Mothers and Others (Exodus 2.1-10)

 All Age Talk for Mothering Sunday

A long time ago, God’s special people, the Hebrews, were slaves in Egypt.They had to work hard every day. No weekends, no holidays. No sick leave. The Egyptians were cruel and they made them work harder and harder.

‘Can’t we just have a little break, just to rest for five minutes?’ They said. ‘No! Work harder!’ said the men in charge of the work.

This is the man in charge of the whole country. Does anyone know his name…? He was called Pharaoh. He lived in a big palace. He had lots of servants. Even his servants had servants. And he didn’t care about God’s special people at all.

Pharaoh hated God’s special people, the Hebrews. ‘If I make them work really, really hard, they’ll be too busy and too tired to have families,’ he said. ‘Then there will be no more of them.’ But guess what happened? God’s special people the Hebrews had even more babies, and there were more and more of them.

So Pharaoh decided to do a terrible, terrible thing. He decided that all the Hebrew babies under two years old should die. ‘No!’ people said. ‘That’s not right!’ But Pharaoh was a horrible man and he said ‘Yes.’

About this time, a Hebrew baby boy was born. Does anyone know his name…? Moses. How do you think his mother felt about Pharaoh…? Scared, frightened, upset... ‘Pharaoh wants to harm my baby’ she said.  ‘I’ve got to do whatever I can to keep him safe.’

Moses was cute and smiley. Like all babies, he gripped your finger when you put it on his little hand. But like all babies, he cried a lot. Pharaoh’s soldiers were nearby, searching every home. She couldn’t hide him in the house much longer. Does anyone know what she did…?

She put him in a small basket, and went down to the river. There were reeds and bulrushes by the river bank.

‘No one will think to look in the river. I will hide him here’ she said. Then, when it is safe, I will come and get him. How do you think Moses’ mother felt now…?

I think she was happy that he was safer. But I’m sure she was so sad not to be with him. I expect she shed a few tears. He will be hungry and will have to wait for his milk. He will need a nappy change and have to wait for a change.

Meanwhile, Pharaoh had a daughter. She was a young woman, and she lived in the palace too. But she was not like her father at all; she was kind and loving. She loved children and enjoyed playing with them. One day, she went down to the river to wash and guess what she saw? What do you think…?

She found baby Moses and picked him up, and loved him.

‘This must be one of the Hebrew babies’ she said. ‘I must help to keep him safe. I will ask one of the Hebrew women to give him milk until he is older.’ Guess who she found to look after the baby...? Moses’ mother.

‘I will pay you to care for him until he is weaned and walking’ she said. So Moses was safe.

He grew up to be a great man of faith. He led God’s special people the Hebrews out of slavery to freedom. And all because he had a mother who hid him to save his life. And Pharaoh’s daughter who was like a mother and cared for him too.

Like Moses, some children don’t live with their mums. A dad or a grandparent or a foster mum looks after them instead. But they love them just like a mother does.

Today, on Mothering Sunday, we thank God for our mothers, and also those who are like mothers who cared for us when we were small – and who love us always.

Today as well, we have brought Charlotte to baptism. Charlotte has a wonderful loving family. And today, through baptism, she now has a Christian family who love her and care for her too.

May she, like Moses, be safe and loved all her life. And may she, like Moses, become a spiritual giant! 



Sermon preached at Saint Mary's Long Newton, 26 March 2017