Cherish: from Isaiah to Jesus and Paul

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers in our fellowship. The topic of my sharing today is “cherish.”

God (our heavenly father), his son Jesus Christ, and the apostle Paul all use the idea of “mother” to describe what real “caring” looks like among us believers. Please turn to Isaiah 66.

There's a thread that runs through the Bible, from Isaiah, through Jesus's words in Matthew, and right into Paul's letters. And it lands… today… on one word — a Mother's Day word. That word is cherish.

In the next several minutes: 

• We'll see how God uses the word cherish in Isaiah. 

• We'll watch Jesus use a motherly cherish idea in Matthew 23. 

• We'll go to Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians and study a Greek word about cherish. 

• And then we'll get practical. We’ll answer the question, “What does cherishing each other actually look like for us in this fellowship?

God's Heart

Long before Mother's Day was a holiday, God was already using… a mother… to describe his own care. 

Listen to Isaiah 66, verse 13: As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

That's God speaking. “As his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.” He chose a mother for this image. Not a king, not a general, not a prophet or a teacher — a mother. He says, the way a mother comforts her child… that's how I'm going to comfort you. 

Have you ever watched how a mom takes care of her little kid? Yes? Well, then you've seen the picture God uses here… in Isaiah… to describe his own heart. “Just as a mother comforts, so I will comfort you.” God is our heavenly Father (as Ephesians 4:6 says), but even God uses motherly imagery when describing how he comforts people. 

Jesus

Now jump forward to Matthew Chapter 23. Let’s take a look at what Jesus says.

Here’s the context for Mathew 23. Jesus is near the end of his earthly ministry. He’s speaking in Jerusalem. Most of Matthew 23 is about Jesus calling out the religious leaders. He uses strong language, a lot of "woe unto you" stuff. But right at the end of the chapter, his tone shifts. 

Matthew 23, verse 37: (37) O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Check that out. Jesus — the Son of God, the perfect man, the Christ — describes himself in that moment as… a mother hen. Think about it. When a windy rain rolls in (It’s been raining in Raleigh), a mother hen will squat down, spread her wings, and cluck, to keep her chicks safe. We’ve raised chickens, we know this to be true. 

Whatever's coming… could be a hawk circling above… that mother hen puts herself between it and her babies. That's the picture Jesus chose for himself. Not Jesus as a lion. Not a warrior. But… as a mother hen… with her wings spread out, calling and gathering her children to safety. Jesus said this!

Now, keep in mind — Jesus is speaking before Pentecost, before the gift of holy spirit was made available to believers. Why is this important to remember? Because, Jesus is speaking under the law administration in Matthew 23. So, this sheltering by Jesus, is not applicable. It’s not instruction for us as born-again believers. Jesus doesn’t need to shelter me and you under his wings… you’ve got Christ in you! (Col 1:27, John 14:16-20, John 14:23, John 15:4-5, John 17:21-23, John 17:26).

Remember, the Gospels are NOT written to us, born again believers, to apply to our lives. But it's a window into the heart of Jesus Christ. And that mothering, gathering, sheltering heart… is going to show up again… later by Paul… so that we CAN apply the idea of “cherishing” to our lives.

Please turn to 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2. So, we’re checking out “mothering” and “cherishing” from Isaiah, to Matthew, to Thessalonians. Cool, right? 

Paul

We’re in 1 Thessalonians. Chapter 2. Here, this is Paul writing a letter which is doctrine for us today as born-again believers who live in the Grace administration. But in the letter, Paul is writing to the Thessalonian believers, whom he knows, reminding them of what his ministry among them has looked like. 

1 Thessalonians 2:5-8: (5) For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: (Paul says that he never used flattery or greed.) (6) nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. (Paul says we didn’t seek glory or honor from anybody.) (7) But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: (We were like a mother caring for her own kids.) (8) so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. 

In verse 7. "We were gentle among you, as a nurse cherishes her children." Paul — the man of God, who wrote a huge chunk of the New Testament, the man who got stoned, shipwrecked, beaten, and thrown in prison — describes his own ministry as… a nurse cherishing her children. 

This is the same kind of image that God used in Isaiah 66 and Jesus used in Matthew 23. 

And just a few verses later here in verse 11, Paul adds another image. 1 Thessalonians 2:11: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children."

A mother's tenderness (verse 7)… and a father's exhortation (verse 11). Those two combined verses make up a full parental package.

Greek Word Study

Look again at 1 Thessalonians 2:7: “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children.” What’s a nurse doing with kids? Well, let’s look at two Greek words in verse 7.

First word: nurse. “As a nurse cherishes her children.” The Greek is trophos. It’s used only once in the bible. And it comes from a root word that means, "to nourish, to feed, to bring up."

