by David Snyder

Created on: March 03, 2009

When I think of the claim of Mary's divinity, I automatically think about the life of Jesus and where his earthly mother was during his ministry. It was Mary who told the servants at the wedding feast to do whatever Jesus told them to do (water into wine), it was Mary that cared for Jesus while he was still an infant, while he was in the Temple teaching, while he healed the masses, while he was dying on the cross.

However, like in any argument, it is always good to listen to the other side before making your conclusion. Here are a few points that assisted me in switching my opinion on The Virgin Mary's divinity:

Virginity:
We know that Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus, however we also know that Jesus had a few step-brothers walking around, following him in his ministry. Mary did not remain a virgin forever, as the word shows that Joseph waited until after the birth of Jesus to have relations with her. This marks Mary as a regular woman upon her consummation of her marriage.

Holy Mother of God:
This is an interesting concept: God having a maternal figure... someone to nurture him and to give instruction. In the word, Jesus declares that he and the Father are one and the same (John 10:30), mentioning nothing of the mother.

Then, we see Jesus teaching the disciples while a messenger runs over to Jesus, declaring that his mother is waiting to talk with him (Matthew 12:46). If Mary was divine, Jesus would have rushed over to meet with her. Instead, Jesus immediately turned around and stated that it was those who do the father's will who are his brothers, mother and sisters. This statement does not raise a standard that only Mary could have met in order to be in God's family, but in fact opened it up to all who love him. Mother, brother, sister... all are close family members in the Father's house, and according to this, we are all invited.

Divinity:
Divinity automatically denotes an all knowing being, with wisdom and god-like power. This is not the case with Mary, even though her life is a true inspiration to all of us. In Matthew 12, we see that Mary takes some of Jesus' step-brothers on a trip to meet with Jesus. Some trusted theologians often agree that this meeting was to try to save him from the people, thinking that Jesus' ministry was starting to get to him. This question in Mary's mind offered a glimpse into her humanity, placing her in the same realm as any of us.

These are my thoughts on the blessed Mary. Her life offers an incredible image of servanthood and sacrifice, but when it comes to being the Mother of God, Jesus states clearly that his brother, sister and mother are those who do the will of the Father... opening the invitation to everyone who desires.

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