The story in 2 Kings 4 says little about the child and nothing at all about his appreciation of his mother’s love. Yet one can hardly read the story about the Shunammite woman without wondering what kind of reaction the son had to all his mother did in his behalf.
Many women ask the same question today. Will their lives of love and service make a difference to their children?
Perhaps the Shunammite woman’s greatest quality was her faith. It was her faith that caused her to perceive the prophet Elisha as a man of God years before the crisis reported in verses 18–37. It was her faith that caused her to turn to Elisha for help when the crisis occurred. Between those two points in time, it was her faith that caused her to steadfastly care for Elisha as he traveled in the vicinity.
Countless mothers exemplify lives of faith and service today. They love the Lord. They are faithful in His church. They serve others in Jesus’ name. Sometimes it seems their efforts impact everyone but the ones they love most — their family. Perhaps these women join the Shunammite in asking if their faithfulness will make a difference to their children.
When the crisis came in the Bible story, the woman immediately turned to the man of God for help. She knew him. More importantly, he knew her. While she was still a long way off, Elisha recognized her and sent his servant Gehazi to greet her.
Today it is not to the “man of God” that one must turn in times of crisis. Because of what Jesus Christ did for us on Calvary, the believer has direct access to God. The only mediator between God and man is the great high Priest, Jesus Christ Himself.
Faithful Christian mothers know God, and God knows them. They have spent long hours together throughout many years. Regularly such women have held up their families to God in prayer. When special needs arise it is only normal that they should immediately turn to God for help.
Sometimes family members do not fully understand the actions of a Christian mother, just as the Shunammite’s husband did not understand all his wife was doing. Perhaps it was because he knew only part of the story that he failed to be a part of the family’s greatest moment of need. Perhaps he was too obsessed with his own agenda — harvesting the crops. Whatever the reason, the husband and father is reduced to a bystander in the biblical drama.
Too often, that is still the case. Fathers become preoccupied with earning a living. Sometimes they give themselves to personal pursuits rather than being vitally involved in the needs at hand. In such circumstances, women are left to tend to the family’s spiritual health and needs.
And the question remains. Will anyone ever recognize and appreciate the mother’s love expressed in turning to God in times of need? Will anyone follow her example?
The Shunammite pleaded with Elisha for help, just as mothers today plead with God to help their loved ones. Elisha acted in a strange way. He sent Gehazi to lay Elisha’s staff on the face of the boy whom the Bible says had already died.
When the boy did not come back to life, the desperate mother did not give up. She clung to her confidence that Elisha could make a difference. Even after Elisha’s first efforts did not produce the miracle for which she longed, the woman did not give up.
Christian mothers hold on to hopes for their children, even against all odds. They know God is in the miracle-working business, so they pray about every aspect of life. Few children will ever know the tears and heartaches shared by a Christian mother for each of her children in the privacy of prayer.
When God’s answers are not the ones desired, Christian mothers hold on to God. They know the relationship is more important than the immediate view of the problem.
When the boy in the story became sick while working in the fields, the father had the boy taken to his mother. He believed in her. He trusted her ability to handle the situation, to know what to do. That was her reputation. Verse 8 describes the mother as “great” in the King James Version. Other translations refer to her as “noble” or “prominent.” All imply the same thing: She was special.
In the ongoing chores of life, she was special. She cared for the family. She discharged her responsibilities wisely. She gave herself sacrificially for others. She was the glue holding everything together.
In the spiritual life, the mother was special as described above. She was a blessing to her family in every way. Christian mothers are still a blessing. They are blessings for their selfless giving — so necessary a part of mothering. They are blessings for their example of love and service to God.
But the question remains. Will a Christian mother’s love be recognized and appreciated? Nothing is said in Scripture about the son’s appreciation for all his mother did for him. Hopefully, that will not describe the reaction of those of us blessed enough to have been reared by Christian mothers.
Those of us privileged to be reared by such great Christian mothers should not only recognize their blessing to our lives but also express our appreciation in ways that say “thank you” for all they have done for us and for others.
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