A trophos, a nurse, is a woman who nourishes, feeds, and brings up kids. She knows when the baby's hungry. She can tell the difference between a tired baby crying and a hungry baby crying. This is someone who keeps a child alive and growing. Tender, hands-on, day-by-day nourishing. That’s what that word in verse 7 means. Nurse. Trophos. Nourish.

Second word: cherisheth. “As a nurse cherishes her children.” The Greek is thalpō, which means "to warm, to keep warm." It’s the way birds cover their young with their wings to keep them warm. In the Septuagint — the Greek Old Testament — thalpō shows up in Deuteronomy 22:6 that describes a mother bird sitting on her nest.

So, Paul's word for cherish in 1 Thessalonians 2:7... is the about the warming wings spread out… from a mother-bird that cares for her kids. That’s what is pictured here by Paul, and also by Jesus back in Matthew Chapter 23. Cherish. Thalpo. Warming.

• Jesus said, "I would have gathered you under my wings." 

• Paul says, "I cherished you" — using a word that literally means to warm with wings spread out. 

Same heart. Same imagery. Two teachers, same teaching. Cherish. 

To cherish, in this Greek sense, isn't a feeling. It's to cover someone. To warm them. To put yourself between them and what's coming. It's what the mother hen does. It’s what the nurse does. It’s what moms with little kids do. It’s what our heavenly Father did, what his Son did, what Paul did — and it's what we are called to do, right here, today.

Cherishing Is for the Body of Christ

So, here’s the application for us, born-again believers, today.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 12:25-27. This letter is written to us, to apply to our lives today. (25) That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. (26) And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. (27) Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Paul here is writing about the body of Christ, where every born-again believer is a member of one body, regardless of denomination. We are members who have the same care for another. 

Same trophos nourishing heart. Same thalpō warming. 

We're not total strangers… who happen to show up at the same house twice a week for fellowship. Instead… we're members of one body, designed to take care of each other, to cherish one another. 

Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another's burdens.” When somebody is carrying something heavy, help them carry it. 

Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour, preferring one another.” For example, you say, “You go first.” Or, “Here, you sit here.” Or “Take it. You can have that instead of me.” That's cherishing, taking care of, being kind, one to another. 

What This Looks Like in Real Life

Most of us in this living room are navigating jobs, handling roommates, dating, there’s school, new cities, deadlines, and we each have a phone that just won't stop trying to get us to stare at it all day. There’s a lot going on. 

So, let's get focused. What does cherishing one another… actually look like for you and me, this week?

Here’s 5 things we can do. Pick one and run with it.

1. Notice the person who has gone quiet. Maybe somebody in your chat group or your friend group has been a little distant. Don't let it slide. Send a real text — "Hey, I noticed you've been quiet. What's actually going on? Tell me.” Try to get a real answer. 

2. Show up in person. Liking a comment isn't cherishing. But… driving over after work, talking instead of texting, hanging out on the couch with somebody — that's thalpō (warm attention). That's wings spread. We live in a time where everyone is online, but no one is physically present. Be the friend who shows up in person.

3. Deliver some food. Maybe someone you know is going through a breakup, a deadline, a cold, a death in the family. Don't ask if they need anything. Just bring over some food. Drop off some hot matcha. Something small, something useful. Something real speaks louder than "let me know if you need anything." Paul put it this way in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 — we were willing to have imparted unto you, not only the gospel, but also our own souls. That's trophos (nourishing) attention.

4. Defend someone’s name when they're not in the room. When a conversation drifts toward gossip about a friend of yours, change the conversation. That's that Romans 12:10 we read earlier. We prefer one another. It’s a quiet way of cherishing someone… who may never know it. 

5. Pray WITH them, not just FOR them. Right there, in the moment. In the car, on the phone, in the coffee shop. Pray. I think there’s a lot of people… who have nobody… praying out loud… WITH them… to help take care of things… in their lives. Be that for somebody.

Not one of these 5 things takes more than a few minutes or a few bucks. Cherishing isn't a big production. It's a small act of love. 

Mothers have been quietly doing exactly that… for millions of years. And we read today how God says the church is supposed to be doing that too. 

Summary

Today: 

• We learned how God describes his own comfort in a motherly way (Isaiah 66:13). 

• We saw Jesus picture himself as a mother hen gathering her chicks (Matthew 23:37). 

• In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul says he ministered like a nurse cherishing her children.

• We researched the Greek word thalpō which helps us understand about the warming, wing-spread, mother-bird picture Jesus used. 

• Cherishing care in the body of believers is "the same care one for another" (1 Corinthians 12:25).

• Lastly, we have five things we can do: notice who's quiet, show up in person, cover a meal, defend their name, pray with them in the moment. 

Let’s spread our wings around people we love, in the way Jesus said he wanted to, the way Paul said he did, and the way mothers have been doing since the beginning of time.

And mothers in this fellowship, we say, “Thank you.” You show us what God’s heart and love really looks like. Today, on Mother's Day, we cherish you right back. 

Amen?