If I Could Hear My Mother...the Wayfarer

If I Could Hear My Mother

Luke 16:31

³¹And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Today's title  is once more taken from a precious Hymn heard in my youth, one now neglected often in the assemblies of those who have succeeded those who once lifted voice in praise and in prayer for children, grandchildren, family and friends in hope that the effectiveness of that prayer and praise be heard and heeded.

If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again

How sweet and happy seem those days of which I dream
When memory recalls them now and then
And with what rapture sweet my weary heart would beat
If I could hear my mother pray again
If I could only hear my mother pray again if I could only hear her tender voice as then
How happy I would be t'would mean so much to me
If I could hear my mother pray again

She used to pray that I on Jesus would rely and always walk the shining gospel way
So trusting still his love I'll seek that home above
For I shall meet my mother some glad day
If I could only hear my mother pray again, if I could only hear her tender voice as then, 

How happy I would be, t'would mean so much to me,

If I could hear my mother...pray again.

Songwriters: THOMAS A. DORSEY

The prayer and praise never fell on deaf ears, when offered in sincerity and truth, to GOD, Who heard them willingly, and responded willingly as well when offered by those, willing also, to hear the message brought by HIS Son.

This hymn is a lament given for loss of the continuation of that praise and prayer no longer heard, no longer available, effective only for those having responded to those prayers and praise able now to give their own.

Loss lamented only comes after that loss, once what is lost becomes evident.

(Luke 13: 34&35)

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”

Jesus, also lamented a loss... of those unwilling to hear the praise and prayer offered for them, as they chose, instead, to ignore the necessity of acceptance of that prayer and praise, both in the opening scripture that depicts the need for action on the part of the hearer as well as the speaker of prayer offered in their behalf, and in this passage from Luke depicting the refusal to either acknowledge or accept that prayer on their behalf as the precept of the prayer falls on deaf ears of men unwilling to hear.

(Isaiah 59:1-4)

“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.”

Prayer given by others on the behalf of those loved enough for that prayer to be offered must be accompanied by the prayer of those for whom it is offered as well.

This requires that the one for whom prayer is offered come to the conclusion of the necessity of that prayer for themselves, rather than rejecting the reason for which that prayer is offered.

Salvation is possible for all... but is given only to those acknowledging its need.

In the passage taken from Luke 16, Jesus was referencing the need to hear the warning offered while it could still be heard, and the fact that the warning has been repeated, time and again for those willing to hear...yet remains unheard by those CHOOSING not to hear that warning as it is inconvenient for them to accept what has already been given.

When a young traffic violator is given a warning by a policeman for speeding, he has the choice of heeding that warning, or continuing to ignore the kindness offered within it and pay the price for having ignored that kindness...choosing to continue to violate  a known law and in full knowledge of the price of the ticket to be paid.

If he refuses to pay that ticket, and continues to violate, he faces the loss of the privilege granted him to drive and must face the loss of that privilege and all that it entails...far more inconvenient as freedom provided by that privilege is also lost once the judge loses patience and compassion for a repetitious, unrelenting, unrepentant violator.

Acts 17:30-31

King James Version (KJV)

³⁰ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

³¹ Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

There is a far greater Judge that is to be faced, and a far larger penalty to be paid than any here on this temporal plane, when warnings received are continually ignored despite the knowledge of that violation, and when the compassion of that Judge is ignored willfully, unrelentingly and unrepentantly.

2 Peter 3:9 King James Version (KJV)

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

There is no slackness in the compassion offered by God, no limit to His ABILITY to forgive, no slackness in His WILLINGNESS to forgive, no slackness in salvation for those willing to hear, heed and obey His warning, and the simplicity of the salvation  He desires for all.

There is also no slackness in the terms of repentance required despite the longsuffering patience already given to those who have accepted His terms.

Many will lament the ability to hear the prayer and praise offered by those lost to them in this plane, some remembering the effectiveness of those prayers, others regretting the refusal to hear their prayers when they were effectively offered.

The Lord is not slack concerning the promise, nor is He slack in warning offered, and the consequence of ignoring both promise and warning.

Just as the young traffic violator may relish and revel in having escaped payment of a deserved ticket when only warning was received, far too many fail to give thanks for the warning and eventually pay the price demanded for continued violation, when forgiveness was given and ignored.

Revelation 22:11-14

¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer