St. Mary, Mother of God 2021

Rev. Thomas Van Hemert

St. Mary, Mother of our Lord

St. Luke 1:39-56

August 15/19, 2021

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.

I.

Mary is perhaps the most misunderstood saint in the history of the world. She is forever linked to the Incarnation—the doctrine that Christians must believe which teaches that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity descended to earth and took on human flesh in Her womb. 

The Angel Gabriel came from heaven and appeared before Her. At his appearance, she most likely trembled and was full of fear. This is what usually happens when angels appear to men in the Bible. But Gabriel said to her, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” Mary was greatly troubled at the saying. Even She had difficulty understanding what sort of greeting this might be.

But the Lord was with her. Not only in the sense that She was a Christian and She believed in God, so the Lord was with Her in the sense that He’s with all Christians who receive Him through faith, but the Lord was physically with Her. The Virgin was with child, having been overshadowed by the Holy Spirit. In Her womb, was the Son of God. 

How would she explain this to her parents? How would she explain the situation to Her betrothed husband? It is without a doubt that at first, this scandalized many. Teenage pregnancy is still a problem, even in our day. Mothers are forced to raise their children without fathers who run off and forsake their vocation of fatherhood. So how is it that an unmarried, teenage girl can make the claim that even though She is with child, that she remains a virgin? Surely, this didn’t make sense to Her betrothed Joseph who, being a righteous man, resolved to divorce Her quietly. After all, why shouldn’t he? How does any of this make sense? Joseph could not understand.

But God works out all things for good. He sent an angel to appear to him in a dream to say to him, “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in Her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” That’s what the name “Jesus” means: He saves His people. 

II.

Now the question that the Early Church needed to address and answer was, “Who exactly is this Jesus?” Controversy and heresy was rife in the early centuries of the Church at large. Was the person of Jesus Christ only a man? Was He only God who appeared in the image of a man? Or was He both God and man in one person? Of course, St. Mary, in all her innocence, was thrown back into the controversy. Those who proclaimed that Jesus Christ was not God but only a man gave Mary the title, “Mother of Christ.” Ah, see their claim was that they believed the same things as Christians, such as that Jesus was still the Christ. But even though they called Him “Christ,” they were able to avoid the fact that Jesus was also true God, begotten of His Father from eternity. Even today, some “religious groups” who call themselves “Christians” make this same claim. Mormons—those who are of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—and Jehovah’s Witnesses make these claims! They disguise themselves as Christians! Even Muslims are able to say “Jesus is the Christ.” Be careful when speaking to these people. Be on the lookout. Be vigilant! Because these sorts of teachers are the epitome of wolves in sheep clothing. Because a wolf in a sheep’s clothing appears to be something that He is not. Mormons, those who practice the religion of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims are not Christians.

Those on the other side of the Christological controversy, those faithful theologians who taught Christian doctrine in its truth and purity, bestowed upon St. Mary the title, “Mother of God.” After all, this is what we confess in the Nicene Creed. Jesus is the only-begotten Son of God. He is begotten of His Father before all worlds, that is, from eternity. There was never a time when the Second Person of the Trinity did not exist. Jesus is God of God, He’s Light of Light, He’s very God of very God. He is begotten of His Father, He is not made or created. He is of the same substance and essence of His Father. Who, for us men, for us sinners, so that we might be saved eternally, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and He was made man. This is a great mystery of our faith. How can it happen? How did it happen? We don’t know. But it did. All things are possible with God. 

Jesus is of the same substance of His Father, God the Father. Thus, Jesus is God. But He is also of the same substance of His earthly Mother. Jesus is also a man. So it is appropriate, and also necessary, that since we believe in the Incarnation, we also bestow the same title upon St. Mary, “Mary, Mother of God.” She gave birth not to a mere human being, but God in our flesh, the Godman Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, who suffered and was buried, who on the third day rose form the dead, according to what all of Holy Scripture teaches. Who ascended into heaven and now sits at the right hand of His Father and who will come again to judge the living and the dead. He, Jesus, for us men and for our salvation accomplished this. But to do this, He had to first be born of the Virgin Mary. She is the Mother of God.

