There are those who say that Mary’s presence in the scriptures is limited and does not correspond to the tremendous attention that Catholics give to Mary. In fact, I was in an Evangelical Christian bookstore the other day and the most popular book is “The prayer of Jabez.” It is a great book, the best-selling Christian book last year. Take just 2 verses of Scripture:

“Jabez was the most famous among his brothers, and his mother gave him the name Jabez, saying: ‘I gave birth in pain.’ Jabez invoked the God of Israel, exclaiming: ‘If you truly bless me, you will enlarge my borders, your hand will be with me, and you will drive away evil so that my affliction may disappear.’ And God granted him what he had asked for.” (I Chr. 4,9-10)

It is a great prayer. An entire industry grew out of these two verses.

With this in mind, let’s see what happens with Mary. Maybe we can see that it is not the volume of Scripture that matters, but its content and its importance in the history of the Bible.

Let’s see where Mary appears. She is present in almost all the most important events of Jesus’ life: his conception (Luke 1:2), his development in the womb, including the fetal development of John the Baptist (Luke 1:43), his birth (Luke 2:7). his presentation and consecration to God (Lk. 2,22), his childhood (Lk.2,22-38). His manifestation at age 12 (Lk. 2:49), the beginning of His public ministry and the first of His miracles, which she herself prompted (The Wedding at Cana, Jn. 2:3). His death on Calvary (Jn. 19:26) and the birth of the Church on Pentecost (Acts 1:14). How can we say she has a minor role in the Bible? I would humbly suggest that Mary’s role in the Bible is infinitely greater than that of Jabez who gained much more attention among evangelicals.

Mary is a “born again” Christian who received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and spoke in tongues 2000 years before the Pentecostals received this gift (Acts 1:14-2:3). She knows how to pray (yes, even in tongues)

Catholics make a very interesting comparison between Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Eve in Genesis. Eve is in the center between the human race and sin with the consequent Fall. She is in a certain sense the “mediator” of original sin (Gen. 3:3-24). Catholics believe that Mary’s “yes” to God and her plan of redemption opposed to Eve, reversed Eve’s “no” and her refusal to obey and cooperate with God. Mary’s yes and her cooperation with Grace defeated Eve’s “no” (Lk.1,2). Catholics do not believe that it is a coincidence that Eve (the woman) came out of the body of Adam (the man) and that Jesus (the man-God) came out of the body of Mary (the woman). This thought was already uttered by St. Justin (who lived in 110-165 AD) and is consistent with the comparison made by Saint Paul between Jesus and Adam.

The Fall

The Redemption
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a suitable helper.” (Gen. 2:18) “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” Mary answered. (Lk. 1:38)
The man exclaimed: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh! She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.” (Gen. 2:23) And Jesus answered her, “Woman, what is that to me and to you? My hour has not yet come.” (Jn. 2:4)
“Woman” is an unusual title for His Mother and unusual for the time; Catholics think there would be a reason for Jesus to use that word.
Then, with the rib that He had taken from the man, the Lord God formed a woman and brought her to the man. (Gen. 2:22) But when the appointed time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman and subject to the Law, to redeem those subject to the Law and make us adopted children. (Gal. 4:4-5)
The serpent was the most cunning of all the animals of the field that the Lord had made, and he said to the woman: “So God commanded you not to eat from any tree in the garden?…” (Gen. 3:1) His mother said to the servants: “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn. 2:5).
In a certain way, she is repairing Eve’s disobedience.
Then the Lord said to the woman: “How could you do such a thing?” The woman replied: “The serpent seduced me and I ate.” (Gen. 3:13) Mary then said: “I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed. (Lk. 1:38)
Mary, by her obedience, repairs Eve’s disobedience.
Adam gave his wife the name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living. (Gen. 3:20) Seeing His Mother and near her the disciple whom He loved, Jesus said: “Woman, behold your son.” Then He said to the disciple: “Behold your Mother” (Jn. 19:26-27).
Catholics believe that from that moment Mary was given as mother to all Christians. (See Rev. 19:26, explained below)

This table is adapted from my friend John Pacheco www.Catholic-Legate.com

Mary was a true servant. She went to Elizabeth’s house to help her with household chores during her late pregnancy when she was awaiting the birth of John. I can imagine Mary washing the bathroom in Elizabeth’s house, cleaning the floors and cooking with Jesus, the savior of the world in her womb. What humility, what a servant! (Lk. 1,39)

Catholics feel that Mary can do miracles in the name of Jesus, even better than any evangelical pastor does in the name of Jesus. (Mt. 10,1). in me testimony about Mary I tell how Jesus healed my eating disorder (anorexia-bulimia). One day I said to Mary: “Mary, you fed your baby Jesus for so many years, I beg you to feed me.”. That was the turning point in my recovery and I haven’t had any binge eating, vomiting or excessive fasting for 12 years. She is an effective prayer warrior.

