Shouting Out on Mother’s Day

It's Mother's Day. In the Episcopal Church we do not celebrate Mother's Day, at least not directly. The scripture readings and prayers will be those appointed for the Third Sunday of Easter. I can't find any inspiration there for a blog post!

Looking elsewhere, I go to one of my favorite "mother" passages in scripture (Matthew 15:21-27).

Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon."²³But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us."²⁴He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."²⁵But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me."²⁶He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."²⁷She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."²⁸Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.

I love this passage because it represents one aspect of motherhood that I think we often overlook on this "Hallmark" holiday with its overly sentimental cards and messages. Here we find a mother who will not give up on her daughter, who will shout until that demon is cast out of her. I wonder if the daughter is embarrassed by her mother's persistence. I imagine her cringing a bit. She's heard this before and probably wishes her mother would just be quiet. But the mother loves her daughter and is going to keep shouting until someone does something to help. The daughter may be embarrassed, but underneath she is thankful that someone is looking out for her and is willing to do anything for her. This is not simply a story of great faith. It is a story of great love, of a mother's love.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, to my mother-in-law, and to my wife! Thank you for loving your children, for your willingness to shout out for them in their time of greatest need. Thank you for being examples for all of us of great faith, abiding hope, and fearless love.