Is the praise that the Catholic Church gives to Mary hold up to scripture? Mary is worshipped as a goddess by the catholic community, however surprising little is said about Mary in the Bible. According to the Catholic Church, they have declared dogmas of Mary elevating her to goddess (don’t believe me, click on the links all from Catholic sources). Let’s examine
First Dogma: Mother of GodIn the year 431, Mary was declared Mother of God.
If anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the Holy Virgin is the Mother of God, inasmuch as in the flesh she bore the Word of God made flesh [as it is written, "The Word was made flesh"] let him be anathema.
Does God have a Mother and who came first, Mary or God? The obvious answer is God and he has no mother as he always existed (that is both Jesus and God the Father, see
Divinity of Jesus) and Mary is a created being. However Mary has been elevated to "Mother of God" status but what does the bible really say...
The closest we have to this expression is "mother of my Lord" (Luke 1:43) as said by Elisabeth (mother of John the Baptist) when she saw Mary. Mary recognizes herself just a few verses earlier as "handmaid of the Lord" (Luke 1:38).
In Hebrews 7:1-3 Jesus is referred to as Melchisedec the High Priest of God is "
without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life" (Hebrews 7:3) This shows Jesus having no Mother and always existing way before (in fact forever before) Mary was even created.
To conclude from such little evidence such a drastic conclusion that Mary is Mother of God is like saying David and Abraham are the "Father of God" as Jesus is Son of David and Son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1)? The scripture is clear already that God has no Mother, however let’s see it from Jesus point of view
Jesus denies his own mother when she wanted to speak to him, instead he says "
Who is my mother?" which is followed by "
Behold my mother and my brother" pointing to those whom where listening to him (Matthew 12:46-49). Then he boldly says
Matthew 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
So If I get this right, Jesus is saying any woman that does the will of the Father is his mother! This is repeated again in the other gospels (Mark 3:31-35, Luke 8:19-21)
To illustrate further, we see that Jesus does not hold his Mother in greater authority then his Father (i.e. the heavenly Father). In two cases he rebukes his Mother and in two cases he just calls her "
Woman" never is there a single verse where Jesus calls Mary "mother"! Is that not strange for a so-called "Mother of God"
- When Mary asks Jesus that they ran out of wine he calls her "Woman" and says what is that got to do with me (Luke 2:49-50)! Who calls their mother "Woman"
- When Jesus is on the cross dying he does not say "Mother I love you" but instead calls Mary again "Woman" and tells here now John is her son and similarly to John. This relationship of Mary and John is of John is looking after Mary as Mary went to John’s house. It is John looking after Mary not Mary looking after John (I stress this point as catholic’s exaggerate "Behold thy mother!" to say Mary is mother of the world) (John 19:25-27)
- When Jesus was 12 years of age he strayed from his parents. When Joseph and Mary started their journey home, after a whole day journey they noticed that he was not with them (Luke 2:41-45). It seems here that Jesus snuck off during their journey to teach in the temple. Notice also they don’t find him after 3 days (v46). Then when they do find him they rebuke him saying "Son, why have you done this to us" and he replies "Didn't you know that I would be in my Father's business?". Verse 51 is also telling that his parents had no idea what he was talking about.
This shows clearly that Jesus was not under the authority of his mother but of his heavenly Father calling Mary "
Woman" not "mother" and Mary herself recognizing she is the servant of the Lord.
God Bless, In Jesus Name
And ye shall know the truth, and
the truth shall make you free
John 8:32
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