Speaking of food, I think this food thing is key to understanding Mc. 3:33-36, a passage often used as “proof” against Mary’s “particularity” (pretending that She is not special)

“Who are my mother and brothers?” He asked. Then he looked at those sitting around him and said: “These are my mother and my brothers! The one who does the will of God is my brother, my sister and my mother.”

I think we will find an answer to Mary’s concern for her Son, thirteen verses before this passage. She came to Jesus because He was not eating properly and this is a concern for any mother.

“Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that Neither He nor His disciples could eat. When his family found out about this, they went to take care of him because they said: “He is out of his mind” (Mk. 3,20)

We must remember that Mary was human, she was a mother and she was going through a true pilgrimage of faith (Luke 2:19-51). She didn’t know everything. He wanted to see his Son succeed in his ministry and also separate him from the people a little to feed him. My mom told me I was crazy when I didn’t eat, I bet you would have told me that too! Mothers are a little strange sometimes, they are always worried about their children eating enough, even when we children have grown up.

Paraphrasing Mc. 3.34, I think what Jesus was saying was nothing more than: “OK Ma, I’m grown up now, I can feed myself, don’t worry. I’m an adult, my ministry has already begun and the people who do God’s will are my mother and my brothers.” Likewise, at this moment He was giving Himself to all humanity; More than despising her family, she was inviting the entire world to join her. I remember when Mary invited me to be part of the Holy Family of Jesus.

We should note that this passage gets a little tangled. On the one hand, Jesus apparently rejects Mary, but when he says: “those who do the will of God” he is referring to her. In fact, no one other than Jesus in all of human history has perfectly fulfilled God’s will like Mary did. She said “Yes” to give birth to Jesus (Luke 1:38). We must remember that Jesus always speaks on different levels. In this passage he speaks on a material level about not needing to eat but he also teaches on the spiritual plane when he invites all of humanity to join his family, to become his “mother” and his “brothers.”

Who in the history of humankind has been more obedient to God than Mary? She faithfully said: “Here I am Lord, this is the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your will” (Luke 1:38) without knowing how others could believe her or how she would escape the Jewish law of lynching for adultery. She was engaged to José, the love of her life; and he even risked losing it, which he was close to, to say “yes” to Jesus (mat.1,19). She had the Savior in her womb, so if she had been stoned to death before He was born, He would have died too and there would be no hope of eternal life for any of us. His “yes” was GIGANTIC. Mary put Jesus above Joseph and even her own life; even before Jesus was conceived in the flesh. How much more will she have placed Jesus above herself after the resurrection.

Other verses frequently used to discredit Mary are:

“Blessed be the womb that carried you and the breasts that nursed you! But he answered: More blessed are those who hear the word of God and practice it.” (Luke 11, 27-28)

This is not a discredit for Mary’s role but simply focusing on her obedience rather than her role as mother. He is showing that the true miracle surrounding the incarnation of Jesus by Mary was her obedience to the Lord even at the risk of facing divorce from Joseph and lynching for “adultery.” (Lk. 1,38).

Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist says: Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to visit me? (Luke 1:43) This passage gives us a title for Mary; she is “the Mother of my Lord.” Some evangelicals ask: Why do you call Mary the Mother of God? It is because Scripture says so and simply because Jesus is God and she was his mother. This doesn’t make her a goddess, it just makes her (“yes, indeed”) very important.

Mary clearly delineates her role in eternity in Luke. 1.46-49

My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
because he has looked at the lowliness of his servant;
From now on all generations will call me blessed.

As we can see, their role is to magnify the Lord and rejoice in God their savior. She should be humble (which she is). Us We have also been called to do something: call her blessed. and this is for all generations, all peoples and especially all Christians, not just a handful of old Catholic women.

On Calvary (John 19, 26),

When Jesus saw his mother there and the disciple he loved near her, Jesus said to his mother: “Dear woman, here is your son” and to the disciple: “Here is your mother” and from that moment the disciple received her into his house.

Certainly he said it, as some evangelicals suggest, so that John would take care of his mother. But we must keep in mind that Jesus never spoke only on one level, his words are “multi-layered” (with different levels of meaning) and very rich. I think in this passage, the greatest meaning is that Jesus gives each and every one Mary as our mother. I felt this the first time I read it (before listening to Catholic theologians).

