What did Jesus mean....

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Mark 3 Jesus' Mother and Brothers

31Then Jesus' mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. 32A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you." 33"Who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked. 34Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

I am amazing that Jesus did not instruct the people...”Here is my mother, use her to intercede on your behalf”.

He even rebuke’s them for refering them as his “mother and my brother”

But most of all Jesus say that "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother."

Is Jesus not saying that anyone who does God’s will, will be regarded as part of His family. Any mother who does God’s will, then should be held in the same level as Mary. Why does Jesus not makes a big fuss of His mother, as the catholics do of, “their blessed virgin”. Maybe because she was just a ordinary women, a sinner like you and me.

Why is Mary also then only refer to as the mother of Jesus, not the mother of God.

Come on guys...

-- nolan (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), August 16, 2004

Answers

"I am amazing that Jesus did not instruct the people...”Here is my mother, use her to intercede on your behalf"

A: It was already a universal truth of the Christianity that Christians could and should intercede on behalf of one another. Every Christian of the time knew that and did that, just as every Christian since that time has done, so there would have been no reason for Jesus to specifically mention it.

"Is Jesus not saying that anyone who does God’s will, will be regarded as part of His family."

A: Yes, that is precisely what He was saying. Therefore He was not "rebuking" anyone for mentioning His mother and disciples, but simply using "a teachable moment" to make an important point.

"Why is Mary also then only refer to as the mother of Jesus, not the mother of God."

A: If you believe that Jesus IS God (and Catholics DO believe this), then "mother of Jesus" is exactly equivalent to "mother of God". Jesus and God are one and the same. Could someone be "mother of George W. Bush", but NOT "mother of the President"??

-- Paul M. (PaulCyp@cox.net), August 16, 2004.


my question actual is, why didnt Jesus (and other apostles) , elevate Mary to the same level as the catholics do.

your example concern Bush is actually quite a good joke.

-- nolan (nolannaicker@webmail.co.za), August 16, 2004.


For Catholic the title 'Mother of God' given to Mary is actually attribute to the divinity of Jesus, who is God. Here the Catholic saw Jesus as God who has an earthly mother while the some Protestants who hates Mary so much that they fail to see the the divinity of Christ in the title 'Mother of God' Denying the Mother of God is actually denying Jesus is God.

-- Christian (christian@pd.jaring.my), August 16, 2004.

"..Why is Mary also then only refer to as the mother of Jesus, not the mother of God.

Come on guys... "

Not everyone agree to that nolan. Have a look chap:

Since denying that Mary is God’s mother implies doubt about Jesus’ divinity, it is clear why Christians (until recent times) have been unanimous in proclaiming Mary as Mother of God. The Church Fathers, of course, agreed, and the following passages witness to their lively recognition of the sacred truth and great gift of divine maternity that was bestowed upon Mary, the humble handmaid of the Lord. Irenaeus:

"The Virgin Mary, being obedient to his word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God" (Against Heresies, 5:19:1 [A.D. 189]).

Hippolytus: "[T]o all generations they [the prophets] have pictured forth the grandest subjects for contemplation and for action. Thus, too, they preached of the advent of God in the flesh to the world, his advent by the spotless and God-bearing (theotokos) Mary in the way of birth and growth, and the manner of his life and conversation with men, and his manifestation by baptism, and the new birth that was to be to all men, and the regeneration by the laver [of baptism]" (Discourse on the End of the World 1 [A.D. 217]).

Gregory the Wonderworker:

"For Luke, in the inspired Gospel narratives, delivers a testimony not to Joseph only, but also to Mary, the Mother of God, and gives this account with reference to the very family and house of David" (Four Homilies 1 [A.D. 262]).

"It is our duty to present to God, like sacrifices, all the festivals and hymnal celebrations; and first of all, [the feast of] the Annunciation to the holy Mother of God, to wit, the salutation made to her by the angel, ‘Hail, full of grace!’" (ibid., 2).

Peter of Alexandria:

"They came to the church of the most blessed Mother of God, and ever- virgin Mary, which, as we began to say, he had constructed in the western quarter, in a suburb, for a cemetery of the martyrs" (The Genuine Acts of Peter of Alexandria [A.D. 305]).

