Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was considered an insignificant player in the scheme of the Bible. The mother of the Messiah is more than a symbol of purity although most of the writers of the Bible downplay her spiritual significance. This humble Hebrew woman is best remembered for giving birth to the savior. However, her life can provide deep insight into the life and struggles of a Christian woman. Mary lived a life of humility that attracted the unmerited favor of God. She is the most famous woman in the new testament. The mother of the savior of mankind is a symbol of purity, humility and absolute trust in God. Her whole life is a display of sacrifice with the intention of obeying God despite the consequences. Although she is mainly revered for her chastity, the life of Mary the virgin mother of Jesus has many more lessons for the followers of Christ. The life of Mary is, therefore, a reflection of the different themes of Christianity, and how living in obedience to God is the definition of true Christianity. Her faith and trust in her heavenly father granted her the privilege and honor of being the mother of His only Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Thesis Statement
As a humble servant, Mary obtained unmerited favor from God almighty. Looking through her life, Mary is a demonstration of the different themes of Christianity. Her obedience and trust in her heavenly father enabled her to be used by God himself to bore his only Son, Jesus Christ the messiah.
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Mary and the Themes in the Bible
Mary, the Mother of Jesus, 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 nature 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 very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day." (Genesis 1:31 NIV). The creator is good and so is his creation (McBrien, 2015).
Lloyd (2013) argues that 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).
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 does not recognize this change, and she focuses on her role as his 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 life of Mary can teach Christian women a few things. The first lesson from the birth of Jesus is to believe in God. Mary thought that a child would be created in her womb although she was a virgin. This belief led to her miracle actualizing. Christians should, therefore, build their faith and beliefs skills that they may receive God's blessings. Secondly, Mary brought up her child in the ways of God. She took him to the temple often and taught him the basics of religion. Each parent can emulate this example. Lastly, Mary was both a parent and a disciple of Jesus. This shows us that as Christians, we are called into the family of God and his ministry as well. We should accept the love that God offers us as a heavenly father and therefore approach him as such. But we should also be co-heirs in his kingdom and live our lives reflecting this through service in the church.
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 one born of a woman. She was at risk of being ostracized.
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 great self-sacrifice. Her obedience to God cost her self-respect and dignity and reduced her social standing significantly (Athans, 2013).
Her stand must have been a source of shame to her family who had raised her in the ways of God. However, Mary endured all this, and she continued to listen to the promptings of God. Women in the Hebrew culture were expected to be submissive and less dominant to the men. Though they assumed this role, they were also respected, and their influence was accepted. Mary, therefore, used this cultural trait to bring out the nature of Jesus as the son of God. It is even recorded in the Bible that Mary went further in the work of God and encouraged Jesus to perform his first miracle ( Bartholomew & Goheen, 2014).
"On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there, and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “ Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were six stone water pots set therefore the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” ''So they took it to him. When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him." (John 2:1-11). This passage shows that every Christian can stir up the gift in fellow believers through encouragement and bring it to fruition.
Mary in Luke's Gospel
The gospel of Luke traces the life of Mary from the conception of Jesus to his life in ministry. " But the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the highest. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end. How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? The angel answered, The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the highest will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." ( Luke 1:30-35). 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 new 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 (Lloyd, 2013).
The second chapter of Luke also illustrates how seriously Mary takes religion and it's role in the life of her children. Many encounters are recorded with Mary and her family being in the temple after worship sessions. When Jesus is 12 years old, he embraces his divinity and goes to seek the presence of God his heavenly father in the temple. Mary his mother does not see this in spiritual eyes but the eyes of a mother. She worries and scolds him, and she misses this fulfillment of prophecy in the life of Jesus. Mary misses the transformation of her son into the Messiah. “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)
Athans (2013) states that this chapter is the most significant illustration of a Christian's life. Mary is a woman who is devout to her faith. She regularly attends worship sessions and is a staunch believer. However, when God the creator changes the circumstances and nature of her son, she does not notice it because she is too busy parenting. As Christians, we often get too busy living our lives that we forget the role that our creator plays. It is, therefore, familiar to ignore a move of God and instead take it as ordinary. Mary did this even though she was a committed woman of faith. However, Jesus was able to point her in the right direction and lead her back. In the same way, modern day Christians may get lost or distracted as they undertake their walk of faith. God does not hold it against us, but instead, He points us in the right direction.
Bartholomew & Goheen ( 2014) further points out that Mary goes through the same doubts and confusion that Christians experience every day. When the angel tells her of her role in the life of the Messiah, she doesn't initially believe it because it is unheard of in human nature. Eventually, she overcomes her doubt and accepts the path that God has chosen for her. Though Mary is highly favored and the chosen one from God, she is still human and still struggles in living and walking in the Christian faith. This failure on her part symbolizes the fall of humanity through sin and doubt. In Luke's Gospel, chapter 8 shows how the fall can be turned around through redemption. When Mary and her sons go to visit Jesus, he rejects them as his mother and brothers. This is because they are not yet convinced of his divinity, and they approach him as family members. He chooses this rejection to show them the right path. His rejection shows that redemption equalizes all before God and it only calls for belief and reverence to his word. This act of Jesus took Mary off the pedestal of holiness. Though she was a God fearing woman who had served God well, that was not enough for Jesus. He makes us realize that although good acts of selflessness are noble, they are not the way to redemption. Hence, redemption was only attained through hearing God's word and putting it into practice.
Conclusion
Mary is a significant player in the scheme of the new testament. She greatly remembered for giving birth to the savior, Jesus Christ. Mary’s life is a reflection of a life of a true believer. Despite the consequences, Mary had great faith in God. She passes a great message on faith through her life; we learn that despite our mistakes, shortcomings or doubts, it is critical for any believer to obey God and uphold great faith in his word.
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.
