“God, Our . . . Mother?”
Isaiah 66:7-13 and Luke 13:34 (GNT)
By John Gill ~ May 14, 2023

A class of second-graders was studying all about magnets. When it came time to give a test on the material, the teacher thought she would give them an easy question to start of with. The first question read, “My name starts with ‘m,’ has six letters, and I pick up things . . . What am I?” - Over half the class wrote, “Mother.”

You know, the greatest blessings in life are the one’s we take the most for granted . . . our health, our freedom, our family . . . - even our own mothers.

Growing up, I know I took my mother for granted . . . that is, until I watched Terri become a mother. Over the past 32 years, I’ve had the opportunity to see “motherhood” first hand. I was privileged to be present when Terri gave birth three times, and so I understand why they call it “labor.” I’ve marveled at how she has established and organized our home, even when she was working full-time outside the home. Watching Terri gave me a greater appreciation for the many sacrifices mothers make out of love for their children.

In addition, losing my own mother 12 years ago, and last year watching as our daughter-in-law, Stephanie, become a new mother, I realize even more just how important mothers are to the children they bare! The longer I live, the greater is my respect for all mothers!

You know, in this day and age, we are hearing a lot about how essential fathers are to their children’s development, - and dads ARE extremely important. But when all is said and done,

it is the mother who is the cornerstone of the family – (as it has always been). Therefore, it’s appropriate that we honor all mothers today . . . each and every one deserves a metal!

So, Today, if your mother is still living, be sure to tell her how much you love her. - And if she has already gone to be with the Lord, offer God a prayer, thanking him for how your mom has blessed your life.

You know, when we talk about God, we usually call God, “Father.” - But on Mother’s Day, it might be more appropriate to call God, “Mother.”

Now – don’t get alarmed . . . I’m not advocating some radical re-thinking of the Bible that would have us emasculate God, discarding all the masculine images we find in Scripture, as some have suggested we should do. There are some folks who have even gone so far as to abandon the patriarchal God they find described in scripture in favor of a female manifestation of God they worship as “Sophia,” - which is the biblical word for “wisdom” – a feminine word in Greek.

Those who advocate such things may be well-intentioned, but I believe they are going too far. No, that’s not what I’m suggesting here.

But, just because some radicals have gone off the theological deep-end – that doesn’t mean we should overlook the fact that the Bible does use a WIDE VARIETY of words and images to refer to God, besides “Father.”

Yes, it is true that the Bible does refer to God as “Father” quite a bit – especially in the New Testament. Jesus taught his Disciples to pray, “Our Father,…” and he himself called God “Abba,” a word which is best translated, “Daddy.” Certainly the image of God as father is very prevalent.

But we must constantly remind ourselves that there are also countless other images of God in the Bible: - Besides “Father,” the Bible refers to God in many different ways: . . . rock, fortress, shepherd, king, judge, light, law-giver, breath . . . (and many others). But also (and less well-known), the Bible speaks a number of times of God being like a “Mother.”

Why so many different images of God? Why not just ONE image to refer to God? Because no ONE image is inclusive enough to express who God is!

Remember in the Book of Exodus, the story of God calling Moses from the burning bush to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt? Moses wants to know God’s name. God tells him, “I Am who I Am.” God wasn’t trying to be cute or mysterious. He was saying that no human words can capture the essence of who God is . . . because words are, by their very nature, limiting.

God is not REALLY a “father” – but in many ways, God is LIKE a father. God is not really a Rock – but we can rely on Him to be solid and reliable. God is not really Light – but those who don’t know Him live in darkness. God is a God of the Law, it’s true – but God is also a God of Grace. God’s not really Breath – but He is the life-giver for all creation.

And God is not really a “mother,” – but when we look at our mothers, we understand more fully what God is like.

You see, it is impossible to express in words WHO God is. All we can TRY to do is to describe WHAT GOD IS LIKE, - and that takes many different images.

I think it’s very important for us to remember that the Bible DOES refer to God using feminine images. These beautiful motherly images have been mostly ignored for the past 2000 years by a church that has been dominated by men. And that’s too bad, - because it is the FEMININE characteristics of God that you and I love so much!

Certainly, God IS masculine – an authority figure, mighty warrior, leader, judge, and king. God IS masculine. But thank goodness, God is not ONLY masculine! God has a feminine side, too, - a side you and I love. So, what are some of these maternal images of God in scripture?

The first feminine image comes right at the very beginning of the Bible: GOD AS CREATOR.

In Genesis, we have a picture of a God who gives birth to creation itself. What more feminine description could there possibly be than that of the universe bursting from the womb of God. Our God is a birthing God. (Watching the birth of our three children has made me appreciate just how awesome a miracle creation really is.)

We also see this “creative” quality of God in our Old Testament lesson this morning: Isaiah foretells the destruction of Jerusalem, but also reveals that the nation will be “reborn:” Listen to how the New Revised Standard Version expresses it: “Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be delivered in a moment? Yet as soon as Zion was in labor she delivered her children.” And God’s life-giving didn’t stop in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Jesus declares that we must be “born again,” and that this re-birthing is the labor of God’s Holy Spirit.

So whether we recognize it or not, whenever we speak of God as Creator, we are describing God as “Mother,” our life-giver.

Another important feminine image of God in the Bible is that of “ONE WHO NURTURES.”

In the same Old Testament reading this morning, we see that God is one who nurtures like a mother, suckling an infant at her breast.

The Good News Translation puts it beautifully: “You will be like a child that is nursed by its mother, carried in her arms, and treated with love. I will comfort you in Jerusalem as a mother comforts her child.”

Again, in the New Testament, we also find this idea that God is one who nurtures . . . When Jesus wept over Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He cried out, “How many times I wanted to put my arms around all your people, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me.”

We all know that mothers nourish, comfort, encourage, train, and counsel (as does God). And mothers give themselves for the lives of their children . . . just like God does.

So “God our Mother” is creating and nurturing . . .

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the feminine image of God which we find most beautiful is the maternal-like LOVE OF GOD - a love which is given unconditionally, - a love which is not based on how we measure up, but only on the fact that we are her child.

In the Parable of the Prodigal Son that Jesus told - what makes that story so remarkable is that it is a FATHER who loves so unconditionally. If Jesus had said it was the young man’s Mother, no one would have been surprised – because moms are like that. Forgiveness and grace are feminine qualities, and I, for one, am thankful God has them!

One of the most beautiful expressions of this kind of motherly love is found in the 49th chapter of Isaiah, when the people of Israel felt that they had sinned so much that God had abandoned them.

But God assured them with these words: “Can a woman forget her own body and not love the baby she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.”

When we know God’s grace and forgiveness, we are experiencing the love of God, just exactly like the love a mother has for her child.

So, on this Mother’s Day, as we honor our Earthly mothers, and thank them for the part they played in giving us life, in nurturing us along the way and in loving us so unconditionally, let us also remember to thank our Heavenly “Mother,” – our mother-like God who is the ultimate life-giver, - the one who cares for and nurtures us in this life and the next, - and who loves us . . . as only a mother could love.

As an ancient Jewish proverb puts it: “God couldn’t be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers.”

It’s no wonder that, when we look at our mothers, we see reflected there, the very face of God!

© 2023 by John B. Gill, III