May 2021 Issue

Mother: אם eym

by Brandon Gatzke

“The Hebrew word for mother is אם eym.  In the original pictographic script this word was written as “eym.” The first letter, the [aleph], is a picture of an ox head representing strength. The second letter, the [mem], is a representation of water. The two letters give us the meaning of “strong water.” Ancient peoples would boil animal skins in water and as the skin broke down a sticky thick liquid formed at the surface of the water. They would remove this thick liquid and use it as a binding agent— glue or strong water.” The mother is the one who “binds” the family together.”

Benner, Jeff A. The Living Words – Volume 1: A Study of Hebrew Words and Concepts from the Old and New Testaments. Virtualbookworm.com Publishing, 2007.

I remember when being sent to a funeral wake, someone told me that the passing of a mother is extremely hard because the mother holds the family together. Well, here it is in the ancient Hebrew! How amazing the original Hebrew is!

Behold Your Mother

By Susan Snelling

At the foot of the cross where Jesus was dying for all the sins of mankind there were only a few people close to him who remained. Among those mentioned was Mary Magdalene, his mother Mary, Mary’s sister, and the disciple “who Jesus loved,” which is believed to be John. One of Jesus’ last words spoken before he gave up his spirit was to John and his mother. He looked down from that place of agony and joy and said to John, “Behold your mother” and to his mother, “Behold your son”.

In the Jewish tradition, it is the job of the eldest living son to provide for his widowed mother and Jesus did that. He entrusted the care of his dear mother to his beloved disciple. The two deeply grieving lovers of Jesus were put together to comfort and care for each other. From that time forward what was John’s was Mary’s. What love Jesus showed to his mother that day. That it is recorded as one of Jesus’ final acts before his death and resurrection, is telling.

“The very garments that covered him had been rudely divided among the soldiers. He is therefore as a dead man, and yet he made the most royal gifts and precious assignments of that which was nevertheless inalienable. He gave a mother to his dearest friend. He gave a son most precious to the bereaved and desolate and broken heart of his widowed mother.” (The Pulpit Commentary)

That says a lot.

What about mothers? As we learn from Brandon Gatzke, the Hebrew for mother means strength and to hold together like glue. Remember the Old Testament story about childless Hannah who would go to the temple to pray out of the depth of her pain for a child? God answered her prayers and in return she did what she promised, she gave her son to the service of the Lord.

Let’s take that further. If you have a praying mother, you are blessed. A mother’s unconditional love and desire for her child’s best drives her to the throne of God to declare that child for Him. One never stops being a mother no matter how old and grown the children are. Mothers have standing before God. The evil one needs to be scared when a godly woman goes to the throne of God for her children.

We all have stories of our mothers. When my mother was at the end of her life and lay in that hospital bed in the active dying process she was surrounded by family, as many as the room could hold and the rest lined the hallway of the hospital. There was a lot of love in the room and out the door as she was beloved by everyone who knew her. In her unconscious state she would laugh at stories the grandchildren told of their precious and tender times with her. How she loved her grandchildren. She often said she became a mother to be a grandmother.

At one point during the dying process while we gathered with mother in her hospital room, it was suggested my dad take a visit to the ER to have a sore on his leg checked out. We thought there was time so he was escorted downstairs. However, we quickly called him back because mom started to go fast. While he was gone, she left her body. Shortly after he arrived back on the floor and as soon as his hand touched the door handle of her room to enter, she came back into her body. We all saw it happen. Life came back into her and she was present in her body. She licked her previously silent lips. Dad immediately came to her side, held her hand, bent over and gently kissed her on the cheek. He told her that he loved her and gave her permission to go. She immediately left her body and went to be with the Lord. I remember the sudden gasps and cries let out in the room. Beloved Margie was gone now. Even knowing she is with Jesus, tears stream when her life is accounted for; she touched everyone in some way. There is joy for her heavenly reward yet tears of sweetness for the preciousness of the gift she was to others.

Throughout my adulthood, although my mother and I spoke frequently, there were periods of time that life situations placed me at a geographical distance and I missed out on some of the big and little life experiences with her. But I had the honor of being present in the last part of her life to care for her. There are times when after our parents pass that we just want five more minutes or an hour or another day to ask questions about their life, to get to know them better, to hug, laugh, cry. Take comfort that we can do that in eternity (provided you believe in Jesus Christ and will spend eternity with Him).

There was however a thought that would enter the back of my mind from time to time long after she was gone; very quietly the fleeting thought would be “I wonder if my mother knows how much I love her.” I would let it go and move on. One day while not thinking about anything in particular my Father in Heaven said to me, “Your mother knows how much you love her.” It was sweet and comforting. God knows our thoughts before we are aware of them. What concerns us concerns Him. Kind of like our mothers do on a finite level. What concerns us concerns our mothers. Mothers never stop being mothers.

We all have our own stories of our mothers. My siblings all have their own stories of their time interacting with and caring for our mother in those final months, weeks, and days and their entire life experiences with her. You have yours about your own mother. (I acknowledge that not all mother/child relationships are pleasant or what they should be.)  Those of you whose mothers have passed have your own precious moments spent with her that you hold dear in your memories. Those of you whose mothers have not yet passed are writing those stories now. Write them well.

Cherish your mother as Jesus did His. Honor her and not just on Mother’s Day but every day, every chance you get. Protect those moments you have to share with her. We are all here because our mothers said “yes” to God. If you have a praying mother, she often stands between you and the enemy who would take you out.

If you, for one reason or another, do not have a mother to honor, take heart. Is there a mother in your life you can honor and bless? It might be your spiritual mother, the guardian of your destiny. It might also be anyone that God lays on your heart. In honoring them you are blessed.

Like John, the disciple who Jesus loved and who was close to Him, took care of Jesus’ mother as his own. So many mothers give up everything for their children; they suffer with them, hurt for them, cry and rejoice. Mothers are said to be the heart of the family but we see they are also the super glue that holds everything together. Appreciate that about your mother and rejoice in it and lift it up while you still have it. It is a blessing.

Saints, behold your mother.