"We acknowledge the resurrection of the dead, of which Jesus Christ our Lord became the firstling; he bore a body not in appearance but in truth derived from Mary the Mother of God" (Letter to All Non- Egyptian Bishops 12 [A.D. 324]).

Methodius:

"While the old man [Simeon] was thus exultant, and rejoicing with exceeding great and holy joy, that which had before been spoken of in a figure by the prophet Isaiah, the holy Mother of God now manifestly fulfilled" (Oration on Simeon and Anna 7 [A.D. 305]).

"Hail to you forever, you virgin Mother of God, our unceasing joy, for unto you do I again return. . . . Hail, you fount of the Son’s love for man. . . . Wherefore, we pray you, the most excellent among women, who boast in the confidence of your maternal honors, that you would unceasingly keep us in remembrance. O holy Mother of God, remember us, I say, who make our boast in you, and who in august hymns celebrate your memory, which will ever live, and never fade away" (ibid., 14).

Cyril of Jerusalem: "The Father bears witness from heaven to his Son. The Holy Spirit bears witness, coming down bodily in the form of a dove. The archangel Gabriel bears witness, bringing the good tidings to Mary. The Virgin Mother of God bears witness" (Catechetical Lectures 10:19 [A.D. 350]).

Ephraim the Syrian:

"Though still a virgin she carried a child in her womb, and the handmaid and work of his wisdom became the Mother of God" (Songs of Praise 1:20 [A.D. 351]).

Athanasius:

"The Word begotten of the Father from on high, inexpressibly, inexplicably, incomprehensibly, and eternally, is he that is born in time here below of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God" (The Incarnation of the Word of God 8 [A.D. 365]).

Epiphanius of Salamis:

"Being perfect at the side of the Father and incarnate among us, not in appearance but in truth, he [the Son] reshaped man to perfection in himself from Mary the Mother of God through the Holy Spirit" (The Man Well-Anchored 75 [A.D. 374]).

Ambrose of Milan: "The first thing which kindles ardor in learning is the greatness of the teacher. What is greater than the Mother of God? What more glorious than she whom Glory Itself chose?" (The Virgins 2:2[7] [A.D. 377]).

Gregory of Nazianz: "If anyone does not agree that holy Mary is Mother of God, he is at odds with the Godhead" (Letter to Cledonius the Priest 101 [A.D. 382]).

Jerome:

"As to how a virgin became the Mother of God, he [Rufinus] has full knowledge; as to how he himself was born, he knows nothing" (Against Rufinus 2:10 [A.D. 401]).

"Do not marvel at the novelty of the thing, if a Virgin gives birth to God" (Commentaries on Isaiah 3:7:15 [A.D. 409]).

Theodore of Mopsuestia: "When, therefore, they ask, ‘Is Mary mother of man or Mother of God?’ we answer, ‘Both!’ The one by the very nature of what was done and the other by relation. Mother of man because it was a man who was in the womb of Mary and who came forth from there, and the Mother of God because God was in the man who was born" (The Incarnation 15 [A.D. 405]).

Cyril of Alexandria:

"I have been amazed that some are utterly in doubt as to whether or not the holy Virgin is able to be called the Mother of God. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how should the holy Virgin who bore him not be the Mother of God?" (Letter to the Monks of Egypt 1 [A.D. 427]).

"This expression, however, ‘the Word was made flesh’ [John 1:14], can mean nothing else but that he partook of flesh and blood like to us; he made our body his own, and came forth man from a woman, not casting off his existence as God, or his generation of God the Father, but even in taking to himself flesh remaining what he was. This the declaration of the correct faith proclaims everywhere. This was the sentiment of the holy Fathers; therefore they ventured to call the holy Virgin ‘the Mother of God,’ not as if the nature of the Word or his divinity had its beginning from the holy Virgin, but because of her was born that holy body with a rational soul, to which the Word, being personally united, is said to be born according to the flesh" (First

Letter to Nestorius [A.D. 430]).

"And since the holy Virgin corporeally brought forth God made one with flesh according to nature, for this reason we also call her Mother of God, not as if the nature of the Word had the beginning of its existence from the flesh" (Third Letter to Nestorius [A.D. 430]).

