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Point of Reference
by Fred Price
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the most universally admired women, believed by Christians to have been blessed by God as the instrument through which He would bring the Messiah into the world. But as is so often the case, there were many trials and much suffering associated with this blessing; as from those who have received much, much is expected. (Luke 12:48) And yet a word of caution is needed in that some look upon Mary’s blessedness to the extent of deifying her; whereas scripturally, Mary is never portrayed as a source of grace or blessing but as a recipient of them like the rest of us.
Some have unfortunately elevated Mary to a point of focus and affection that rivals Christ’s, worshipping her alongside if not instead of Him; possibly because she appears more sympathetic or “human” and thus more approachable. As such she is considered un-touched by original sin, a perpetual virgin, even a co-redemptor with Christ himself. Taken to its inevitable conclusion, Mary is thus said to have been removed bodily to heaven and crowned “Queen”, her role being to mediate between us and Christ, interceding on our behalf. So much homage is paid to Mary in Catholic Churches that the centrality and supremacy of Christ is in danger of being lost, yet this form of veneration of Mary is found nowhere in the scriptural accounts of her life. There, she is portrayed as being humble and maintaining a low profile throughout Jesus’ life, often overwhelmed by what she saw and heard; storing the memories away and pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)
Her supposed perpetual virginity is hardly realistic as Matthew merely notes that Joseph abstained from sexual relations with her only, “…until she gave birth to a son.” Matthew 1:25; later listing the names of Jesus’ four brothers while noting unnamed sisters as well. Matthew 13:55,56 Her sinlessness being refuted by her own words, addressing God as her Savior, implying a need of a redeemer and salvation from sin. (Luke 1:46,47 – which is reminiscent of Hannah’s exclamation of joy and praise found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10)
Our Bibles actually reveal Mary to be a young peasant girl in a poor region of Israel betrothed to a devout working-class man of humble means. They did however have some illustrious ancestors, Luke tracing Mary’s family tree while Matthew notes Joseph’s; her branch traced through king David’s son Nathan, his from the royal line of Solomon. (Which included Rahab – a prostitute and Ruth – a shunned foreigner.) Mary seems to have inherited the best traits of royalty without its arrogance and pretension; being sincere, worshipful, child-like in her trust of God and completely dependent on him to bless and sustain. An example of the character Jesus seeks, cultivates and blesses.
Her blessing, in this particular instance was double-edged. Even her name may be indicative of a life lived in praise of blessing – with deflected happiness; the Hebrew for Mary being Miriam, a word denoting bitterness. She was probably quite young when approached by Gabriel; a sister and compassionate older relative, possibly a cousin or aunt, offering support throughout her life. (Luke 1:39,40, John 19:25) At the time of the Angelic pronouncement, Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a righteous man employed as a carpenter. (Matthew 1:19 and Mark 6:3) Luke makes it abundantly clear that she was not merely a young maiden but a virgin, betrothed but not yet consummated in marriage (Luke 1:28-35); which posed quite a problem for her. Can you imagine approaching your fiancé with whom you’ve never “cheated”, having to convince him that you have been faithful to him – yet mysteriously you’re pregnant? Or how about your parents – telling them you are indeed pregnant but wait – its o.k., the baby you carry is God’s. What nerve! What blasphemy! How dare she say such things to excuse her own lust and sin?
What about her friends and acquaintances, some of whom undoubtedly snickered at her predicament? This was surely a stigma she carried throughout her life; some rabbinical writings later using her pre-marital “condition” to denigrate Christ, claiming she had been unfaithful with a Roman soldier. But then we all might respond similarly. After all, how many teen girls have you known who were impregnated by God? And yet Mary’s response to the impending embarrassment was, “I am the Lord’s servant, may it be to me as you have said.” Luke 1:38
After Jesus’ birth, Mary dedicated herself to raising this boy – like Hannah before her – in such a way as to insure his service to God, though Jesus’ tabernacle would not be one set up by human hands. (Hebrews 9:11 See also Luke 2: 51,52) Their relationship often characterized by Mary’s loving concern balanced by Jesus’ need to be about his Father’s business. (Luke 2:48,49; Mark 3:20,21; Mark 3:31-35) She finally coming to accept what he was about – even if she didn’t fully comprehend all the ramifications – and became a faithful disciple herself, ultimately following him to the foot of the cross.
This day had probably hung like a dark cloud, pushed to the farthest recesses of Mary’s mind, since Jesus’ infancy. For at Jesus’ dedication in the temple when he was but eight days old, an old man named Simeon had prophesied that he was destined to bring about the salvation of many people while causing the downfall and rise of many in Israel. As a consequence of that he would be spoken against as the thoughts and motives of many would be revealed for what they really were; a sword of sorrow piercing Mary’s soul as well. (Luke 3:29-36) As she watched her son die an unimaginably horrible death, she neither ran away in panic nor collapsed in distress, but with dignified grace and courage continued to offer whatever support her tearful presence could give.
Of course Jesus noticed. In the final moments before surrendering to death, he spotted his mother standing amongst a group of women alongside John – the beloved disciple, to whom he entrusted her care. And even though Mary never claimed to be more than a humble maidservant of the Lord, she was extraordinary because of the way God chose to use her. Her humility and strong Godly character certainly worthy of our emulation, as her life’s testimony consistently leads us to her son.
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Fred Price - married (50 years), father of two grown children, grandfather of six.
Fred retired earlier this year after 42 years as a factory worker. He has always had a heart for young people and the challenges they face today. Over the years Fred has taught Discipleship Groups for High School and college students.
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