between Mary’s song and Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 (see below). Draw together the story of the mothers of these two prophets at the dawn of a new age in the unfolding of God's plan!

Mary’s Story

We would surely like a biography of Mary, because we don't know much about her. But we do get a story that we can piece together from the gospels. And she’s at least worth as much attention as characters like Moses and Elijah.

Individually, these stories are a little difficult to pull out a picture of motherhood from, but together, it’s compelling. In addition to the passages just mentioned, consider pulling these together:

Luke 2:41-52: Mary Searches for Jesus
Every mother (and father) can relate to the panic of finding that their child is missing. Mary knew this feeling of panic, too. She even rebukes the Son of God to his face: "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress" (Luke 2:48b, ESV). 

John 2:1-12: The Wedding at Cana
At Cana we have Mary ask Jesus for help when a family member or a close friend of the family is at risk of embarrassment. The conversation between Jesus and Mary is brief, but very interesting. This is the occasion of Jesus' first miracle in the book of John.

Strain in the relationship: Matt. 12:46-50, Mark 3:31-35, Luke 8:19-21, 11:28
The gospels imply that there was some sort of family friction during Jesus' ministry. The family (including Mary) show up one time to see Jesus and Jesus uses the opportunity to elevate obedience over blood. A similar occasion occurs when someone blesses his mother for bearing him, and he elevates those who obey God's word (Luke 11:28). If you see a strain in the family in these passages, this is certainly relatable to most families.

John 19:25-28: Mary at the foot of the Cross
This is not the end of Mary's story, but it must be the darkest moment. At the cross, she watches her beloved son die. He lovingly ensures that she is cared for by the "beloved disciple." 

Acts 1:14: Mary in the Church
This is the last mention of Mary in the Bible. We see her, after the Ascension, in the early church, worshipping as a part of this first stage in the life of the Way. What must have been her experience, having seen her son risen from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the Father? Her Magnificat has come true.

By viewing these scattered verses together, we can see a motherhood lived out across the life of Jesus. It’s not ethereal and serene, shining in the soft light of a halo. It’s a real life, full of color and reflects a woman of deep sanctity—a true saint—who is an indispensable part of the life of Jesus.

Mothers Across the Bible

There are many different Biblical mothers who play a role in the story of the Bible. They each reveal how the human story is woven together with God’s story across salvation history. They are relatable, heroic, and even flawed women whose stories are worth diving into.

Here are several mothers you might consider, with brief notes to give you a head start on incorporating them into your sermons.

Sarai/Sarah

One can only imagine how Sarai felt when Abram came home to announce that they were heading out of Ur. Or maybe she was raring to go, eager for adventure. We don’t know!

But her motherhood ends up being a major problem, because she and Abram are unable to have a child, even though God makes a promise that Abram will have many descendants. And even she seems to buy into the workaround of cutting herself out of the promise and having him create his lineage through Hagar, which backfires spectacularly (Gen. 16). But God won’t have her cut out (Gen. 17:19).

When her own motherhood is promised in Genesis 18, she laughs out loud, which gives Isaac his name. (Rebekah and Rachel provide interesting comparisons in this story.) After Genesis 21, we have both joy and pain coming from her motherhood. It’s a story which rewards looking into deeply—and she is the foundation of God’s people.

Hannah, mother of Samuel

Hannah's story (1 Samuel 1–2) is powerful and tender. The men around her misunderstand her: her husband is self-centered (1:8) and Eli thinks she is drunk (1:13–14). God meets her deep need, but it also involves great sacrifice for her, as she ends up putting her son into service in the Tabernacle. 

Her song of joy in 1 Sam. 2 is similar in interesting ways to Mary's song in Luke 1. If preaching on Hannah, drawing out the similarities between the songs of these miraculous motherhoods is interesting—especially in light of the ways they think of their own pregnancies in terms of God's power in the world.

A Note on Infertility

Infertility is one of the silent pains of Mother's Day. Many women experience it, but feel that they need to be silent when mothers are being celebrated. It may be tempting to turn to passages like these as hopeful.

However: be careful.

Most Christian couples who are struggling with infertility and pray for help conceiving don't receive the miracle they want. Miraculous conceptions are not the norm. We know this, but preachers are not always careful not to imply that those who struggle with infertility are somehow spiritually deficient or less beloved by God. 

How can these passages be used well?

Offering context is only somewhat helpful. In the world of the Old Testament, a woman might feel worthless because of the social consequences. Her status and even her livelihood might be tied to whether or not she had children. We can relate to this now, but it is different.

Most importantly, God cares for all women. It was not that God cared more for Sarah than some other infertile woman in Ur who he did not help in this way. These specific women are singled out for grace, but they are not more deserving. Part of it is that they are being called into bigger stories through their motherhood, stories that are to tell us of God’s free grace and power. Why God does not give us the good desires of our hearts when he shows that he could doesn’t get less hard. That problem of suffering goes far beyond infertility.

But the women who have received miracles are not more beloved and those who have not are not less beloved of God.

Also, consider elevating these Biblical women as women in distinction from their connection to famous men. They should not just be accessories of famous men in the Bible.

Jochebed, mother of Moses

The first chapter of Exodus tells us that Pharaoh is executing a genocide against the Jewish people living in Egypt, demanding the killing of every newborn boy. It is in light of this (Exodus 2:1-10) that a Hebrew woman, Jochebed (named in Exodus 6:20), comes up with a plan to save her son: he's put in a mini-Ark and put into the river. A princess picks him up and Jochebed is able to get hired to care for her son. It is heroic bravery and cleverness that God uses to save his people.

Angle for preaching for Mother's Day: Jochebed is a critical link in the story of Israel. Without this clever mother, Moses never is able to lead the people out of slavery. Mary embodies Jochebed in saving her own son by fleeing to Egypt. Mothers are renowned for their protectiveness of their children—"mama bears"—and God has used this throughout salvation history as part of the story.

Eunice and Lois, mother and grandmother of Timothy

We only get one verse (2 Timothy 1:5) about Eunice and Lois—and it isn’t even close to enough. How did they come to faith? How did they pass it on? We don't know! But we know that they were so significant that Paul mentions them in the early verses of 2 Timothy as those who faithfully passed their faith down to him.

Angle for Mother's Day: As brief as this is, we are familiar with what Paul is talking about. Mothers are often the great evangelists of the church, doing much of the religious instruction for their children. We should celebrate their faithfulness and support all parents in their discipleship of their children. 

This may also be a chance to address fathers. Do they share the work of discipleship? In our culture, we often shift this duty onto women (not always, but often), along with all sorts of other duties. It’s not just a matter of love for mothers, but it’s ensuring that children recognize that following God is not gendered.

Choosing a Mother's Day Text

The story of the Bible spans centuries. Mothers are often overlooked, but looking closely at them reveal people remarkably like us. Their faith, compassion, and courage are waiting to jump off the page to teach us. They grapple with hardships like ours: including grief, uncertainty, political instability, and grapple with faith along the way. We've suggested several, but there are more to explore.

An alternative approach to your Mother's Day sermons is to focus on the way motherhood is found in God—there are many verses in the Bible that use maternal imagery—and they often are overlooked. Many mothers in your congregation may have never heard these verses that validate that motherhood comes from God, just as fatherhood does.

Read: Four Verses That Find Motherhood in the Heart of God →

Who did we leave out who deserves a spot among the "top Biblical moms"? How do you encourage and disciple the mothers in your congregation on Mother's Day? What texts have worked best for you? We'd love to hear from you.