At this point his pilgrimage of faith was maturing. When Jesus was younger he corrected him when he left with the twelve (Lk.2,51) and at thirty years of age when he did not eat properly (Mk.3,34). Now she understood and accepted Simeon’s prophecy (Luke 2:34-35). She maintained her faith, she remained obedient at the foot of the cross (Jn.19,26). Later he would receive the reward (Acts 1:14) and now, in heaven, he shares the greatness of that reward with us, his faith in Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Catholics see Mary as the Ark of the New Covenant

The Ark carried the Word of God, Mary carried in her being the Word of God made flesh. The Ark of the Covenant disappeared for the first time in I Sam.4:11 when the Philistines took Israel but was returned to the Israelites because it became a curse to those who did not believe in one true God (1 Sam.6:4). This tells us that the Ark had a propensity to be returned after being captured. It disappeared again during the Babylonian oppression around 600 BC. and has never been seen again, until today.

Catholics believe that he returned just as he did the first time. Originally, the Ark of the Covenant contained the Word of God inscribed in stone by God’s own hands. The Ark was not the Word itself but that made it no less important. Mary brought the “Word made flesh” within her in the same way that the Ark of the Covenant carried the 10 commandments through which the Word of God was manifested in the real world (Jn.1,1). The Ark reappears in Revelation 11:19. She is introduced as Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

“At that moment the Temple of God which is in heaven was opened and the Ark of His Covenant was revealed, and there were lightning bolts, voices, thunder and an earthquake, and a strong hail fell. And a great sign appeared in the sky: a Woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and screamed in pain because she was going to give birth (…) The dragon stood before the woman who was going to give birth, to devour her son as soon as he was born. The Woman had a man child who was to rule all nations with iron scepter. But the son was elevated to God and to his throne (…) The dragon, seeing itself rushed to the earth, launched itself in pursuit of the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the Woman received the wings of the great eagle to fly to her refuge in the desert (…) away from the serpent. (…) The dragon, enraged against the Woman, went to fight against the rest of the his descendants, against those who obey the commandments of God and possess the testimony of Jesus.

Some evangelicals maintain that the woman crowned with the stars in this passage is Israel and that the 12 stars represent the 12 tribes of Israel. They say the woman is not Mary. The problem with this interpretation clearly states that her children are the ones who “possess the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17), something that the children of Israel do not in fact “possess” and yet Mary’s children most certainly possess. Catholics believe this begins with John at the foot of the cross when Jesus presented Mary as his mother (Jn.19:26).

Catholics believe that this passage from Revelation clarifies several important points:

  1. The Ark of the Covenant has been returned to the Temple
  2. The temple is now heaven (See also: Heb. 9,1-12)
  3. A crowned woman is there (The New Ark)
  4. She gave birth to a son who will reign over all nations and is on the throne of God
  5. The devil is very interested in destroying her but she is sure
  6. His children are all faithful Christians.

Let us now compare the Ark of the Old Covenant with Mary, who Catholics believe is the New Ark.

The Ark of the Old Testament

Mary — New Testament — The Ark of the New Covenant
The Word was written by God on tablets of stone (Ex. 25:10). The Word became flesh (Jn. 1).
The Ark carried the Word of God (Deut. 10:1). The Ark carried the Old Covenant. Mary carried the Word of God (Lk. 1:38). Mary carried in her body the New Covenant.
David says: “Who am I that the Ark of my Lord should come to me?” (2 Sam. 6:9) Elizabeth says: “Who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to visit me?” (Lk. 1:43) (Mary was pregnant with Jesus).
When the Ark returned, “David leaped and danced before the Lord” (2 Sam. 6:14). The child leaped for joy in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary entered her presence carrying Jesus in her womb. (Lk. 1:38)
“And there I have placed the Ark where the Covenant that the Lord made with the Israelites is found.” (2 Chr. 6:11) Elizabeth’s husband said: “He has remembered His Holy Covenant” (Lk. 1:72)… “This cup is the New Covenant sealed in my Blood” (Lk. 22:20).
Joshua summoned twelve men from among the Israelites, one from each tribe. Joshua said to them: “Pass before the Ark of the Lord your God” (Josh. 4:4). There were 12 stones, like the 12 stars of Rev. 11:19. The Ark of His Covenant was seen in the temple (…) (Rev. 11:19). A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman… and on her head a crown of twelve stars (Rev. 12:1), representing the tribes of Israel.
The Ark of the Lord is a blessing for the house (2 Sam. 6:11). Mary crossed the mountains and came to bless Elizabeth’s house (Lk. 1:39ff.).
The Ark is captured (1 Sam. 4:11), taken to a foreign land, and then returns (1 Sam. 6:13). Mary goes into exile in Egypt and then returns.
The Ark disappears (Jer. 3:16) and does not appear again until the story told in Revelation, already in the New Testament. The Ark reappears as a woman who gives birth to a Son who sits at God’s right hand. Her other children are the Christians. (Rev. 11:19)
“It will not be like the Covenant that I made with their fathers (…) which they broke, though I was their husband.” (Jer. 31:32) “The Holy Spirit will overshadow you; a son will be born to you (…) he will be called Son of God” (Lk. 1:35). (The Holy Spirit was Mary’s spouse)

