December 2002

Christ:
The Landscape of Life

Part Forty-eight

“LO and BEHOLD”

“Guarding our garments” (M)

               Our last two sharings observed that NAMES REVEAL PEOPLE’S CHARACTER! This fact is confirmed when you look up the word, “name”, in the Dict., in Heb 8034 & Gk 3686. This is best verified in Gk 2424 &5547 which reveal the Name- and Nature- of Jesus Christ to be “Anointed Savior”! But then we discovered an unexpected revelation in the name- and nature- of MARY, the mother of Jesus, which Heb 4813 defines as: “MOST REBELLIOUS, GRIEVOUS, UNPLEASANT, PROVOKING, DISOBEDIENT, BITTER!” What a contrast to the traditional image of the young virgin chosen to birth the Son of God!! But Scripture offers no description of Mary’s nature besides her own words in the beautiful Magnificat, “God, my Savior...has regarded the *LOW ESTATE of his handmaiden; so all future generations will call me blessed!” (Lk 1:48)

*Gk 5014 defines low estate as: “DEPRESSION (in rank or feeling), MADE LOW, CAST DOWN, VILE, and **HUMILIATION!!”

**This reference is used regarding the Savior of the world in Ac 8:33-34, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb is mute before his shearer, so He did not open His mouth. In His HUMILIATION, His Judgment was taken away...!”

               The above root for “low estate” is derived from Gk 5011, and gives the additional meaning; “Base (or abased)”, used once in 2 Cor 10:1, “I, Paul, myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ; though I am base (or abased) when I am with you; I am bold toward you when absent from you!” Should anyone have a problem hearing Mary described in such terms, these two profound examples validate her “low estate” as God-ordained! Mary was a girl of flesh and so included in Ro 3:23 that says, “All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God!” This may sound heretical to those whose religious traditions have errantly deified this lowly Jewess; but of a truth Mary was a human being like us all, with the same carnal mind which is “DEATH!” (Ro 8:6)! Scripture doesn’t cite specific incidents in Mary’s life that show a most rebellious, bitter, unpleasant, or disobedient attitude, thus suggesting that God wants her to be remembered chiefly as the blessed vessel through whom His Son came into the world!
                Mary was not exempt from sin; she needed the salvation Jesus came to bring the world! Her maternal relationship to Him is redefined 5 times: 1) In Lk 2:49, she and Joseph find their “lost” son in the temple teaching the high priests, Who exhorts them, “Why were you looking for Me? Didn’t you know I must be about My Father’s Business? But they didn’t understand His Words... still his mother kept all these sayings in her heart!” 2) In Jn 2:1-4, at the marriage feast in Cana, Jesus withdraws Himself from Mary’s earthly authority, “*Woman, what have I to do with you?” [*Gk 1135 used here is translated throughout the NT as “wife”. Jesus uses this term of address to establish His relationship to Mary as the Maker/Husband in Isa 54:5.] 3) In Jn 2:12; Mt 12:46-50,
                at a public gathering in Capernaum, Mary (with her offspring by Joseph) seeks a private audience with Jesus, but He repeals the privilege and authority once afforded her relationship to Him, saying, “Who is My mother? Who are My brethren? Then He extended His hand toward His disciples saying, ‘Behold, My mother and My brethren! For whoever does the Will of My heavenly Father, is My brother, sister and mother!” 4) In Jn 9:25-27, near the end of Jesus’ crucifixion and almost with His last breath, He made final arrangements for His mother’s continued care [as Jas 1:27 says, “Pure, undefiled religion to Father God is to visit the fatherless and widows- (with Joseph dead, Mary was now a widow) and keeping Himself unspotted from the world!” Therefore “When Jesus saw His mother standing beside the disciple He loved, He said to His mother, ‘Woman, behold your son! Then He said to (John), Behold your mother! From that hour, he took her as his own.” 5) In Ac 1:14-15; 2:1-4, Mary awaited Pentecost expectantly in the upper room with 120 disciples! She heard the “sound from heaven of a rushing, mighty wind filling the house...as cloven tongues of fire appeared; rested on, and filled them all with the Holy Spirit; then they began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance!” Now Mary- and the other disciples- knew the everlasting blessing of a spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom of every soul! And that same blessing awaits each God-created man, woman and child! Hallelujah!

[TO BE CONTINUED]