Happy Mother’s Day!
Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Praying for you, your family, your community and the rest of the world.   Right now, the whole world is suffering because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).   Let’s pray together to God, Our Ever-Loving Father, His mercy and protection on all, and God’s healing on those who are infected by the Coronavirus.   We all believe God’s grace and love rest on all who look upon Him every moment with faith in Him.  
“Each of you must show great respect for your mother and father, and you must always observe my Sabbath days of rest. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:2)
Today is Mother’s Day Sunday.   We all owe to our mothers.  Without our mothers, we could have not been here on earth now.  Our mothers experienced the server birth pain to deliver us to this world.  Then our mothers took care of us by pouring out their motherly loves on us by feeding us, raising us, and protecting all harms against us.  Our mothers’ love is strongest than any other loves from humans on earth.  Only mothers can have such strong motherly love.  In fact, their loves are sacrificial, and their hearts are always full of love to their children.  Only through mother, we can experience the unparallel love and care for us.  Without such a love, we could not have appreciated the holy love of God.  The mothers’ love is the closest one to the God’s unfathomable love that was manifested on the cross.   Give thanks to God for letting us to experience our mother’s love so that we can comprehend what God’s true love really looks like.   Praise God, for His unimaginable wisdom and unmatchable care for us!
Today, we will find more about Mary, Jesus’ mother in Bible.  Especially, her faith in Jesus and how much she trusted in Jesus.
There was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee.  
May, Jesus’ mother, was at the wedding celebration banquet.  It was a wedding celebration banquet for one of Mary’s relatives.  She helped the wedding and organized the wedding banquet.  She also hired a banquet master, who was taking care of all details of the wedding celebration banquet.  Mary also invited Jesus with His disciples.  Jesus’ disciples were really happy too.  It was the first big invitation to the disciples since they followed Jesus.
The wedding banquet was attended by many people.  Those who knew about the bride and bridegroom came and celebrated the wedding.   Mary was so happy with the people.  The banquet was filled with happiness.  All were joyfully talking and eating.  The guests also took turns and visited the head table to talk with the bride and bridegroom.   For the bride and bridegroom, it was the most memorable banquet.   The newly wedded couples were really pleased because of so many people at the banquet.  As planned by Mary, all went well.  Nobody could hear anything but joyful noise.  It was a truly happy and blessed wedding banquet.  The wedding master was also happily watching over the progress of the wedding banquet and he was diligently directing the servants.  The servants happily served the guests.  It was a truly blessed wedding banquet.
However, few servants started realizing that the wine was running out far faster than expected.   Then the wine supply ran out.  The guests were in a really good mood, and the servants could not bring out any more wine.  A couple of the servants ran to Mary, and told, “We don’t’ have any more wine.”   As Mary heard the unexpected news, she was troubled.  Then Mary gave a thought what to do.  It was too late to buy more wine because it was already dark outside.  Without wine, the banquet would be soon over.   The really good banquet would be ruined.  But she did not know what to do.  She felt she was stuck.
Then Mary looked around while thinking what to do.  She spotted Jesus, her son.   Stopping her scanning eyes, she started remembering her extraordinary experienced about Jesus, which she treasured in her heart.  She recalled the treasured experiences one by one from her memory.
Mary recalled that first extraordinary experience was happened when she was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David.  One day, Gabriel suddenly appeared to her and said,
“Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”  (Luke 1:28)
Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
The angel replied,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.  (Luke 1:35)
What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month. For the word of God will never fail.”
Mary responded,
“I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”  (Luke 1:38 b)
And then the angel left her.  It was Mary’s first encounter with Gabriel, the God’s angel who foretold about the birth of the Son of God from her.  She knew her son would not a normal baby, but the Son of God.  Then she believed.

