The Ohio Independent Baptist, May 1961

TH s 'OR I HER ~.1111 a I ther of tl1c 't ear hns been ltl) erl f ot l1io, ~1nd another f r the ,, ho le l n1te l " tllt . : llut the ,, <)r Id' best n1other ot nil tar11e 1 undoubt ll} .i\lnr y. l~iblc hr1 t1.111s ,, 111 agr c ,, itl1 their atl1olic nc1f.!l1b r in tl1i , , en ; f they c. nnot ,lgree cl1at ·l1e ,, JOr11 .. ,, itl1 ut ~in, or tl1at ·l1t' h.1res I sJ ir her I ut l1e only quickened intf> cx- 11 c sic,n the rhin,g ~he l .1d <Jftcn 1c,1d in the Song c11 l I.1nnuh und d,,clt UJ)On. She 111\1 c h. ve kno,vn I L1nn,1h's song uln1ost l1y 11 .ire, .ind the l Ioly "1 i1 it only led her to ,lJ JJly the trucl1s of thnt song to herself. \\ c are all f.1n1ili.1r ,, ith the sraterncnt in Luke 2: 19 chat tells u cl1at 1'1Hry 1011de1ed tl1c things the sl1cphe1ds told l1er I l R fl l\.1El\10RII· '" fny, 1961 1 r I·ll () L.1 CI 11J D ll i\l.1ry ,vas 11ot only spiritual nnd thought fnl. buc deeply solicitotls of her on's ,vcl– f,lrc. he ,vas often \vrong in the wny she sho,vcd rhi s rnotherly instinct. but she ,vas not \Vrong ir1 beir1g concerned. he should have kno,, n her heaven-lent Son ,voul<l ,vant lo linger in rl1c ccm1,le even at the age of c,velvc· buc she Y.'as right jn scarch– i ng for l1im ,vith a l) rokcn heart. he ,v~ts \vrong in tiying to tell him w}1at to dr) at the ,vedding feast; I,ut n1edi.1torial <..lffi e, ,, ich l1er S011 1~he o, l I~ rev .11 h r Lu.: l \ ,, 1th Pt a 1); flt tl1n t tl1e ,vritt r, ,, r ,l ·p · ~, 1 ,\bout t hen1: l1u t tl1ev tl tlOr1..t one 111,t.1.nte of 1·his l)()en1, ,vrittcn l\-I.1y 8. 195 7 . ,vas the Jase 1focl1er'$ l),1y r11ess.1ge ch<. e1..litor ,, ,1s able to send to his motl1cr she ,vas rigl1t in wanting others to believe in hi1n as tl1e Messiah. It \Vas ,veakness cha r made her v:orry ,,,hen friends came and re- he passed a,, ay tl1at cpcember. ~ tl1e '--11,L J"le, tn1_1.,lovin_g her .1. ,1 n1ed1.1c· 1x. oc t, t n "hen Jesus • r ru~nt'\.1 to l1ea, en. and "'·hen tl1ev ,, t~re ,,,1thout hi pre ence, ~ did cl1e, n1rn to 1farr for advice or help l1e prayed "ich them lnr tho~e ten day~ before Pente– <.:O r. but they did not pray to 1 1er! .L - e\ ere hele ~. '"'·e agree that 1far,· " -as highly favored and b le ed among " ·omen. We hold her up as an example for all mothers. HER PIRITUAL QL"ALIFICATIO pirituality 1s considered a prime requirement for a good mother, e, en if with most peo– ple it means piery rather than sal,·ation. 1fary· had all che at– tribures the ~·orld calls spirit– ual plus salvation. She knew her Bible so '\\ 1 ell she must have spent hours over its pages. She had fa1rh 1n God her Saviour and treasured the Messianic hope of Israel he was undoubtedly a \\'Oman of prayer also, even if the Bible does not mention 1t ubmission to the will of God was her outstanding spiritual char– aaeristic; and this world would be so much better if modern mothers had that same attribute. She was willing to an– S"- er G od's call co motherhood ·~vhen she kne'\\· 1t v:ould mean gossip, and when it might even end her engagement to Joseph. Too many women today try every contraceptive known to science to avoid motherhood e, en though, in marriage, it means honor and another life to love. Wl1at tre " 1 crld needs is no t more edu– cation or reform. but a generation of spirit– uai m o rhers who kno'\\· salvation as Mary kne'\\ 1 ir. \\,ho submit to the will of God iS she did: v;ho sing religious songs as she did. and '\\ ho educate thei: ch ldre'l. in the home by a 1fary-like example. A mother ,vich a B1ble in her lap 1s \\'Orth a dozen " ri ch novels, and a mother ·~vho gathers her children around her in 1')rayer is v.