"If anyone will not confess that the Emmanuel is very God, and that therefore the holy Virgin is the Mother of God, inasmuch as in the flesh she bore the Word of God made flesh [John 1:14]: let him be anathema" (ibid.).

John Cassian:

"Now, you heretic, you say (whoever you are who deny that God was born of the Virgin), that Mary, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, cannot be called the Mother of God, but the Mother only of Christ and not of God—for no one, you say, gives birth to one older than herself. And concerning this utterly stupid argument . . . let us prove by divine testimonies both that Christ is God and that Mary is the Mother of God" (On the Incarnation of Christ Against Nestorius 2:2 [A.D. 429]).

"You cannot then help admitting that the grace comes from God. It is God, then, who has given it. But it has been given by our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore the Lord Jesus Christ is God. But if he is God, as he certainly is, then she who bore God is the Mother of God" (ibid., 2:5).

Council of Ephesus:

"We confess, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, perfect God and perfect man, of a rational soul and a body, begotten before all ages from the Father in his Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and for our salvation, born of Mary the Virgin according to his humanity, one and the same consubstantial with the Father in Godhead and consubstantial with us in humanity, for a union of two natures took place. Therefore we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. According to this understanding of the unconfused union, we confess the holy Virgin to be the Mother of God because God the Word took flesh and became man and from his very conception united to himself the temple he took from her" (Formula of Union [A.D. 431])



-- - (David@excite.com), August 16, 2004.


Why is Mary also then only refer to as the mother of Jesus, not the mother of God.

I agree with all the points everyone already made that saying the "mother of Jesus" is equivalent to saying the "mother of God" and that the term really defines Jesus' divinity. However, for those specifically looking for the term "mother of God" in the Bible, I wonder what they think Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, meant when she said the "mother of my Lord" in Luke 1?

Luk 1:41 And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.

Luk 1:42 And she cried out with a loud voice and said: Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. Luk 1:43 And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

Luk 1:44 For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Luk 1:45 And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

Luk 1:46 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord.

Isn't this the same as saying "mother of God"?

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 16, 2004.



Nolan

Did not Elizabeth say to Our Lady, "Why should I be honoured with a visit from the MOTHER OF MY LORD" ???

That to me is saying that there is more to Mary, than what meets the eye...

-- Andrew (andyhbk96@hotmail.com), August 16, 2004.


Nolan you’re certainly right when you say “I am amazing”. If I went out of my way to insult, ridicule and defame your mother, you would doubtless be very annoyed with me. I imagine Jesus feels the same about those who defame His Mother.

"Is Jesus not saying that anyone who does God’s will, will be regarded as part of His family." Yes, exactly. That's why Jesus' Mother is also the adoptive Mother of all who believe in Him. We should respect Her as such.

-- Steve (55555@aol.com), August 16, 2004.


Hi, As per Emily, I believe the answer I gave in the Rosary link, is more better. So, I paste it. Protestant brethren are strange. They say Mary is not the Mother of God, because Jesus was just a man when on earth. They say Elizabeth said "mother of my Lord" (Lk.1:43) and not God. But then who is the Lord, but God. Now Jesus himself clears this in the same gospel in Lk.20:43 in reference to a psalm of David, "Now if David calls him 'lord,' how can he be his son." Hence it is clear, he means it is more than just a man, and God. But when they say quote Rom 3:23 to make Mary a sinner, then they say they Jesus is excluded from the verse "all have sinned," because is God. In the last day, their own conscience will judge them as to how deceitful they had been in twisting scriptures, yet claiming love for the Son while kicking his Mother.

Remember, mother and child cannot be separated. Anyone who sets himself against the Woman sets against also her seed (the Christ) as evidenced in both beginning and the end of the Bible (see Gen.3:15 and Rev.12:17) and they are without doubt God's enemies. They are blind like the Jehovah Witnesses who say we love the Father, but don't want to do anything with the Son. You show respect to your sinful mother whose miserable son/daughter you are, but do have a minimum love or respect to mother of the Son of God, whose fruit is the innocent Lamb of God, God made flesh, whom God wishes to honor. Remember, the psalm of praise by Elizabeth for Mary is not said by Elizabeth, but the Holy Spirit. I doubt the Holy Spirit praises any other human being in the Bible in a similar way, but the you are above the Holy Spirit. Let your own conscience judge or excuse you on the last day, and you will have no excuse because of all knowledge and skill you have in studying the Bible more than others. So, you can see quite well if you will. Jesus said "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, 'We see,' so your sin remains

-- Leslie John (lesliemon@hotmail.com), August 16, 2004.


