“The Mother of a Prodigal”
Easter 2020
Today is Mother’s Day. This morning I want to speak about an older woman whose life was a rich illustration of holiness and prayer. Her life is also an example of the kind of mother whose work was never done. She was a faithful example of what the Apostle Paul commanded Titus to teach in order to produce sound doctrine. Even today she is still teaching younger women to “to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.” I believe she will be teaching younger women today and for many years to come. She was born in the year 331 AD. She was a native of Thagaste, North Africa who had been brought up in a Christian home. Her husband, Patricius, was a Christian in name only, living a promiscuous life style and possessed a violent temper. At forty years of age she became a widow with three children. Her two younger children followed her Christian influence, but her oldest son decided to go his own way and caused no end of heartache for his mother. Someone has wisely said, “Oftentimes a mother is only as happy as her least happy child.” For some years she diligently prayed for his conversion. He set out for Rome where she feared things would only get worse. She pursued him to Milan where she was attracted to the preaching of a bishop by the name of Ambrose whom she persuaded to pray with her for her wayward son’s conversion. I guess by now you know the famous son’s name was Augustine and his mother’s name was Monica. (Santa Monica, CA) Eventually Augustine was converted to Christianity and adopted a semi-monastic lifestyle, radically different from the life he had been living. Monica’s life should be an encouragement for any who are still praying for their children to reexamine their lives and turn to God. Another example: (Franklin Graham) (Ruth Bell Graham – The Prodigal and Those who Love Them)
A mother’s influence is truly significant in everyone’s life, and in this case even more so in the life of Augustine of Hippo. Hippo was an important city in North Africa (today Tunis in Tunisia). It was a major center for Christianity. Some have suggested it was second in importance only to Rome. Augustine’s conversion took place in 386; he was baptized in Milan in 387 and moved back to North Africa. For three years he lived in a semi-monastic community in his hometown of Thagaste. He made a visit to the coastal town of Hippo where he was “forcibly ordained presbyter” in the church there and in 395 he was elected as bishop of Hippo. Augustine served there until his death on August 28, 430 as the Vandals were besieging Hippo. Augustine’s importance in the history of Christianity cannot be over emphasized. He towers above all the well-known figures in the early period. Some secular writers consider him one of the pillars of Western civilization. Without debate he had the greatest impact on Christian spirituality until the time of the Reformation. Augustine’s Confessions is perhaps the first autobiography in the Western world. This classic of Christian spirituality is still read today with great benefit to the reader. His City of God is another well-known classic in which he defends Christianity against the paganism of the Roman Empire. In it he argued that the sacking of Rome in 410 was “retribution for the worship of false gods by educated pagans.”
So why is Monica so important? It is because of her persistence in praying for her son that produced one of the greatest minds for the Christian world. Most of what we know about her came from his pen where he refers to her prayers for him in his classic “Confessions.” Monica is a beautiful example of service to God through motherhood. Monica’s Christian heritage shaped her life to such a degree that her children said she had a calm and quiet manner and provided a peaceful environment in spite of being married to a man with a violent temper. Perhaps some of you can identify with Monica. While two of her children followed her Christian lead, her oldest son, Augustine, went from bad to worse. While already living a wild lifestyle, he decides to take off for the big city, Rome. It’s like your wayward child leaving for New York City, or Chicago, or Los Angeles. Someone has labeled this scenario “A Mother’s Worst Nightmare.” And sure enough, Augustine joined a heretical cult – very much like the new-age cults of the 70’s and 80’s. He also indulged his passions. (p. 72 Confessions)
But during this time Monica had a dream (vision) which consoled her. The dream convinced her that her wayward son would eventually come to faith. However, he continued his lifestyle for nine more years. Monica sought the prayer support of the bishop in Carthage as she would later of Bishop Ambrose in Milan to pray for her son. The bishop in Carthage counseled her, “Leave him alone. Just pray to God for him and he will of himself discover his error.” She wanted to do more than pray, but the bishop said, “No, no, leave him alone and you just pray.”