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth.  At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 
Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
Then Mary was full of the Holy Spirit, and responded by the Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise.  All things pointed to one – her son, Jesus Christ and the Son of God.  She had never forgotten.
Then Mary remember the next extraordinary experienced when she gave a birth to Jesus and laid Him in a manger.  At that time, there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10b-12)
Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”   (Luke 2:14)
When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.   This was the second memory about Jesus by Mary.  Her heart was still at the scene visited by the shepherd and the wisemen from far east.   Her eyes were also filled with tears.  That night of giving birth of Jesus was unforgettable.  Mary and Joseph knocked all doors, but nobody accepted them because there was no room for them for the night.  They barely found a place to stay the night, which was not a room but a stable.  In the stable, there was nobody except Mary and Joseph, her husband.  Only were animals with them.  That night, Mary delivered Jesus, the Son of God.  Again, nobody except the animals were at the scene.  Mary laid her son, Jesus in a manger.   It was a lonely night.  But this loneliness did not last.  Soon, the shepherds and the three wisemen from far east came and worshipped her son, Jesus in the manger.  The lonely night in the stable was suddenly turned into a miraculous place filled with awe and the unexpected visitors from near and afar.  She could not forget the night of the birth of Jesus.
Her extraordinary memories about Jesus did not stop after Jesus’ birth.  When it was time for Mary’s purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so Mary and Joseph took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.  
At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, who was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel. The Holy Spirit was upon him and had revealed to him that he would not die until he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.  That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there. He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying,
 “Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace,
       as you have promised.
I have seen your salvation,
       which you have prepared for all people.
He is a light to reveal God to the nations,
       and he is the glory of your people Israel!”  (Luke 2:29-32)
Mary and Joseph were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them, and he said to Mary, the baby’s mother,
“This child is destined to cause many in Israel to fall, and many others to rise. He has been sent as a sign from God, but many will oppose him. As a result, the deepest thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your very soul.”  (Luke 2:34b-35)
Mary treasured this extraordinary event in her heart along with the blessing and the prophesy about her son Jesus, which was offered by Simeon.
Mary could remember another extraordinary event when Jesus was twelve years old.
Every year Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for the Passover festival.  Jesus was twelve years old, and they attended the festival as usual.  After the celebration was over, they started home to Nazareth, but Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph didn’t miss Him at first, because they assumed He was among the other travelers. But when He didn’t show up that evening, they started looking for Him among their relatives and friends.
When they couldn’t find Him, they went back to Jerusalem to search for Him there. Three days later they finally discovered Him in the Temple, sitting among the religious teachers, listening to them and asking questions. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.
Mary and Joseph didn’t know what to think. “Son,” his mother said to him, “why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been frantic, searching for you everywhere.”
“But why did you need to search?” He asked. “Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?”  (Luke 2:49)
At that time, Mary and Joseph didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant.   Then Jesus returned to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph and was obedient to them.    Mary, Jesus’ mother, treasured this precious memory in her heart.
As recalling her extraordinary experiences about Jesus, her son, Mary could affirm her faith on Jesus.  She was fully convinced that her son was the Son of God, not just an ordinary son.
Then Mary’s heart clearly told Mary that it was time to fully trust Jesus, not as her ordinary son, but as the Son of God.   Mary approached to Jesus and talked about her problem – no more wine.   
Jesus replied,
“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”  (John 2:4b)
Jesus answered not as her son, but the Son of God.  Jesus mentioned that His time had not yet come.  Mary clearly heard what was told by Jesus.  Mary, who fully trusted Jesus as the Son of God, was not deterred.  Then she continued believing in Jesus.  With her faith, Mary told the servants,
“Do whatever He tells you.”  (John 2:5)
Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons (76 to 114 liters).   Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, He said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed His instructions.
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over.  “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first miracle of Jesus, which revealed His glory.  Mary’s complete and full trusted Jesus.   And His disciples believed in Jesus because they saw what happened.   It was the amazing result of one mother’s faith!    The banquet continued, and the guests enjoyed the best wine ever.  The servant saw the miracle of Jesus and believed.
Today, we give thanks to all our mothers.  They are not just the mothers of our earthly bodies, but also the mother of our faith in Him.  We praise all mothers including our own mothers.  We pray to God and ask God’s blessings on all mothers in the entire world!   Give thanks to God for giving us our mothers, and through our mothers, we are able to experience God’s truly sacrificial love that was manifested on cross by Jesus.   Indeed, how can we know about God’s love without the sacrificial love of our earthly mothers?   Praise God for His infinite wisdom!   We lift up our voices and give our highest praises to God, who is Our Ever-Loving Father.   Surely, His Name will be glorified from now and forever.  
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.  (Psalm 136:26)

We’d like to share about how to wisely respond to the current worldwide Coronavirus pandemic.  First, except our own family living together, consider all others as a potential source of transmitting the Coronavirus because people who are asymptomatic (no symptom of Coronavirus at all) can carry and transmit the virus. Thus, please avoid a physical contact with others, and maintain distance about two meters (or six feet). This social distancing saves lives.  Please wash hands with soap about 20 seconds to wash out the Coronavirus that might be on our hands.  Our hand skin is pretty thick and it protects well against the Coronavirus, but our hands frequently touch our mouth, then the Coronavirus on our hands will go into our body.  We should prevent this type of infection by our own hands.

Most of all, this is the time to have a quality time with one’s own family and with God, Our Ever-Loving Father with prayers, and reading and medicating Bible every day.  Please fix eyes on Jesus, who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, and follow the foot step of Jesus Christ together with our own families in this difficult time. When this Coronavirus pandemic is over, we will all find that we are one step closer to each other among our own family members in Christ’s love and have a deeper relationship with God. Then we will go out and share this Good News with out neighbors and even strangers.
May God’s grace, protection, healing on all and especially for those who are physically suffering from the Coronavirus and those who are mourning for the loss of the loved ones due to the Coronavirus.

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