The Radiant Mission
The Radiant Mission
136. Who Is Mary?
Who was Mary, really? Beyond the nativity scenes and religious artwork, Scripture paints a portrait of an extraordinary yet fully human woman whose lineage, faith, and humility made her the perfect vessel for God's greatest gift to humanity.
This thought-provoking episode tackles one of Christianity's most debated topics: Mary's proper role in faith practice. We explore her direct descent from King David's royal line, fulfilling ancient prophecies about the Messiah's lineage. Through careful examination of both Matthew and Luke's genealogies, we uncover how Jesus' connection to David was secured both legally (through Joseph) and biologically (through Mary) – a divine orchestration centuries in the making.
Why did God choose this particular young woman from Nazareth? The answer lies not in perfection but in her remarkable willingness to surrender completely to God's plan despite facing potential shame and hardship. Her response – "I am the Lord's servant" – models the very faith we're all called to embody. Yet Scripture also reveals Mary's own acknowledgment of needing salvation, challenging traditions that elevate her beyond humanity.
The episode delicately addresses the theological tension between Catholic and Protestant perspectives, particularly regarding prayer and intercession. By returning to Scripture's clear teaching that "there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5), we find solid ground for honoring Mary's extraordinary example without directing worship or prayers toward her. Join us for this balanced, scripture-centered exploration that will deepen your understanding of Mary's significant yet properly contextualized role in Christianity. Share your thoughts with us on social media – we'd love to continue this important conversation together.
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The hey everyone and welcome back to the Radiant Mission Podcast. I'm your host, rebecca Toomey, and we are diving right back in to our Coffee Talk series where we are tackling deep faith questions in a short, thought-provoking format. So today's topic who is Mary and what role does she play in Christianity and how should believers view her? This is a hot topic right now, especially within Protestant and Catholic communities. So I'm just going to address what the scripture says about Mary. We're going to start there. Who was Mary?
Speaker 1:According to scripture, mary was the mother of Jesus and she, of course, is one of the most well-known women in the Bible. She was chosen by God for a unique and holy purpose, and that was to give birth to the Savior of the world. It's a pretty big deal, right? Mary's lineage is a fulfillment of prophecy. Lineage is a fulfillment of prophecy. She was from the tribe of Judah and is a direct descendant of King David, which fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would come from David's lineage. In Jeremiah 23, 5, it says the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up.
Speaker 1:Mary's genealogy is significant to me because it really establishes Jesus' rightful place as the messianic king through her bloodline. And now there takes two to kind of talk through this right, because we also have Joseph and there are two genealogies of Jesus. In the New Testament we are provided these two genealogies Matthew 1, verses 1 through 16, traces Jesus' lineage through Joseph, who is his earthly father, establishing his legal right to the throne of David. And then in Luke 3, verses 23-38, it is widely understood to trace Mary's lineage, which confirms Jesus' biological connection to David through her bloodline. So very interesting connection to David in both of these areas. Now, matthew's genealogy focuses on the royal line of succession. This shows that Jesus, as Joseph's legal son, had a rightful claim to David's throne. Luke's genealogy, however, likely represents Mary's ancestry and that shows that Jesus was a physical descendant of David through her. So we kind of have both of these legal versus physical. Either way physical, either way Jesus was a descendant of David, as was Mary. So let's talk a little bit too.
Speaker 1:There's some more connections here to be made, and there is a connection to not just David but Abraham, who are both key figures in biblical history, who are both key figures in biblical history. So God's promise to Abraham was that Jesus would come from Abraham's line to bless all nations, and we are told this in Genesis 12, verse 3, and then again in Galatians, 3, verse 16. God's covenant to David we are told that the Messiah would be a descendant of David and rule forever, and you can find more on that in 2 Samuel 7, verses 12 through 13, and in Isaiah 9, 13. So Jesus fulfilled both of these promises and affirmed that he is the long awaited king and redeemer. But let's get back to Mary.
Speaker 1:Miss Mary, why did God choose Mary? There's a lot of women in the world, a lot of women to choose from, but God chose Mary. According to some of the digging that I've done and this is somewhat of an opinion right, god's selection of Mary was not random. She was chosen for her humility, her obedience and faith. While she was a young, ordinary Jewish girl from Nazareth. We are shown that her heart was devoted to God. In Luke 1, verse 48, it says for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on, all generations will call me blessed. And so let's talk about a few of the reasons why I personally feel that he chose Mary, the first being that she had a heart devoted to God and she was found highly favored Luke 1, verse 28,.