Augustine leaves for Rome and winds up leaving his cult. He moves on to Milan and attends a church there to hear bishop Ambrose. Augustine’s desire to hear Ambrose was not for his theology, but for his rhetoric. Ambrose had a reputation as the greatest preacher of all time. And Augustine being a teacher of rhetoric, wanted to hear this great master of his discipline. But the more he listened to Ambrose, the more interested he became in his theology. Monica eventually followed Augustine to Milan and became a devoted follower of Ambrose where she convinced Ambrose to pray for her son. He spoke of her commitment that “every child should be so blessed to have a mother who prayed so diligently for their sons.”
Augustine still struggled with his fleshly appetites and took a mistress with whom he had a son, Adeodatus by name. By his own account Augustine remained faithful to his mistress. But the more education he received, the less happy he was. The more he traveled the more it seemed like he was running away. He could find no joy. He was so restless. One day in August in 386AD Augustine was in a garden praying, and in his despondent state he cried out, “Lord, will you never be content? Must we always taste your vengeance? Forget the long record of our sins. Romans 13:13-14 (pp. 177-78 Confessions)
After this experience, the first thing he does is to run and tell his mother. Then on Easter Sunday in 387, he and his son are baptized by bishop Ambrose. Not only did the angels rejoice in heaven, but Monica would soon die a fulfilled woman. Her prayers for Augustine were answered! Throughout Augustine’s writing, he expresses appreciation for her persistent prayers to bring him to Christ. In March of that year they decided to return home to North Africa, but on the voyage, Monica became ill and died soon after arriving near their home. She was only 56.
Augustine came to faith in Christ largely because of his mother’s prayers. God is in the process of calling out His own and He uses the prayers of parents and loved ones to accomplish His purposes. So today, I want to encourage you not to give up praying for your children. And especially if you have adult children who have not turned their hearts to God. Never give up praying!
You cannot make your children believe what you believe or make them commit their lives to Christ. In the final analysis that is the work of the Holy Spirit. I cannot make my children Christian or believe for them. It is the Spirit who enlightens them. It is the Spirit who regenerates them (makes them born again). But it is the child who hears the truth by means of the new nature given to them, and it is the child who believes unto eternal life. The Holy Spirit does not work in a vacuum. He uses the word of God, whether read, proclaimed, or lived out before them. I expect the Holy Spirit uses all three of these ways in calling out God’s children, who were chosen before the foundation of the world.
Another lesson we learn from the life of Monica is that she sought prayer support from many others, including the bishop. She was not ashamed to ask for prayer for her wayward son. It is a great encouragement to find a friend or relative who will hold up you and your child in prayer. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help in this area. Further, don’t apologize for your faith. Monica didn’t. And Jesus said, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Mat 10:32-33) Monica’s steadfast commitment to God and His law impacted Augustine some much that when he reflects on her in his “Confessions,” he cannot help but praise her for her godly character. So, don’t apologize for your faith and don’t give up praying.
As I conclude this Mother’s Day message, I want to direct your attention to the account of the prodigal son in Luke 15, the passage that was read earlier in the service. I offer these closing comments especially for mothers and all parents who continue to pray for a wayward child. While there are some differences in this biblical account compared to the experience of Monica and Augustine, I believe there are a few parallels worth pondering. First, the Luke 15 passage and the life of Augustine are both accounts of a wayward child. Both went off into a far country and dabbled in a life of sin and discouragement. Augustine joined a cult that didn’t even believe in the existence of any god. How far he drifted from his mother’s teaching! Second, both the biblical prodigal and Augustine were left alone with no one to help them. Third, while Monica sought to rescue her son at first, the counsel of the bishop in Carthage was to leave Augustine alone and let him come to his own senses. That is exactly what happened in the biblical account of the prodigal son. Eventually both came to their senses. Fourth, their parents still loved them and prayed for them. While this point is an assumption on my part concerning the biblical prodigal, it is manifestly obvious in the case of Monica. Certainly the way in which the father received his son back home leads me to believe that my assumption is not too far off the mark. In both cases the hearts of these two parents were overjoyed at the return of their prodigal sons. My friends, never give up praying for your children.