Part 2: The Mother of God
The Theotokos as unique and necessary to my theology
In this post, I continue my discussion with myself. Internal struggles with the modern church become a discussion in which I address the unique relationship that Mary has with God and her Son, and what I have come to appreciate about this in a barren church landscape. I see it now as a glaring omission in my life of faith, and I am starting to understand why. I take some twists and turns here, but again, this is my personal struggle—my own working out a new understanding of Mary and what was missing in my former theology.
OM (Orthodox Me): Have you given some thought to the discussion about Mary’s parents? What new pressing questions are you asking?
PM (Protestant Me): More thoughts than questions, maybe. I guess I don’t know what I don’t know. I know you said there’s no reason not to believe the story of Mary’s life, but we live in the 21st century—we don’t believe just any old story about people in the religious mythos. We are all about debunking myths and verifying things with science. However, I also notice that there seems to be a trend. You have heard of ex-vangelicals? Even with all the archeological “proof” and historical documents that supposedly align with scripture, people are dropping their faith and religion like a dirty Kleenex and you’re telling me I should be worried about the girl who gave birth to God?1
On the other hand, maybe that is exactly what I need. Could it be that people are abandoning the faith because there is something missing? There doesn’t seem to be enough evidence besides “for the Bible tells me so.” It just feels like there is no home for a Christian these days…The Protestant modus operandi is to read something in the Bible, then go start digging in Israel somewhere to find something to prove it, yet here we are talking about two thousand years of Church history that supports all of the scripture, including the verses that contain Mary’s story. There is an epidemic of Christian homelessness that sets people adrift with no spiritual parents other than guys in jeans and untuck-it shirts who look a lot like them. Church seems more like a Ted-talk than a place of worship.
OM: Where are you going with this? That seems like a strange turn of thought.
PM: I think it’s all connected. When I first walked into the Orthodox Church, I didn’t feel that way. It felt worshipful. I saw the icons of Mary and Christ, and it felt right. The presence of those icons contributed to the atmosphere of reverence there—deep reverence—and all the people respected it. They also respected and even revered the priests, who, by their very appearance are different from the laity—it’s clear they have a unique role that commands respect. The people seemed able to accept all of it—the bowing, the kissing—they venerated Mary as well as Christ—it seemed so out of character and yet so completely appropriate.
OM: Okay, Let’s think about it culturally—people from eastern cultures bow, pay homage, or even kiss each other’s cheeks (II Corinthians 13:12). When they honor someone, they use lofty, hyperbolic language that we understand to be expressions of affection and honor, not literal appropriations. When we enter the Orthodox church, we are entering a culture that is rooted in Eastern ways. The inhabitants of the world of the early Church were eastern in their expressions, their habits, and their understanding. We must not let cultural differences of expression stand in the way of experiencing something beautiful and True, but we must enter in and experience it the way it has existed for thousands of years. It is a culture of honor and deference.
So what does that have to do with Mary? Well, this is the Tradition into which she was born, lived, gave birth, and raised Jesus. She was a middle eastern woman who lived during the period of the second temple in Jerusalem. She was even raised in the temple, surrounded by priests. She was a child of Israel and was known and loved by the community that was in and about the temple. Naturally, Mary would have had a reverent posture toward the temple and the worship that occurred there. This tradition of reverence was where Mary was most at home. She knew the scriptures and knew that a Messiah was expected. Later, when the Angel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that she would bear the Son of God—that the very essence of God would overshadow her and she would be with child, this idea of God in the midst of mankind was not something shocking or unexpected, but something that was longed for and awaited. She had lived as the “handmaiden of the Lord,” and she could receive this incredible calling. In saying yes to this, she submitted to becoming the very Holy of Holies, containing God in her womb. Her whole life had been preparation for that moment. When we enter the nave of the Church, we are preparing our own hearts to receive Christ, just as she did. It demands reverence.
PM: Of course this makes perfect sense. In the account from Exodus 37-40—God is modeling his plan for the nation of Israel through the construction of the tabernacle, and later the temple in Jerusalem. He ordained the Holy of Holies to be the sacred place of the ark of the covenant and it was there that he descended and “overshadowed,” it with the cloud of His glory that filled the tabernacle, so much that even Moses couldn’t go in. The priests could not touch the ark on pain of death, it was that holy. Inside the ark were the sacred relics of their journey: the rod of Aaron that budded, a jar of manna, and the tablets of the law given at Sinai.
OM: Do you see? Mary is raised in the temple, set apart to the Lord, and when the time is right she is overshadowed by Almighty God and becomes the vessel that contains Him and brings His incarnate flesh into the world. Jesus was the rod that budded, Jesus was the bread that came down from heaven, Jesus was was the Word of God made flesh. Mary was the ark that contained all of that.
PM: Yes, I see it and I have to admit that my mind is somewhat blown.
