My mother’s sons were angry with me – Song of Songs 1:6

Last week we looked at the Maiden’s first big problem she felt dirty on the outside but had beauty on the inside.

Today we get a look at a second crisis in her walk with the Lord – Momma’s boys.

It is interesting to me that she does not say “my brothers.” Rather – these sons of my mother. What do we have here, wicked stepbrothers?

First, we have to understand the age-old question – who’s your momma?

Jesus via the Great Commission in Matthew 28, puts the job of evangelism squarely on the shoulders of the Church. Throughout the ages, the Church has been in a motherly role. It is her job to evangelize and her job to make disciples. A newborn in Christ is said to need the mother’s milk of the word. The Church wields the bottles.

Consider:

But the Jerusalem above is free; she is our mother. – Galatians 4:26

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you – Galatians 4:19

 

nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as apostles of Christ we might have asserted our authority. – 1 Thessalonians 2:6

We have a little mixing of metaphors here. God composes our spiritual mother of brothers and sister.

But as a new believer, you might feel more like an outsider, and so the term “mother’s sons.” Our girl is new to the faith. She’s not feeling part of the family-a bit outside the camp.

Worse than that, after her intimate encounter with the King, her zeal and passion that set her apart. She stands out in every crowd.

I know many of you have been there. You are (or were) that passionate one who just won’t shut up about Jesus. In the lobby of the Church, you talk about your God encounters throughout the week, while everyone else talks sports and fashion.

Ray Comfort (writer, speaker, evangelism teacher) talks about himself as a young Christian. (I paraphrase here.) When he was a young Christian he had great zeal and passion and told everyone he ran into about Christ. He was on fire. And over the years (long pause here) he has never cooled down. He is still on fire for the Lord with the same zeal and passion for the Lord as ever he had.

I love that. I feel like that is my story. I hope so. I might say that years and experience have given me a different perspective on some things, but the passion remains. One of my favorite things is to see a young Christian, full of that “first love.”

So here is the problem. There are many in the Church who have left their first love. And when they run into our maiden–our zealous, passionate firebrand–they feel a twinge of conviction. They see in her what they should be.

So begins the unsanctified bucket brigade. They immediately start dousing our maiden’s fervor. They don’t want to be around her; They don’t have that same passion; They aren’t consumed by a desire for the presence of the Lord. And it’s all right here in her every word.

This causes a reaction in the maiden, too. A twinge of self-righteousness? Our holy zeal can develop an edge of condemnation. Why aren’t they where I am? Why don’t they want to talk about the Lord? Why don’t they want to spend their Saturday on the street with me preaching to passers-by?

And so there is strife in the Body of Christ. So we train the young to tone it down and the passionate to calm down. We call it maturity. So God’s newest and hottest lover lured into judgmental self-righteousness.

Let’s all take a step back today and consider–are you a firebrand in the hands of the Lord, or are you in the bucket brigade? We all need correction, and I want us to stop and listen to the Lord today.

Those of us in the Church for years need to be cheerleaders, mentors, equippers, throwing logs (and even accelerants) on the fires burning in our young brothers and sisters.

Those of us who are full of zeal and passion must be careful not to write off your elder brothers and sisters. Many have known your zeal and inwardly want it back.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, – Hebrews 10:24 NIV

Thanks for reading today.

See you next week

Ben