Pastor Dave Ginter
 
During Advent, many Protestant Believers get predictably upset over the Roman Catholic’s views of Mary. Protestants try to balance this over zealousness out by downplaying the importance of Mary. So what should we say regarding Mary?

Is she “The Mother of God”? Last time I checked, Jesus was her son and Jesus IS God…

Is she to be “Blessed”? This year in an outstanding Christmas production, one excellent singer refused to participate because one of the songs to be sung was “Ave Maria”. But if you read a translation from the Latin, you will find 100% of these words come from Scripture, Mary’s Magnificat, as it is called. So Protestant’s now cannot sing Scripture just because others take it out of context?

The following thoughts are not unique to me. They come from one of the finest living Protestant scholars in the New Testament. Dr. Kenneth Bailey. Dr. Bailey observes:

Mary’s Magnificent song we call The Magnificat
  • God is a God of Miracles (vs. 46-48)
46And Mary said:
   "My soul glorifies the Lord
    47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
 48for he has been mindful
      of the humble state of his servant.
   From now on all generations will call me blessed,

  • God alone is worshipped (vs. 49-55)
49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
      holy is his name.
 50His mercy extends to those who fear him,
      from generation to generation.
 51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; (Lifts Up)
      he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. (Puts Down)
 52He has brought down rulers from their thrones (Puts Down)
      but has lifted up the humble. (Lifts Up)
 53He has filled the hungry with good things (Lifts Up)
      but has sent the rich away empty. (Puts Down)
 54He has helped his servant Israel, (Lifts Up)
      remembering to be merciful
 55to Abraham and his descendants forever,
      even as he said to our fathers."

(Put Down about Gentiles: absent. Therefore, beginning of Gospel)
 56Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

See Exodus 15 (Song of Moses) From which Mary borrows these ideas:
Vs 46-49: personal
Vs 50-55: community

How Mary Models Discipleship for Us Today
Luke 11:27-28
  27As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed (Markaria) is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."
    28He replied, "Blessed (Markaria) rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."
In other words, Do not honor my mother for her famous son, honor her for her faith, courage and inner qualities expressed in a life of obedient faith. He is not saying do not bless her, but bless her for who she is! FOLLOW Mary’s example of a life lived in faith!

Faith: obedience
We see in the Magnificat that Mary is a type of the exaltation of all Believers. The Lord exalted me and the Lord will exalt all Believers. Mary is honored for her own faith, not because of her famous son.

Surrendering to His Lordship!
John 2:4-5
  4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
    5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Jesus is very formal and uses an idiom still used in the Middle East when addressing her request: Jesus is saying to Mary, you surrender your will to me. She does so, setting an example for all believers of making Jesus Lord.

Great example of Courage.
John 19:25
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother
Greatest agony imagined.

A woman of prayer
Acts 1:14
They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers.

Talk of the Great heroes of faith in the New Testament, and you must realize that Mary comes first. She is the first Theologian of the New Testament.

 


Comments

Rodrigo Garcia
12/13/2009 21:01

Ok I do think pastor Daves posture, is right. We should be objective towards Mary. Would I call her the greatest new testament hero? No, I mean Jesus should take that place, and if we should give someone the silver medal should be Paul or Peter, they wrote scripture specially Paul greates Missionary Ever. I do have a problem with the title mother of God because it misleads or a least it might.

If we say Mary is the Mother of Jesus both protestants and catholics agree. If we say Mary is the Mother of God, catholics will defend it saying Jesus is God, therefore mary mother of Jesus is Mother of God.
Its simple sillogistic thinking.
Do i think Jesus is God? OF COURSE I DO, im a christian, Jesus was, is and will be God, and in his incarnation he was God and human from the moment he was conceived in Marys womb by the work of the holy spirit.
So why do I have a problem whe term Mary mother of God, because when sillogistic thinking its applied to the term Mother of God, look at the misleading conclusion it might take someone.
Mary Mother of God
God is the trinity
Mary Mother of the trinity
Are we to say that Mary a mere mortal human gave BIRTH to the all mighty creator all knowing and powerful HOLY Trinity? That aint christian anymore, neither to catholic nor protestant.
Si ill stick with the term Mary Mother of Jesus i DONT WANNA MISLEAD.

Reply
johann link
12/16/2009 18:04

i love the MAGNIFICANT!

as an illuminated roman catholic... and i guess i'm still one because i have not been excommunicated by the pope [ahem...]... mary is the mother of JESUS [GOD] but she is...

1. not immaculate [this is that she never sinned] - proof is in her own words that she needed a savior
2. did not ascend bodily like CHRIST which was just recently proclaimed by a recent pope
3. not divine... to be worshipped and to be prayed to
4. not to be considered as an intercessor for mankind's sin

on a last note, i never argue with RCs on this matter except for using mary's own instruction to the servants at cana... DO EVERYTHING WHAT HE [JESUS] SAYS!

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Rodrigo Garcia
12/17/2009 11:03

Im really interested in the perspective, u portrayed Johan, May i Know which Pope said that or do u have a internet site or document where I could verify that information?, I didnt know catholics were allowed to stand in such posture. Im ignorant of catholic theology and postures, but I did thought Mary as inmmaculate and her ascension was MANDATORY DOGMA OF FAITH in the Roman Catholic Church.

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johann
12/17/2009 14:16

hi rodrigo,
sorry... when i said recent pope... i tend to think from a historical point of view... what i meant of 'recent' would be within about 200 years. who that pope was? off hand, i'll have to get back to you on that. i can't recall if it was a late 19th or early 20th century pope.

as to me following RC dogmas, the BIBLE put away that notion from my head a long time ago. when i say i'm an RC, i use the apostle paul's approach to reach them. but technically... haha... i was baptized RC.

rodrigo... i pray that i didn't step on your toe on this...

Reply
johann
12/17/2009 14:28

hi rodrigo,

i found it...

The doctrine of the Assumption of Mary had its beginnings in the Byzantine Empire around the 6th Century. An annual feast honoring Mary gradually grew into a commemoration of Mary’s death called the Feast of Dormition (“falling asleep”). As the practice spread to the West, an emphasis was placed on Mary’s resurrection, and the glorification of Mary’s body as well as her soul, and the name of the feast was thereby changed to the Assumption. It is still observed on August 15, as it was in the Middle Ages. The Assumption of Mary was made an official dogma of the Roman Catholic Church in 1950 by Pope Pius XII.

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Rodrigo
12/17/2009 19:46

"rodrigo... i pray that i didn't step on your toe on this..."
jaja no dont worry, Im not RCC, i was just wondering, because I have lots of catholic friends, and on conversations I always say we believe almost the same, were all christian, of course the topic of whats the difference among Roman Catholics and the rest of protestant denominations arises, the issue of Mary always comes up. So I was curious, thankx for the info.

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