13 May Honor Your Mother by Forgiving Her (Mother’s Day Church, May 13)
Happy Mother’s Day! Find out how to love and forgive your mother as you should, even if she’s dead now.
Jesse tells a couple of stories in the news: A black woman from North Carolina was pulled over in Virginia, allegedly for speeding 70mph on a 55mph speed limit road. She gave the cop some attitude, but turned around and called the cop racist and said she was traumatized. The white officer’s body cam shows a completely different story. In another story, an Instagram model was taking a selfie video when her reportedly 7-year-old son came downstairs thirsty for a drink, and she cursed at him, saying the F-word and calling him the B-word. He will cover this on his radio show this week.
We then read from the Bible in Exodus and quotes from Jesus in the New Testament about honoring your father and mother. You honor your mother by forgiving her. Then it becomes an adult relationship, rather than perpetual mother-and-child relationship. Grown men become like children with their mothers, and feel silly but don’t know how to overcome it. Most people still have anger, and hate their mothers, but some don’t know it. Jesse said that all men hate their mothers, and so hate women, so they can’t live with them, and can’t live without them.
You should go and forgive your mother. Face her. Don’t call, don’t write. It’s tougher than walking through the Sahara Desert with no water. But you must apologize for hating — she was wrong for what she did to you, but you are wrong for holding it against her.
People in the meeting generally admitted they still had anger. One man had trouble admitting it, but eventually did so. Jesse asked him if he knows himself, and if he does the Silent Prayer. He said that he does it sometimes. Again, he had trouble admitting he didn’t do it. If you don’t pray without ceasing — every morning and night — you’re not praying.
People watching online asked questions — a man named Alex asked about the fact he went to tell his mother he forgave her, but still had anger. You may need also to forgive yourself. Many people hate themselves.
A couple of newcomers joined us. One man said he went back and forth a long time with his mother, not wanting to offend her, but eventually drawing a boundary line with her. Another man said he does still have anger. Jesse joked with him, calling him, “Beta!” But it’s true that men with anger are not real men.
Another man watching online asked about a bad habit that many men and some women develop and struggle with. Any wrong thing you do — do the Silent Prayer instead. What you must overcome is not merely drugs, drinking, lying, or sex — but it is anger, judgment, playing god. Once you overcome that sin, the other bad habits and destructive behaviors fall away.
We heard more stories from people in the congregation — one 11-year-old boy joined us with his grandmother. He said he wanted to see his mother, but his grandmother refused to allow it, as she lived with a boyfriend and they did drugs. Jesse said that kids want their parents, their mothers and fathers, and don’t care about the circumstances. It’s unfortunate that so many parents are into drugs and other things, and so their children cannot see them.
One woman is searching for her father on behalf of her eldest brother who’s angry at their mother, has dealt with being called the “N-word,” and other things. He has his own family now. The lady said she was glad to be raised in foster care, and she never was angry at her mother, because she understood that it was not her fault. Jesse strongly urged that they find their father. Although she’s searched for some years, she thinks she will eventually be able to go meet him.
Jesse said that people act out and are angry because they resent their mothers and yearn for their fathers.
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