Mothers, Jesus and Us Sheep

John 10:14

^“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…”

Nobody knows a child like the mother.  With babies, mothers seem to know instinctively what each different cry means.  Their hungry.  Their diaper needs changing.  They need a nap.  Mother’s can tell if they really hurt themselves or they are just wanting attention.  When a mother takes her child into the doctor’s office and tells the doctor – this is what’s wrong – the doctor would do well to listen.  This has always amazed me.    I can’t tell the difference between one baby cry and another.  It’s amazing, but not surprising.  Of course a mother knows her children better than anyone else.  The mother takes care of every need of the child – feeding them, changing them, pulling out slivers, comforting them, reading to them, putting them to bed.  For the same reasons, children know and trust their mothers.  We were with Sharon this past weekend for her baptism.  Sharon is our newest grandchild. I loved watching Sharon’s eyes light up whenever Bethany picked her up.  Only 2 months old but she knows this is her mother.   Mothers know and care for their children.  Children know and trust their moms.

What a great picture mom’s provide for what Jesus tells us about His relationship with us in John 10:14. “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…”  He knows you and me.  Think of all the ways the Scripture say this to us.  He calls us each by name.  He chose us before the creation of the world.  He has the very hairs on our head all numbered.  He knows our prayers before we ask them.  Jesus tells us not to worry about clothing and food because “your heavenly Father knows that you need them all,”   Like our mothers, our God is there for us in times of joy and sorrow… at birth and death and every day in between. God promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” The Psalmist tells us that God keeps every tear we cry.  “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle…”   He knows us better than our mothers know us… better than we know ourselves.

And so it goes the other way.  Because of His daily care…. Because of His ever present love, we know Him.  It’s the story I have heard from long time believers over and over again.  I will ask them before surgery, or in the face of death or a job loss, “Are you ok?  Are you afraid?”  “Yes,” the will answer me.  “But I’ll be okay.  God has been there for me in the past.  He took care of me when my spouse died…” or “He saw me through the last time I lost my job.  He will take care of me now.”  One man, headed in for very serious surgery said to me, “I can’t lose.  God has taken care of me through 35 years of illness.  If the surgery works then Praise God.  If it doesn’t help, He will still watch over me.  If I die, I go to be with Him.”    That’s the kind of faith that comes from knowing the God who loves us  so much that He gave His own son… the savior who loves us so much that He died and rose again.”  Knowing His daily, His eternal love – you know that you can trust Him,

I remember when I was on vicarage in south central Nebraska.   I went out one afternoon with a farmer because one of his cows was out of the fence, in the middle of the road.  Every time we approached that cow she would run in the other direction.  Finally, the farmer told me to stay back and let him approach the cow.  As soon as I stayed away, that cow did whatever the Farmer wanted.  Why?  Because that farmer took care of her, doctored her, fed her. That cow knew that farmer.  She knew she could trust him.  She had no idea who I was.

The point of all of this?  Just as you could trust that your mom knew you and would take care of you… even so you can have even greater confidence that your savior knows you and will take care of you. 

So Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms and grandmas.  We love you!  And Lord, thank you that you know us and watch over us.