So, at what point did all of this come together for you? At what point did you first start to grasp that Mary was more than just a regular girl?
OM: It’s something that has been growing since we first became catechumens. The thing that stands out to me and really got me thinking was something that Vladyka (Met. Jonah) said in response to a question I asked. He said, “If you’ve ever had an encounter with the living God, you know that it changes you. Now imagine you have the living God inside of your womb growing for nine months.” This was completely jarring to my imagination! Even though I am a mother and have experienced pregnancy, I could never wrap my head around what that would be like, but it awakened me to the incredible, indelible transformation that would have occurred in Mary because of it.
Let’s think about this theologically: Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word. (Luke 1:38)” With this statement she became the first Christian! She is the one who believed the angel, acted according to God’s will, and allowed herself to be utterly overshadowed with the essence of God, the very incarnate Logos of God, and to be the earthly home for Him. In so doing she modeled the posture and attitude we are to have for all of us who would look to Christ for salvation. God was present within her, but her flesh provided for Him the fleshly material that would make him a human being. Everything about his humanity was taken from her. She is His mother in every possible sense.
Taking that a step further, she is not just the mother of Christ, but of all Christians. She is OUR mother. Just writing those words makes me feel a little dizzy at the thought of it. When we turn from our sins and are baptized into Christ, receive His body and blood in communion, and are united with His body, the Church, we become ONE with Christ. (Galatians 3:27, For all who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.) Whereas Eve was the mother of all of humanity, yet humanity fell into spiritual death and separation from God, Mary is the new Eve who brings forth Christ, who destroys Death, reuniting us with God. She is the Mother of all who believe and experience new life, the body of Christ—the Church.
PM: That seems a lot. I have a hard time putting her in such a role. It seems to elevate her too high, to make her even higher than Christ. I think that is where most Protestants have trouble—they think that Mary has been elevated (particularly by Roman Catholics, because that is what they think they know) equal to or higher than Christ, or takes away from the Glory that is due Christ.
OM: Maybe you don’t get it because you’ve been steeped in this false notion that Mary is unimportant except for the incarnation, a mere link in the chain of God’s plan for salvation. You know that Adam and Eve, created in God’s image were the “crown of creation,” but mankind fell from the perfect grace they enjoyed, and thereby incurred physical death. The plan of salvation was enacted to reclaim all of fallen creation and allow man to reenter Paradise. Mary, by virtue of the fact that she is wholly purified by the presence of God dwelling in her as the ark of the new covenant is the first thing to be reclaimed by Christ. While other women played important roles in the salvation story, even Eve, Sarah, Hannah, Ruth…no one else was overshadowed and in-dwelt by the Living God. That is pretty heady stuff.
Let’s take a different angle, to put it in less esoteric terms: Was Christ’s body resurrected or only his spirit? Do you believe that Christ was bodily resurrected?
PM: Yes, of course. If I did not believe it, that would be the heresy of Docetism.
OM: Right—The body that he took from the flesh of his mother was resurrected. His glorified body which walked out of the grave still bore the marks of the wounds of his crucifixion, so we know that it was him in the flesh. As a mother, you know that you know that you know that when your children suffer, you suffer, and in some ways more. Mary was no different in this. When the infant Jesus was presented at the temple, Simeon told Mary that a “sword would pierce through her own soul, also. (Luke 2:35)” When she saw her son crucified, knowing who He was, there are no words to describe what she suffered. Then, to see him in the flesh three days later—it is impossible to imagine!
Now, consider this: Because he was sinless, he would have followed perfectly the commandment to honor his Father and his mother. His father is God. His mother is Mary. Throughout his life, his ministry, and after his resurrection and into eternity, He is her son, and his love for her is full and complete in its perfection. You have a son and you know the deep love that exists between you. Now consider that Jesus not only came forth from her and was raised by her, but He also is her creator and God. His love for her is ineffable and beyond earthly understanding, and yet as tender and wonderful as any human son can have for his mother. If Christ is perfect in honoring his mother as commanded by the Law of Moses (which He said would not pass away but be fulfilled in Him), and we understand that she is our own mother through Christ, then ask yourself this: do you think that He deems it appropriate for us to honor His mother as well? Are we not to follow after him? If he honors his mother, then I have to conclude that I must honor her as well. To be honest, I am overcome by this notion to the point of remorse, that I have missed out on this beautiful relationship for so long. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to rectify that.
So going back to where we started when we were talking about spiritual parents and Christian homelessness… In realizing these ineffable truths about Mary, I have found the mother my soul has longed for. Knowing her in this way fills a gap in my understanding of God. She was there all the time. I had been kept from seeing her somehow, but without hesitation I now honor her:
Rejoice O Virgin Theotokos, Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with Thee!
Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,
For thou hast borne the Savior of our souls.
https://orthodoxwiki.org/Protoevangelion_of_James