Survivor's guilt (6 January 2005)
Note: I want this to be a series, but, it isn't going to be every week.
You'd think, as it's almost 2024 , Anti-Catholic Protestants would stop repeating the same attacks on the Virgin Mary, as they have for not as long as you'd think. They aren't particularly good arguments, either. "How can you say that Mary is the Mother of God? She's a creature!", Yes, we know this. As if somehow Catholics (and also Eastern Orthodox, who very much use the term "Theotokos, i.e., God-bearer), deny this.
But, assuming you're Christian, you believe that Jesus is God (because he is). So, when you deny Mary as the Theotokos, it comes across as deying that Jesus is God. You may argue "But Jesus is God"! Indeed, he is. But, consider the following: `
Imagine that you've brought the gospel to tribal people in an isolated jungle. You've learned their language, translated the New Testament for them, and even ministered at their church, which you helped found.
Now, imagine you're giving a sermon on Christmas morning. You mention the prophecies of the birth of Christ, and explain why. Jesus was born of a virgin. You even get into deeper theology about how how Jesus is God, and how this is still in line with monotheism.
Well pastor, you've taught your flock well.
Now, imagine this: after the Christmas service one of your flock comes up to you, and says, "Pastor, Jesus is God, correct"? And you say, in response, "correct". And then, that same member of your flock says to you, "So, Mary is his mother, correct?"
And you respond, "she is". And then again, the same person says, "So, Mary is the Mother of God"? Well then, how do you respond?
You may try to qualify the statement, but the fact of the matter is this: To a new Christian, denying that Mary is the Mother of God looks like a denial of the Trinity, or, at the very least, a denial of Christ's divinity. So, what biblical resources can be used to prove that Mary is the Mother of God? John 1:1-18 is a good place to start. It's also important to note, that John never calls Mary, well, her name. Always "The Mother of Jesus" (or some variation thereof). And the first time Jesus's mother is mentioned in John's gospel, is in John 2:1. To me, it seems like the same guy that told us that Jesus is God not too long before in the same book, would not at all take issue with calling Mary the Mother of God. I mean, what do you think "Mother of Jesus means"?
So, to recap. Jesus is God, Mary is his Mother, and since Mary is Jesus's Mother, Mary is the Mother of God. I have also heard people say that "Mary is the Mother of his human nature". Okay, so Dana (my mother) is the mother of me. This includes my nature. Dana is the mother of Charlie, not just the mother of Charlie's nature.