A Mothering Sunday Reflection: “With woman…wise woman…God of woman…” March 27th 2022
(Please read Psalm 36; 1 Corinthians 13; Exodus 1)
We have often said that “Mother’s Day” is one of those dates on our church calendar that can be an emotional minefield for preachers, worship leaders and members of our congregations. It is not all flowers and chocolates. With that in mind, several weeks ago I arranged with Joanne (our resident midwife) to come speak with us – at our Mothering Sunday service - about her calling to be a midwife.
Joanne has shared her experience, strength and hope with us this morning and we are glad and grateful. If you would like to reflect on Joanne’s journey you will find it posted soon on the church website. (See below)
We agreed that Exodus 1 would be perfect for this day. It is, after all, in large part clearly the story of midwives who lived and worked more than 3k years ago. It is not as clear whether our Hebrew midwives were in fact Hebrew (or Egyptian midwives to the Hebrews); or whether, when summoned to speak to Pharaoh, our midwives told an outright lie or spoke perhaps in half-truths. There is some historical evidence to show that midwives were often those women who were unable to have children themselves. Opinions differ on these aspects of our text.
But we can agree with Joanne…“There is no greater joy than that supporting a labouring woman to carry on despite the pain, to keep going as she is about to receive the greatest gift of all gifts…life.” Also that, “The strength of women astounds me…”
God loves women. God loves midwives. Why wouldn’t he? He is the creator and sustainer of life. After all, there can be no life without God. He is also the deliverer, happy to be regarded by the Psalmist David as a midwife!
9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. (Psalm 22)
That’s why Joanne-the- midwife gives thanks to God, prays quietly for the mother, the family, the infants. The wonderful BBC drama series “Call-the-Midwife” traces the story of midwives in the poverty-stricken East End of London in the 50s and 60s; some of these women were nuns and many others were not called to a religious life at all. But, invariably, the whole (holy) miraculous process of birth was covered with prayer to the one true God. Open prayer to the “Christian God” is no longer permitted. Things have changed. But God is still attendant (with woman) at every single birth – on that we must agree…
God loves midwives. He chooses to depend on them to carry out his plan. Notice also that the midwives are named, Shiphrah and Puah…meaning “beautiful” and “favoured”.
Strange and so telling that a notorious king of Egypt is nowhere named in the story of deliverance. But the midwives are named. The great and powerful of this world, who will not (do not) serve the one true God, their names will be forgotten, but the names of the righteous will live forever (Psalm 36: 10-12).
Women who are the very carriers and givers of life are called upon to be the destroyers of it. But that’s not all, the unnamed tyrant not only calls on women to do this, he calls on midwives to do this! The tyrant had no idea what or who he was up against when he commanded the two midwives to betray their calling. That, of course, is wickedness of the deepest hue. There is no peace for the wicked. (Isaiah 48: 22) Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. (Psalm 36)
“Mere women” who refuse to bow to the genocidal plans of a tyrant will be part of God’s Plan to bring about the line of promise, of succession, even in the bondage of Egypt so that the Messiah of God (Jesus Christ) would emerge in this world born of Israel, born of a mother. In the biblical scheme of things these lowly midwives were bastions (champions) of God’s righteousness.
God saw them and named them. He saw to it that their memory would not die. They had no idea that God was employing them as the instrument of grace and love and hope. As a wise man said recently, “It is always women who give birth to hope!”
We can agree that these midwives feared God more than they feared the Pharaoh who believed himself a god…the man who had the power to take their lives just as he planned to take the life of every Hebrew baby boy.
Twice we are told how these midwives feared God. Elsewhere in scripture we are told that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). “Where the fear of God rules in the heart, it will preserve it from the snare which the fear of man brings…” (Matthew Henry, Commentary on Exodus)
It is a matter of great interest to me that the French translation of midwife is, in fact, “wise woman” (!) Today’s text speaks volumes about this truth. It is surely no accident that verse 17 is the very first mention of the name of God in the book of Deliverance – and that in connection to these wise-women-midwives…
This very day, there are women who look after new born Ukrainian babies in makeshift maternity units in underground bomb-shelters… bunkers … God will remember them. The wicked will be caught in their schemes. They will go down and be remembered no more. These will not be the first women who, in the history of God’s people, will be faced with having to make what at first appears to be an impossible choice. (Jochebed, Exodus 6: 20). On that we can all agree.
Our resident midwife sent me these words on International Women’s Day:
“We fall, we break, we fail…But when we rise, we heal…we overcome…”
And, as if to underline all that we have said or meant to say today:
“2000 years ago Jesus repeated liberated (delivered?) and affirmed women - treating men and women as equals. Women were the last at the cross and the first at the tomb – the first to be entrusted with the news of the resurrection of Jesus…”
Let these be the things on which we all agree today!