Does God Have a Mother?

AS THE ambulance bore him swiftly to Gemelli Hospital, Rome, “John Paul, bleeding profusely, softly murmured ‘Madonna, Madonna’ in Polish.” So read a news report of the attempt by a Turkish gunman to assassinate Pope John Paul II in May 1981.

By appealing to Mary in a terrible crisis, the pope highlighted the veneration that is directed to the divinely chosen, highly privileged woman who gave birth to Jesus and who is often called Mother of God. This reverence for Mary is very widespread and takes many different forms, which makes people wonder, ‘How did it develop?’

Nearly 2,000 years ago, Mary, a young virgin woman living in Nazareth of Galilee, had a sublime experience: a heavenly messenger told her that she was to bear a son whom she was to call Jesus. Mary asked how that could be since she was a virgin. “‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.’”​—Luke 1:26-36, The Jerusalem Bible.

Thirty years later that “Son of God” conducted a dynamic preaching campaign and formed the Christian congregation. During the next few centuries Christianity went through great tribulations and also transformations. In time it became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Differences of opinion also developed, including one relating to Christ: Was he God the Son or the Son of God?

The Roman Emperor Constantine, a professed but unbaptized Christian, called a special council of bishops of the Church at Nicea in the year 325 to consider the question. As a result, the doctrine of the Trinity became official dogma defining Jesus as coequal, coeternal and “of one substance” with God. However, in the original Nicene Creed formulated at that Council no mention was made of the virgin Mary.

Since Jesus had been officially proclaimed “God,” the next logical step, from the viewpoint of the Church, was to proclaim Mary “Mother of God.” This was done in 431 at the Council of Ephesus where she was defined as “Theotokos,” meaning “God-bearer,” or “God’s mother.” However, it took centuries before the cult of Marya became really widespread. Dr. F. Van Der Meer, in his book Augustine the Bishop, shows that in Augustine’s day (fifth century), and in the area of North Africa, “Mary . . . had no place in popular devotion.” Nevertheless, by about the year 1000 the cult of Mary was popular throughout Europe, many churches being named after her, such as the famous Notre Dame (Our Lady) of Paris.

In 1854 the doctrine of the “Immaculate Conception” became dogma, ruling that Mary was free from sin from the moment of conception. In 1950 the belief that Mary was taken bodily to heaven (the Bodily Assumption) was defined by Pope Pius XII. All of this was very gratifying to the Marian movement or those especially devoted to the cult of Mary.

Wrote Catholic author Zsolt Aradi in his book Shrines to Our Lady Around the World: “Mary watches over the nations . . . from magnificent cathedrals and small road shrines; from the tops of mountains and the shores of the ocean . . . The veneration of Mary . . . has become part of the landscape. Thousands of churches mainly Catholic and Orthodox, but Protestant also, are called Mary’s or St. Mary’s.”

In Saragossa, Spain, there is a famous image of Mary known as La Virgen del Pilar (The Virgin of the Pillar). A local legend has it that Mary was transported by angels from Jerusalem to Saragossa, met James the apostle there and left behind “a small column of jasper upon which there was placed a beautiful small statue of herself.” Says the book Shrines to Our Lady Around the World: “The sentiment of the Saragossans toward their beloved Virgen del Pilar . . . is interwoven with their patriotism, with their nationality, . . . they acclaim her as the leader of their nation.”

In South America, in 1930, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay recognized a local image, our Lady of Lujan, as their protectress. Adds Aradi: “Recently the Argentine Army chose the Virgin of Lujan as its patroness. And according to an old custom a regiment of the army was dedicated to her services. This regiment becomes her ‘property’ and the members of the regiment call her ‘La generala del Lujan’ [The lady general of Lujan].”

A national leader, a military commander, co-redemptrix of mankind, mother of all men, mediatrix of all graces, queen of all creation, mother of God, queen of heaven​—all these titles and honors are attributed to Mary. As a result, many thinking Catholics are seriously wondering if all of this is not going too far. Wrote an associate professor of theology at Princeton Seminary: “Our violations of Mary are legion. . . . We have made her the Queen of Heaven.”

But What Does the Bible Say?

Sincere students of the Bible have great respect and warm love for Mary as a faithful servant of God, chosen by him to play a vital role as mother of the Messiah. They deeply appreciate her example as a humble, devoted follower of Jesus Christ. But they do not regard her as the mother of God. Why not? Simply because God’s Word never refers to Mary as “mother of God.”

Note the example that Jesus himself set in addressing his mother at the marriage feast of Cana. The account reads: “And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine. And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee?” (John 2:3, 4, Douay) Once when he was speaking in public, a certain woman in the crowd said to him: “Happy the womb that bore you and the breasts you sucked!”​—obviously a fine opportunity to pay special honor to his mother. But, instead, Jesus said: “Still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:27, 28, JB) Just before he died Jesus spoke to his mother and his beloved disciple John and said: “Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother.”​—John 19:26, 27, Dy.

To sincere Christians these references to Mary in the Bible teach plainly that Jesus took great care not to show special honor to his mother or to allow their relationship to influence him. The apostles followed his example. Let us now examine the crucial question . . .

Is Jesus God?

Again let God’s Word clarify the matter. When the angel announced Jesus’ birth to Mary, he said: “The Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35, Dy) Jesus never claimed to be God. However, the Jews accused him of making himself God, but he corrected them and said: “I am the Son of God.”​—John 10:33-36, Dy.

Just before he died Jesus cried out: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, Dy) After his resurrection he said: “I ascend to my Father and to your Father, to my God and your God.” (John 20:17, Dy) On another occasion he said: “The Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28, Dy) Obviously God, Jehovah (or, Yahweh), does not need to pray to anyone. But Jesus prayed often to his Father in heaven, at times “with a strong cry and tears . . . And whereas indeed he was the Son of God, he learned obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Hebrews 5:7, 8, Dy) Almighty God, the Father, could never die. But our hope of salvation rests on the fact that Jesus did die.

For these and many other very cogent reasons, true Christians maintain that Jesus is not God, but, rather, his Son, and therefore that Mary is not the “Mother of God.” Moreover, Jesus once said: “God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24, JB) On the other hand, the cult of Mary has diverted the devotion and worship of millions of sincere people from the Creator to a creature. This is tragic in view of the Bible’s condemnation of those “who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator.”​—Romans 1:25, Dy.

Lech Walesa, the popular Polish leader, is reported to have said, when under heavy strain: “No, no. I’m not scared. I always have Mother Mary behind me.” But is he looking to the true source of protection? Students of the Bible, when under stress, will follow this inspired counsel: “Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus.”​—Philippians 4:6, 7.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 23]

Virgen del Pilar