Mary, the Mother of Jesus

LUKE 1:46-48

IT IS a blessed thing to be used by God in any capacity, and Mary was highly honored in being chosen to be the mother of Jesus, the Redeemer and Savior of the world. All who understand the plan of God as it is centered in Christ Jesus are glad to recognize the important part Mary played in that plan, and realize that she was truly blessed by the Creator. However, they deny that she was the mother of God, and they also deny that she now occupies a special place in heaven as one who intercedes on behalf of Christians on earth.

In the first place, Jesus was not God, but the Son of God, the One who, in his prehuman state, was known as the Logos, or Word of God. (John 1:1) The transfer of the life of the Logos to the womb of Mary in order that he might be made flesh for the suffering of death was quite within the power of the Creator to accomplish. We cannot understand it, but neither can we understand how human beings—or even the lower animals, for that matter—are developed and born in what we call the normal way. The life principle and how it operates is a divine secret, and from our standpoint, is always miraculous.

“My soul doth magnify the Lord,” said Mary. This is the proper attitude for all upon whom the Lord bestows special favors. None of us merits the blessings which daily he bestows upon his “servants and handmaids,” hence we should praise him for the privileges of service he grants us, and give all the glory to him.

LUKE 2:48-51

EVEN at the age of twelve, Jesus sensed that he had been born into the world to perform a special mission, and that his real father was not Joseph, although Joseph had graciously accepted him into their home as a member of the family. Jesus was anxious to be about his “father’s business,” so slipped away from his parents and found his way to the temple where he could question the doctors of the Law and discuss his situation with them.

The Scriptures do not relate the details of this interview, but it may be assumed that from these teachers Jesus learned that under the requirements of the Law it would not be proper for him to enter upon a priestly service for God until he was thirty years of age. Apparently he also learned that until he was thirty his obligation was to he subject to his parents. Returning to their home he gladly acquiesced in this requirement and grew “in favor with God and man.”

MARK 3:31-35

IN THIS passage we have a definite refusal of the Catholic attitude of special veneration for Mary, whom they allege to be the “mother of God.” It would seem that Jesus purposely on this occasion made himself aloof from her and his natural brethren in order to help guard his disciples against the worshipful attitude toward her which later developed among his professed followers.

In this incident the Master makes it very emphatic that earthly relationships did not count as much with him as did those which pertained to the Spirit—that those who did God’s will were his real brothers and sisters, and even closer to him than his natural mother. Thus the fact is clearly established that being the mother of Jesus did not place Mary in any special position of veneration in the divine arrangement, and that she would need to become his disciple and do God’s will in order to be favored with equally his other followers.

JOHN 19:25-27

WE ARE not to understand that when Jesus held aloof from his mother, as related in the previous passage discussed, it was because he did not love her, nor recognize a proper degree of responsibility toward her. Jesus did love his mother and was solicitous for her welfare. This is clearly indicated by his charge to John while hanging on the cross. Noting both John and his mother in the crowd that “stood” and watched him there, Jesus said to John, “Behold thy mother!” and to Mary, “Behold thy son!”

This undoubtedly was the Master’s way of charging John with the responsibility of caring for Mary’s material needs, and of assuring Mary that in the beloved John she would find a sympathetic and understanding provider. It is absurd to read into this narrative, as was recently done by a spokesman for the Catholic Church, that Jesus was here indicating that he wanted all his followers to venerate Mary as their “holy and blessed mother.” Theologians are surely hard put to find scriptural backing for their dogmas when they consider it necessary to resort to such fantastic interpretations.

ACTS 1:14

PERHAPS the most outstanding fact in connection with this reference to “Mary the mother of Jesus,” is that this is the last mention of her name in connection with the experiences of the Early Church. If the Catholic viewpoint of Mary were correct she should be referred to in connection with practically every event recorded in the Book of Acts, and her name should appear in all the epistles, especially those of Peter. And she should certainly appear as one of the chief characters in the Book of Revelation.

But in this brief mention of her presence with other disciples while they waited in that upper room for the Holy Spirit of promise to come upon them, we have the last reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to be found in the Bible. This certainly proves that she did not occupy so exalted a position in the minds of the apostles and the Early Church as has since been assigned to her by the apostate church.

As a matter of fact, every reference to Mary which we have in the New Testament tends to show that she was merely a woman among women, and that as a disciple of Jesus, she was given no honor above that enjoyed by all who hear and heed the call to take up their cross and follow him. That she was a noble woman, there is no question; and one of the most outstanding traits of her nobility was her desire to honor and magnify the Lord, and to ever recognize her own lowly position as one of his servants.

QUESTIONS

How do we know that Mary was not the “mother of God”?

Who was Jesus’ real father, and why did he become subject to his parents after he questioned the doctors of the Law?

What was the only means by which Mary, the mother of Jesus, could enjoy his special favor?

How did Jesus indicate to John that he wished him to care for his mother?

What is the last reference in the New Testament to Mary, and what does this signify?

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