Here is a list of some things a Mother is unlikely to say.

See what you think.

1. “How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back? Why don’t you move closer?”

2. “Don’t worry honey. I used to skip school a lot, too.”

3. “Would you mind leaving all the lights on . . . it makes the house look much more cheery.”

4. “Let me smell that shirt - Yeah, it’s good for at least another week.”

5. “Yes, we can keep that stray dog, sweetheart. I’ll be glad to feed and walk him every day.”

6. “Well, if Jimmy’s doing it, I guess you can too.”

7. “No, I don’t have a tissue with me….just use your sleeve.”

8. “I know the medicine tastes awful, and if you don’t want to take it, you don’t have to.”

Did your mom say any of those things? Mine neither.

Someone has to make sure we all survive childhood - and not only survive, but thrive - and develop values, attitudes and character so that we grow up to be responsible, well-adjusted, caring people - ready, willing and able to take our place in the world - and Moms, along with Dads, spend a lot of their time and energy – and money - seeing to it that we do just that.

Today we give thanks to God for Mother's - for all they’ve done for us, and all they mean to us.

It’s a day for us to try and look beyond the foibles, past the faults, and around the mistakes that Mom’s make - because every mother has made mistakes and has regrets about something she did or said – or wish she hadn’t done or said.

So today’s the day to sift through all the memories and set aside the dark ones, and bring the joyous ones into the light.

There’s a fun little ditty that made the rounds on the internet a number of years ago.

It’s called “Somebody Said”.

Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've had a baby.

Somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother, what used to be “Normal,” is now ancient history.

Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct.

Somebody never took a three year old shopping.

Somebody said being a mother is boring.

Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager who’s learning to drive.

Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.

Somebody never helped a fourth grader with her math.

Somebody said you can't love the third child as much as you love the first.

Somebody doesn't have three children.

Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labour and delivery.

Somebody never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the first day of kindergarten - or get on a plane headed for the Middle East.

And as far as some mothers are concerned, their children are children forever, never reaching adulthood.

One stormy morning, an obviously anxious mother called the school office to make sure her son's bus had arrived safely.

“What's your son's name,” the secretary asked, “and what grade is he in?”

“Oh, he's not a student,” she said. “He's the bus driver.”

A Mother’s love can be overbearing, overwhelming – but that love is always well-intentioned – if not always well executed.

Mother’s love is expressed in words, in attitudes and in actions.

And that is what we see in our scripture text from Mark’s gospel as this mother comes to Jesus for help.

She is Gentile - not Jewish.

Her daughter is sick.

She has some familiarity with Jesus, having heard something about his power to heal – and so, as a loving Mom, caring not a bit about nationality or religion, but caring desperately for her sick daughter, she comes to Jesus and asks him to heal her child.

Initially, Jesus seems characteristically harsh with the woman, replying to her request with this strange response -
“First, let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs”

And we might wonder what in the world he means.

Scholars agree that when Jesus says “children”, he’s referring to the Jewish people and when he uses the word “dogs”, he’s referring to the Gentiles - those who are of Greek origin, not Hebrew - those who are outside of the Jewish family of faith.

The Gentiles were regarded by the Jews with contempt, often referring to them as “dogs” the wild, filthy, flea bitten dogs of the street.

But, a close examination of the original Greek text indicates that Jesus did not use that word for ‘dogs’ when he speaks to the mother.

Rather, he uses the diminutive word which described not the filthy dogs of the street, but rather the dogs of the house, the family's beloved pets.

In that moment, the woman must have realized that Jesus was having a bit of subtle fun with her.

We know that the Greeks were well known for their love of rhetoric, dialogue and debate.

They loved, and were very good at banter, repartee, mental sparring.

We know also, that in those days men did not discuss theological issues with women.

Women were deemed inferior and incapable of engaging in debate - but, Jesus crossed boundaries – as he often did – and he honoured her by engaging with her in a theological discussion the kind that was so common in the Greek world of old.

Because of this the woman understood that Jesus was befriending her and she skillfully rose to the occasion with a brilliant response.

Jesus told her that it was not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs, and she came back smartly with this:

“Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

In other words, yes Jesus, I understand that your first priority may be to the Jewish people, but surely you’ve got a crumb of hope and healing for my child.

And Jesus obviously loved her response and her spirit.

This mother’s love for her child was so persistent that she would not take “no” for an answer.

When pushed, she responded with grace and grit, with charm and insight - and, Jesus honoured her for all of that.

“For such a reply, you may go”, he said. “The demon has left your daughter.”

The woman returned home quickly and found that her daughter was sleeping peacefully, completely healed.

In this mother's encounter with Jesus, we see three of the most important ways to express love – in words, attitude and action.

This mother came to Jesus that day to express in words her love for her sick child – but Jesus also noted her attitude - her devotion and her boldness.

This mother was determined, persistent and courageous because she lived by the attitude of love.

She would not be put off. She would not be discouraged, and she would not give up.

Her determination enabled her to persist until she got what she came for.

This mother demonstrated her love in her words, in her attitude, and in her action.

The person who has experienced the love of God in their own life, knows how to show that love, speak that love, live that love, demonstrate that love in their own lives.

Love is the rule - not the exception.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, he spells out what real love is.

It is patient and kind, not boastful or irritable, resentful or proud.

It believes all things, hopes things, endures all things.

Love never ends.

Such a love as this is the love of the Syrophonecian mother for her child - and it was that kind of love which Jesus recognized, and to which he responded.

May that be the kind of love that we speak with our words - that we demonstrate in our attitudes - and that we put into action - with our families, with our friends, in our community.

In so doing, such a love as this will bring honour to God and will help to transform the world more and more into the kingdom of love.

Amen - and to God be all the glory.