"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord…

I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you…" 2 Timothy 1.1-2, 5

     I take a detour this week from our study of the book of James to say a word concerning Mother’s Day. And to set the stage, I must say a brief word about 2 Timothy and the crisis facing the church. Paul, the one who had established so many churches in Asia, was facing martyrdom. 2 Timothy 1.15 seems to suggest a great defection in the church predicated by his arrest. The Emperor, Nero, had placed a ban upon all secret societies, and he included Christianity in his description. Heresy had broken out in the early church as demonstrated by Gnosticism in Colossae and the Nicolaitans of The Revelation. Handley Moule observed that, “Christianity trembled, humanly speaking, on the verge of annihilation.”

     Into this breach Paul calls Timothy to carry on the work of God’s kingdom. In Paul’s challenge, he recognizes the important role that Eunice, Timothy’s mother, and Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, played in forming Timothy’s character for this moment. By their faithful living of the gospel message they influenced Timothy so that he was prepared and ready for the challenge that lay ahead. It was a good thing for the church that these two women invested themselves in Timothy’s spiritual development.

     This week we join together with people from around the nation to remember the mothers or grandmothers that have made a great influence in our lives. I would encourage you to thank them for their spiritual faithfulness that is included in your legacy as well. Join with God in saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”