The Virgin Mary: By Cameron Lawrence The Bible’s portrayal of the young Mary, barely a woman by the standards of her day, is one of humility and obedience. Consider the annunciation of Christ’s birth. Scripture tells us that the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, saying, “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you . . . Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favour with God” (Luke 1:28-30). The Scriptures also show that the people closest to her had little trouble identifying Mary’s special role. Just look at her visit to Elizabeth—the soon-to-be mother of John the Baptist: “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She cried out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?’ (Luke 1:41-43). Luke tells us that, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth was moved to proclaim the special honour and blessing bestowed upon Mary by God. Far from seeing Mary as a passive receptacle or utilitarian vessel, the early pastors and theologians of the church accorded her fuller importance. They noted salient parallels between her life and many Old Testament persons and wonders. For example, like the bush Moses saw burning in the desert, so did Mary bear the all-holy Lord within her womb without being consumed. She could be likened to a basket of manna, for she carried the Bread of Life. Or just as the Ark of the Covenant was the seat of God’s presence in ancient Israel, so they saw in Mary the “Ark of the New Covenant.” She carried the presence of the uncontainable God within her. Those whom she visited were blessed, just like the house of Obed-edom when David brought the original ark to his home (2 Sam. 6:1-11). Parallels abound. But perhaps the most striking correlation of all is one between Mary—known by the early Christians as Theotokos (Greek for “Mother of God”)—and Eve, the mother of humankind. Ireneaus of Lyons, writing in the second century, explains the connection: “. . . the knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith” (Against Heresies, Book III, 22.4). If the apostle Paul thought of Christ as the second Adam, Ireneaus thought of Mary as the second Eve. Where Eve through childbirth passed on a fallen nature to humanity, Mary gave birth to its redemption—the promised Messiah. In a way, this implies a role of spiritual motherhood for Mary, akin to the sort of motherhood we attribute to Eve as our oldest ancestor. Just as women give life to their children, and by extension to generations of grandchildren that follow, so we inherit the benefits of Mary’s faithfulness—life in Christ and eternal rest with Him. Through her faithful cooperation with God, the church was made possible, which is the body of Christ. As Augustine put it in the fourth century, “Plainly (Mary) is, in spirit, Mother of us who are His members, because by love she has cooperated so that the faithful, who are the members of that Head might be born in the Church. In body, indeed, she is mother of that very Head” (On Holy Virginity, 6.6). With that in mind, we have a lot to be thankful for. We all can be grateful for the people in our lives: parents, friends, pastors, coaches, and even strangers. Others play an undeniable role in our salvation. We could say that through them, by God’s grace, we have found life in Him. And how much more is it true of the woman from whom God took the flesh that would be crucified, laid in a tomb, and resurrected? There are many lessons we can learn from Mary. For instance, we can learn to respond in faith and obedience when God brings something unexpected into our lives. We can also learn to remain humble, letting the Lord honor us as He chooses, rather than make it a pursuit of our will. Mary was an example of being teachable. Although she was Christ’s mother and an authority figure in His life, she learned from her Son and pondered those lessons in her heart. And as we see at the wedding in Cana, she had unflinching faith in Jesus to provide and work miracles. Perhaps Mary’s most important example to us is her willingness to become the first Christian. In faith and humility, she received the Lord into her life—her very body. While pregnant, she nurtured the Lord within her, and through her, the Truth was made incarnate in the world. And so it is with you and me. By coming to faith in Jesus, we receive His presence through the Holy Spirit. He makes our hearts His dwelling place, and through us makes Himself known. We are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19), and it’s our job to nurture His presence through right living, prayer, service, and worship. Just like Mary, we are called to make the Truth incarnate in the world through our entire beings. Beyond learning from Mary, remembering and celebrating her life as the mother of Jesus is a means of protection against heresies that would deny Christ’s humanity. In her remembrance, we find a way to put the incarnation of Jesus on centrr stage with the crucifixion and resurrection, where it rightly belongs. Acknowledging the full importance of Mary’s unique role in the story of redemption doesn’t take anything away from the Lord. It only further underscores the truth of who He is, what He’s done and will do. And one day soon we’ll see Him face to face—the flesh, the scars, the glory.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Oct 2014 12:17:18 +0000