~orch a hundred " ' ho take theirs to the HER THOUGHTFULNESS lvfary v. 1 as noc o nly spiritual, bur thought– ful. When Elizabeth ~velcomed her with joy, she composed the finest rhapsody of p raise ever sung. She "as no bard, neither did the Holy Spirit put thoughts suddenly into her mind that she had never pondered before. The Hol;.. Spirit did indeed in- i\[orl1er, the n1iles may intervene, The )'ears may draw a veil between Tl1e present fact and chil<lhood's imageries; But mile~ can never hide from view, Nor 1 1 ears efface your image trur--e- You're intermingled with my memories. Mother, your songs return to me, Your stor ies heard beside you r knee, And how you read us God's great verit ies; I stand a boy in wonder yet And never can chose scenes forget– You 're intermingled with my memories . M other, your love of Jiving things In garden, field and forest, brings To mind m y boyhood nature-ecstacies ; Y ou taught me h ow to feel the thrill Of beauty, and I feel it still- y ou're intermingled with my memories. Mo ther, the miles and years between Can ne' e: efface that blessed scene Of home and chi ld hood's sweet felicities; In weal and woe, in work and play, You watched and helped me night and day– You're intermingled with my memories. the night Jesus was born. Then twelve years later we are told tha t she pondered the words of Jesus, ..Knew ye not that I muse be about my Father's business?" She pondered those things because she was a thoughtful soul who ~ 1 anted to understand all that her virgin-born Son was to mean to her and to the world. Even Protestants tend to suppose that Mary understood more about J esus Christ than she did. She knew he was miracu– lously born and \\ 1 as to sir upon D avid's throne; but the New Testament makes it plain that she did not understand that he was God of very God or that he muse shed his blood for the salvation of men. Such mysteries were beyond her religious training, and were not fully revealed u ncil Christ was risen. Yet she set an example for all mothers in trying co understand her Child. As she tried to understand her sinless Child, so all ocher mothers need to seek to understand their sinful and yet savable and t:ansformable children. They need co ponder both the evidences of their sinful nature and proclivities to~ 1 ard certain evils, and their nobler yearnings and possibil- 1ries. Yes, they need .co do something that Nfary never had to do with Jesus, watch for c·mes of spiritual conviction and lead their children ioto an experience of salva- • t1on. • I ported that he v.as beside himself and was neglect1 ng to eat or c;leep; but she would have been worse than weak if she had not gone to see if he was all right I c was ignorance that pierced her heart like a sword when she stood beside the cross, for had she known that he was making atone– ment for the sins of the world and would rise three days later, she would have rejoiced. Yet her loyalty to the end made her an ideal Mother for all time. Yes, as a human being, Mary is the best mother. She need not serve as a mediatrix, since the risen Christ is still the sympa– thizing Jesus. The Bible does no t say that she had a special resurrection and assumption in– to heaven; but even if that were true, she would still have the l imited mind of a creature and could not possibly hear all of our prayers if she tried. Neither could she repeat them to her Son fast enough to keep up wich our need for prompt anS\\'ers. We are so g lad that we do not oeed to look to Mary for our salvation or help; but we are also glad that she still continues to be an in spi r ing example. WHAT FUTURE WITH SUCH LEADERS? This year state and city police kept some semblan ce of decency at the beaches of Florida during the Easter vacation. Yet, \\rich 15 ,000 student s from near and far rioting three nights in succession aod cry– ing for "beer and the beaches," we wonder to what America is coming. Easter vacation °roistering" has become a tradition at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. If it meant only youthful boisterousness during a few days of release from study, older people would all smile; but it has become an annual orgy of drunkedness and sex. lvfost of the students who riot io shame are from the "better homes," for onlv such pami;ered young people can af– ford it. They are the ones to whom ~·e look for our leaders in the future. They are supposed to find an ind~strial, polit– ical and social alternative to communism. We realize that students have alvtays tended to "break loose" at rimes, and chat many of them settle down and become good citizens. Winscoo Churchill was about as wild as any collegian could be, and yet