Catholics believe that their relationship to Mary is truly biblical; feels it would be unbiblical to ignore its place in Scripture. Many evangelicals say that Mary’s ministry and purpose ended with the birth of Christ. If so, what would be the reason for the demon to be so interested in destroying it? after of the birth of Jesus. Catholics believe the passage identifies Mary as the rediscovered Ark of the Covenant. Now the Ark is in heaven, it has been found, it is Mary. The Revelation passage describes the woman in heaven crowned with 12 stars as the mother of Jesus (not a pagan goddess). She is presented as a truly important piece not only for having given birth to the Savior but also because in service to Him she continues to play an important role in the ongoing spiritual battle against Satan and his fallen angels. This passage also says that all those who have the testimony of Jesus are his children. This includes Christians of all denominations. They are all his children. This is why Catholics do not think it is good to leave Mary aside in pursuit of Christian unity. Mary is too important. Catholics will not abandon Mary as much or more than the ancient Hebrews abandoned the Ark of the Covenant.

Mary has a very special place in this spiritual war. She is not a “dead person” who disappeared from the pages of history. She is a prayer warrior who is alive and very effective. Catholics do not believe that their ministry ended with the birth of Jesus, that was only the beginning of their performance.

Although the passage shows Mary crowned, it does not make her a god. She is a creature. The passage clearly shows that Jesus is the one who reaches the “Throne of God”, He is the King. What respectable king doesn’t have a queen? And when there is a king, the queen is a simple collaborator of that king. She has no authority in herself except what she can whisper in his ear. All your dignity comes from Jesus, the King, your Son. Catholics have no problem honoring him and asking Jesus for his prayer for us.

An invitation – pray to Jesus about Mary –

I hope I haven’t caused any animosity with this article. I just want to help build a bridge between Catholics and Protestants. I don’t think avoiding Mary will help in this bridge-building endeavor. I cannot see this point as out of the question, at least in my own life as in that of millions of Christians who live in the spirit of Christ and have been enriched by the relationship with Mary. The time dedicated to Mary does not separate us from Jesus just as the time we dedicate to other Christians does not separate us from Jesus.

I would like to conclude with an invitation that could be very difficult and perhaps impossible for some. I would like to ask you to forget everything you have heard about Mary, everything you read about her including what I have said here.

I want to invite you to pray to Jesus. Most Christians will accept that completely sure to pray Jesus about anything. Wanna invite you to pray to Jesus about Mary. Simply ask Jesus to show you the truth about his mother. Ask Him to direct your thoughts to her. Ask Jesus if his mother is alive with Him. Ask him if Mary is praying for us. Simply pray to Jesus about it. Try it every night for six weeks. I am sure He will lead you to the truth about His mother.

Biblical Passages that Catholics relate to Mary

  • Genesis 3,15; 24,43-46 – Rebecca, 28,12 – Jacob’s ladder 28,12
  • Exodus 3:11-12; 13.2; 13,14 (Magnificat), 15,20; 21, 26 (Magnificat), 25,8 Ark 34,19-20
  • Leviticus 12:2; 8 Purification
  • Numbers 18,15 Presentation
  • Judges 6,12; 15 Annunciation
  • I Samuel 2,1-10 (Magnificat)
  • Isaiah 7:14 (Birth of a Virgin)
  • Ezekiel 44,2 (Perpetual virginity of Mary)
  • Matthew 1:16; 18-25 (Mary with her Child: 2,11, 13-14, 20-23 Flight to Egypt 12,46-50 Who is my mother? 13, 55 Is not Mary his mother?
  • Mark 3:31-35 His mother was outside 6:3 Is he not Mary’s son?
  • Luke 1,26-56 Annunciation, visitation and magnificat 2,5-7; 16-19; 22; 33-35; 39; 41-51 Nativity, the shepherds, the presentation, the discovery in the temple 8,19-21. Your mother is outside 11,27-28 Blessed is the womb that carries you…
  • John 1:14 incarnation 2:1-5 Cana 6:42 We meet his mother 19:25-27
  • Acts 1,14 Gathered in prayer with Mary – Galatians 4,4 God sent his Son born of a woman
  • Colossians 1:15; 18 firstborn, Head of the Body
  • Revelation 11:19 Ark in heaven 12:1-17 The Woman clothed with the sun.

Author: David McDonald
Source:Davidmacd.com

 

 

©2002 David MacDonald

Spanish translation: Margot Zunino

Lord Jesus we ask you for the unity of Christians
make it come true You mode
we have absolute confidence
in which you can gather your people.

We give you absolute permission to act
Amen

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