Can we just clarify that SOME protestants have a problem with Mary being the Mother of God and not all of us. The title is there to say something amazing about Jesus. That this little baby boy so helpless and dependent is also at the same time GOD who created all things.

-- Anglican Christian (sharon.guy@ntu.ac.uk), August 17, 2004.

That's a good point Anglican Christian. In fact, David@excite.com pointed out that most Christians up until relatively recent times accepted use of the term Mother of God for Mary. I've read some of what Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin had to say about her and I was surprised.

When we take a good look at everything Scripture tells us about Mary I think we see she truly was special in God's eyes because of her humility and faith. He didn't just randomly choose any woman.

There's all that stuff in Luke 1:

Luk 1:28 And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

Luk 1:38 And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Then there's Elizabeth's words and Mary's reply "my soul doth magnify the Lord" and her Magnificat.

Luk 2:17 And seeing, they understood of the word that had been spoken to them concerning this child.

Luk 2:18 And all that heard wondered: and at those things that were told them by the shepherds.

Luk 2:19 But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart.

And what about Simeon's prophecy? Was there ever such a prophecy uttered about anyone else like this? Anyone else with the same relationship to Jesus?

Luk 2:34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother: Behold this child is set for the fall and for the resurrection of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be contradicted.

Luk 2:35 And thy own soul a sword shall pierce, that, out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed.

This last verse seems so profound. I feel there is more there than meets the eye.

And who else was Jesus subject to in His life besides Mary and Joseph?

Luk 2:51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them. And his mother kept all these words in her heart.

And finally,

Joh 19:26 When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son.

Joh 19:27 After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

Joh 19:28 Afterwards, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said: I thirst.

Jesus made sure he did this before "all things were now accomplished."

I think that Scripture shows that Mary was/is more than just another believer. At the very least she is a perfect model for all Christians.

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 17, 2004.



Kinda worrying that some non-Catholic Christians think that Catholics don't even believe in Jesus or the elevate Mary to a level higher than Jesus. This kind of ignorance gives me a sense of deja vu (scribes and pharasees). Luckily there are many who know better. The Protestant (or maybe anglican, forgot) church Holy Trinity Brompton (who does Alpha) have invited a Catholic before to give talks.

But I still feel tempted to tell this recycled joke!!!

A Catholic goes to heaven and meets St. Peter at the gates. St. Peter welcomes him with open arms, takes down all his relevant details and explains a procedure that each person gets a room prepared for them based on how they lived their life for God.

'Room 955, down the hall' exlaims Peter.

They once again exchange embraces and bid each other temporary farewell when just before the man leaves St. Peter quickly stops him.

'Do me a favour, when you go past rooms 933,947 and 149 please keep extra quiet', he says

'Why is that?' the man asks quizically.

'Well, the Protestants lived there, and they think they're the only ones here'

I know I'm gonna get scolded for this by some, but hey it's just a joke! =)

-- Joj UU Buash (openbook@castle.net), August 17, 2004.


I heard that same joke awhile ago Joj UU Buash. When I heard it there was a big wall and it was the Catholics who thought they were the only ones in heaven. Either way, I kind of like that joke. There's a message there, I think.

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 17, 2004.

...a message for us all, whether its told from the Catholic or Protestant view. Just wanted to clarify ;)

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 17, 2004.

that's great, i totally agree that there's a message too, whether it be a Catholic, Protestant,Anglican etc. version glad you didn't take it offensively

-- Joj UU Buash (4gotit@just.now), August 18, 2004.

Not at all, I'm Catholic :)

I first heard it from a Protestant friend.

-- Andy S ("ask3332004@yahoo.com"), August 18, 2004.



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