Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was considered an insignificant player in the scheme of the Bible. The mother of the savior of humanity may be a symbol of purity, but the writers in the Bible downplay her spiritual role. She is best remembered for giving birth to the savior. Her life can provide deeper insight into the life and struggles of a Christian woman. Mary lived a life of humility that attracted the favor of God. The life of Mary is, therefore, a reflection of the different themes of Christianity. Her obedience and trust in her heavenly father granted her the privilege and honor of being the mother of the messiah.
Mary and the Themes in the Bible
Mary as a young woman, was a chaste and pure woman who was saving herself for marriage. However, she accepted the role that God gave her, and she carried the Messiah to term. Jesus was created in the womb of the virgin Mary. This can be compared to the God of creation found in the book of Genesis. Just as the creation of the Almighty God is good, the fruit of Mary's womb is good and pure. In other words, just as the creation of God the father reflects his nature, Jesus also reflects the nature of his heavenly father. So both the origin of Jesus and the origin of creation, lie in the creator who is God." God saw all that he had made, and it was perfect. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day." (Genesis 1:3, NIV).
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The birth of Jesus Christ is first introduced in the Bible through prophecy. The prophet Isaiah first declares this, and then an angel repeats it to Mary. It is also confirmed by Mary's cousin Elizabeth when Mary visits her. The two women are pregnant, and their babies recognize each other. The birth of Jesus is a fulfillment of prophecy that Mary experiences in her life. "When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice, she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”( Luke 1:41-45).
According to Lloyd(2013), Mary remains a loving mother to Jesus even when he is grown up. It is during this time that his nature as the Messiah and son of God is established. Mary doesn't recognize this change, and she focuses on her role as a mother. “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”(Luke 8:21) Although relationships are in line with God's purpose for his creation, Mary concentrates on her parenting skills. This is similar to God's role in nurturing his creation from inception till fruition. Mary never abandons her son even when he rejects her. This is similar to the loving and caring creator of the Bible who is always seeking out his creation. He is a relational God who wishes to engage the people He made in his image. It is only when Mary and others recognize Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah that they can receive redemption. This blend of a loving Redeemer who is also an authoritative deity is the model that Mary ensembles.( Bartholomew, 2014)
The Hebrew culture and its role in Mary's life
Mary was a Hebrew woman living in first century Galilee. The nature of religion in that time did not place any emphasis on personal encounters with God. There were procedures for prayer and worship. God was only experienced in the temples, and only the high priest had that privilege. So when Mary spoke about a message from an angel, she was not taken seriously. She was further frowned upon for talking about a pregnancy outside the confines of marriage. The world had never encountered a child of God leave alone a one born of a woman. She was at risk of being ostracized (McBrien, 2015).
Athans (2013) further states that it was a new scandal when she became pregnant. She was seen to have disgraced her family, clan and the entire community. The visit to her cousin Elizabeth is said to have been a way to hide the shame from her family. Single unwed mothers were not only a disgrace, but they were also scarce and unheard of. Mary chose to obey the call of God despite all the challenges that she knew she was sure to face. Her role in the birth of Jesus Christ is, therefore, a significant self-sacrifice. Her obedience to God cost her self-respect and dignity and reduced her social standing significantly.
Mary in Luke's Gospel
The gospel of Luke traces the life of Mary from the conception of Jesus to his life in ministry. The gospel tells the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph travel after another encounter with an angel. Mary observed the religious requirements by taking the newborn Jesus to the temple. Here Simon and Anna prophesied about his life. They later returned to Nazareth and Mary raised Jesus and her other children and taught them about life in the Jewish culture.
The second chapter of Luke also illustrates how seriously Mary takes religion and its role in the life of her children. Many encounters are recorded with Mary and her family being in the temple after worship sessions (McBrien, 2015). Mary still misses the transformation of her son into the Messiah when Jesus gets lost in the temple. “Why were you searching for me? He asked. Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? But they did not understand what he was saying to them" (Luke 2:49-50).
References
Athans, M. C. (2013). In quest of the Jewish Mary: The mother of Jesus in history, theology, and spirituality. Orbis Books.
Bartholomew, C. G., " Goheen, M. W. (2014). The drama of Scripture: Finding our place in the
biblical story . Baker Academic.
Lloyd, J. (2013). The women who followed Jesus: Part 1. Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought and Practice, 20 (2), 4.
McBrien, R. P. (2015). Lives of the saints: from Mary and St. Francis of Assisi to John XXIII and Mother Teresa. HarperCollins.
