Just human

by Renae Richardson

Created on: April 04, 2009   Last Updated: April 06, 2009

The root of the word divinity is literally 'Godlike'(from the Latin 'Deus) or refers to some transcendent or transcendental power, or its attributes, or manifestations in the world (Wikipedia, 2009, n.p.).

Was Mary the Mother of Jesus divine or human?

When we are first introduced to Mary we know nothing of her childhood or of her lineage. She is simply introduced as a young girl who is engaged to be married. It is sometime later before we are given a glimpse into her pedigree. It is after her holy encounter that we learn that she is the cousin of Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist. I am assured that the reason for this introduction is not to establish her bloodline but to establish the supernatural nature of Jesus birth and His relationship to John the Baptist. This factoid also serves to establish Mary's humanness Because of this fact we know that Mary had grandparents, parents, and cousins, for Elizabeth is identified as one of them. We know that her birth was not an immaculate conception. There is nothing unique about her that would serve to separate her from any other young girls her age. She wasn't a royal or a vagabond and there is no documentation of any act that was performed by this young maiden that would earn her a place in anybody's hall of fame She was simply a plain girl who pleased God.

To answer the question was Mary human?

Assuredly yes.

Was Mary divine?

The word divine refers to someone with transcendental power or attributes or in simpler terms to be God-like.

Here are reasons why she can not be divine.

Reason 1:

To transcend something is to go beyond it. When we speak of Mary being divine we speak of a nature that transcends or goes beyond that of human possibility. Did Mary truly possess a nature that transcended that of normal human behavior?

Let's see

Her initial reaction was human.

At the time of visitation Mary displayed one of the purest human emotions known to men, fear. Her fear was not one of terror but it was one of surprise or shock. She was a witness to an event that was out of the norm. She was a witness to an extraordinary event. She responded with a human reaction.

The spirit of her acceptance was not abnormal (extraordinary).

We often attribute her acceptance of her role as divine, but such a reaction is birthed out of a spirit of servitude. We see the same reaction in others throughout the bible that was chosen to carry out God given task. Queen Esther, Deborah, Joshua, and John the Baptist are a few of such individuals yet we do not refer to them as divine.

Reason 2:

One can not be both human and divine. Humanity is flawed and ultimately fallible. There is only one who is infallible and that is God. Jesus said himself that "none is good but the Father", for even he recognized the inability for humans to live in a perfect state. When God took the form of man he became imperfect by nature. His humanity allowed Him to identify with the human condition. Therefore, Mary could not be divine for she is fully human. She does demonstrate Christian principles for living but she is not like God. Only the Son is divine or has true divinity for He is God-man.

How can we look at Mary?

Mary was a human that had a holy experience. She was chosen. She was not chosen because she was blessed, but blessed because she was chosen.

Mary was part of God's master plan all along. God picked her long before she was a babe in her mother's womb. She did not qualify for the job God made the job for her.

She found favor with the Lord. God smiled upon her. God loves to bless those who love Him. He used her, and God's calling upon her life is what sets her apart; essentially she has transcended nothing.

Many people worship her life and her image because it was her womb through which the savior came. What about giving credit to the giver. She was merely the conduit for God to display His power. When is it that we praise the vessel and not the potter? We must realize that God could have chosen to use anyone.

There are several instances in which God has used people and animals to do His will but that did not define them as divine but only as servants who were willing to be used. A donkey spoke but it was not divine. A man was born blind so that his healing would demonstrate God' power. Lazarus was chosen for a similar task. All of these people were chosen of God. Only one girl would be chosen to birth the Messiah and that was Mary. That does not make her divine, but demonstrates God's omnipotence, His ability to work the supernatural in the lives of the natural.

Conclusion

Mary was a woman (human by nature) given the opportunity to experience the supernatural and she said yes. As we follow Mary throughout her life we know that there is nothing else truly extraordinary. She had several more children. She continued in her role as wife and mother. There are no miracles attributed to her. There is just that one event. That one event blessed her for the rest of her life. Everyday for 30+ years, she was given the opportunity to behold the natural face of our Savior. That is blessed, not divine.

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