III.

But even though the title “Mary, Mother of God” prevailed in the Church at large as is right and true, controversy and misunderstanding did not end there. Later in the history of the Church, the question became, “How is one to regard Mary?” Some Christians worship Her, even today, and venerate Her almost to the degree of Christ Himself. Should we worship Mary as God? No. We shouldn’t. Should we pray to Mary as we pray to Christ in the Lord’s Prayer? No. We shouldn’t. But should we go so far in the opposite direction and write Her off as someone who is unimportant? No. We shouldn’t. Christian can learn much from the saints, especially St. Mary. We remember various saints throughout the Church Year so that we might learn to follow the example of their faith and good works, according to our calling and vocation.

We would do well to learn about St. Mary and how to regard Her and honor Her. To be sure, we don’t worship Her as we worship God, such as when we offer Him prayer and supplications. For Mary is a mere woman, a mere human being. But whether it may seem uncomfortable for us Lutherans, whether we want to admit it or not, St. Mary is blessed above all women. This is what Elizabeth says about Mary in the Gospel reading. And we give God thanks and praise for Her steadfast and faithful example in the face of certain hardship, injustice, and catastrophe.

She submitted Herself to the Word of God spoken by the angel Gabriel when he gave Her the news that She would be with child and would act as an instrument in God’s plan for salvation, “To Me be as it pleases God,” She said.

Of Her, Immanuel, the Christ was born. Mary was given the highest honor in the history of mankind. She is a saintly example, not only for all mothers, not only for all women, which She is, but for all Christians. But even if She continues to be misunderstood in by those of us who live on this side of glory, at least She is rightly exalted and understood in heaven, just as are all the other saints and Christians who have passed on ahead of us in the faith.

Her Son is Jesus. He saves His people. He was born on Christmas. As the priest Simeon prophesied in the Temple, Mary’s child, whose name is Jesus, would be appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel. And though a sword would pierce Mary’s soul as well at the death of Her Son, she would not try to stop Him from going to His sacrificial death as had some of the Disciples. Peter would attempt to keep Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. Later, Peter would be met with the rebuke of Jesus, “Get behind Me, Satan,” when he pleaded with Jesus not to go to forgo the cross in order to save Himself. But not Mary. She knew Her Son’s purpose. For even She needed a Savior. Filled with the Holy Spirit, She sang the greatest hymn of praise recorded for us in Holy Scripture,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,

for he has looked upon the humble estate of his servant.

For behold, from now on, all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm;

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

During those last few weeks of Her Son’s life, She did not try to step in between Jesus and His purpose. She suffered tremendously and most likely in complete silence. And if this is the case, no one in the history of mankind could imagine the suffering that She Herself experienced seeing Her own Son lifted up and nailed to the cross. But so also, no one can imagine Her joy when she came face to face with her Son and Her Lord once more after His resurrection.

To her alone was given the greatest single honor in the history of mankind. Though there is no one among men, even if he had a thousand tongues and even if he had a thousand voices, who can speak such fitting praise and reverence of the life of the Mother of God, nor could all the united tongues of all men throughout the world praise Her with fitting praise. Nevertheless, it is good that we try. It is meet, right, and salutary that we think and speak rightly of St. Mary.

For to think rightly of St. Mary is to rightly understand also our Savior’s work in the redemption of the world. God uses what is weak and lowly, what doesn’t make sense to our minds, to bring forth salvation for the world. Thus, He was born of lowly and poor estate and was placed in a feeding trough for animals. He chose a young, unmarried, teenage girl to be His Mother and to take on human flesh that She gave to Him. This is one of the greatest mysteries of our Christian faith. For this mystery, we thank and praise God who does all things well. For the Son of Mary is God’s Son. And His name is Jesus, for He saves His people.

In +Jesus’ name.