Speaker 1:She had a willing spirit, she accepted God's calling without hesitation. That's found in Luke 1, verse 38. It's a fulfillment of prophecy. She was from David's line, as foretold in scripture. And, lastly, she was a model of obedience. She really trusted God's plan despite uncertainty.
Speaker 1:Mary's selection really was not about her own perfection, but it was about God's divine plan to use an obedient and faithful servant for his greatest mission. And Mary was from the line of King David, which fulfilled Old Testament prophecy that the Messiah would come from David's lineage. In Luke 1, verses 28 through 30, it says the angel went to her and said greetings, you, who are highly favored. The Lord is with you. Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her do not be afraid, mary, you have found favor with God. Her obedience, her faith in accepting this calling, is really, and should be, an example to all of us. I know it's an example to me on how, when he calls us and we move, that, amazing things happen.
Speaker 1:So now let's talk about what I feel is really important in this conversation about Mary. We've established that she is a wonderful, god-fearing, god-loving, obedient woman. And what's next? Honoring Mary versus worshiping Mary? This is something that, throughout history, different Christian traditions have viewed Mary in different ways, right? Some honor her as a faithful servant of God, which I feel many Protestant denominations do. Others elevate her to a position of worship, praying to her or asking for intercession. And this is what I really want to talk about. And, please, if you are listening and you are Catholic or come from a Catholic background, this is not me bashing you or anything that you believe, but I would like you to open up your mind today to just have this conversation, to just let's talk about what the Bible says about Mary versus what we may have, may believe based on what we've been told by people. Right? This is where we really want to take a look at this conversation, or where I'd like to go with it.
Speaker 1:In Exodus 20, verses three through five, we are told you shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them. That's first things first. We are not to make idols out of anything or anyone who is not god. So why do some pray to mary? That's the next question.
Speaker 1:Certain christian traditions, like with catholicism, teach that mary can intercede on behalf of believers. However, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus alone is our mediator In 1 Timothy 2.5, for there is one God and one mediator between God, the man, christ Jesus. Nowhere in scripture does it instruct believers to pray to Mary, and while she is blessed and favored by God, she is not divine and our worship should be reserved for God alone. That is the biggest piece here. As I have dug into this topic and potential reasonings, all of what I have found about praying to Mary in the intercession comes from man and it does not come from the scripture instructing us to do so.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about Mary's humility in her own need for a savior, because she is human, just like us. Even Mary recognized that she needed a savior, just like each of us, all of us In Luke 1, verses 46 through 47, and Mary said my soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior. If Mary needed a Savior, then she was not without sin, and this directly challenges the belief that she was sinless, as some believe, or that she could act as a co-redeemer. So, all of this said, what can we learn from Mary? Even though we don't worship Mary, we can learn from her faith and her as an example, and her as an example. She displayed obedience and a willingness to trust God's plan, as in Luke 1.38. She had extreme and tremendous faith and believed the angel's message despite her fear, as in Luke 1.45. She had tremendous humility and recognized God's power, not her own Luke 1, 46 through 47. She was a godly woman, not a goddess, and we can honor her without elevating her to a place that she was never meant to hold, a place that Jesus Christ holds for us.
Speaker 1:So, as you're sipping your coffee or tea today, take a moment to reflect. I've got some questions to think on today. How has Mary's faith inspired you? Do you believe that she should be prayed to, or does scripture point us to Jesus alone? And how can you trust God the way that Mary did? As we wrap up today, I'd like to hear from you. Please join the conversation If you have thoughts on this comments. Want to talk further on Mary? Find me on Instagram at the Radiant Mission, or on Facebook at the Radiant Mission Podcast. And then this series.
Speaker 1:I've been doing something kind of special on the YouTube version of this video, which you can find by searching for my name, rebecca Toomey. I've actually been adding visuals, some visual captions and the Bible verses as visuals, so if you want to check that out, please do. And then, of course, we would love to have your support. Please help keep the Radiant Mission podcast going. Consider becoming a monthly member or refer this to someone who might want to be a sponsor of the show. That would be awesome. Head to the show notes for more details on all of this. And today I'm going to close with 1 Timothy 2.5, as mentioned before, for there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Jesus Christ. I'm wishing you a radiant week and I'll see you next time. Bye, everyone.
