St. Mary, Mother of God [Transferred]
Dear friends in Christ. As we have often said, there never was a “golden age” of the Church. Christ’s Church has always been a Church under trial and suffering because the devil is out to destroy her and her dear Christians. At certain times and in certain places it is by bloody persecutions; at other times or places it is by rising up false teachings. Sometimes it is both—a two front war. After three centuries of on and off again, sometimes localized and sometimes empire wide persecutions, Christianity became a tolerated, and then, official religion of the Roman Empire. But that did not usher in all kinds of outward earthly glories for the Church. Instead, the Church was rocked by various and powerful false teachers and their doctrine. Many of these false teachings dealt with the Person of Christ—who is Jesus. With Holy Scripture, we confess that Jesus is both true 100% God and true 100% Man in one Person. In the 5th Century a false teacher named Nestorius came on the scene. He basically said that there is a divine Jesus [true God] and a human Jesus [true man], but the divine and human natures of Jesus had nothing to do with each other; they are like two boards that are glued together—they are together, yes, but one board doesn’t give anything to the other board or receive anything from it. But, we, in accord with Scripture believe that there is a communion between Jesus’ divine and human natures. This means that when Jesus was hungry—not just Jesus the man was hungry but God was hungry. This means that when Jesus died on the cross, not just Jesus the Man died on the cross but God died. This means that when Jesus ascended into heaven, not only did God ascend into heaven but so did man.
So what does this have to do with what/ whom we are remembering today—St. Mary, Mother of God? Everything! Because the heretic Nestorius argued that St. Mary could not be called “The Mother of God.” And why not? –Because according to his false teaching the divine nature of Jesus had nothing to do with His human nature; so this means that Mary only bore a man/ the human nature—to be sure a man who was in a special and extraordinary sense became an abode for the Son of God—but still just a man not the God-man. And this is exactly opposite of what the holy angel Gabriel announces to St. Mary [Luke 1.35]: The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
From June to August of AD 431 the Church held a council in Ephesus which condemned this error. The decree of the council says in part: Mary brought forth, according to the flesh, the Word of God made flesh. In other words, Jesus, born of Mary, is the God-man; true God and true man in one Person. From then on, all those believing correctly called St. Mary the “Mother of God” or as we just called her in the hymn “Thou Bearer of the’ eternal Word.” Our Lutheran Confessions also very clear [F.C. Ep. VIII, 12]: So we believe, teach, and confess that Mary conceived and bore not merely a man and no more, but God’s true Son. Therefore, she also is rightly called and truly is “the Mother of God.”
It is right, then, that we remember St. Mary, Mother of God. She is part of that great cloud of witnesses [Heb. 12.1] that surrounds us, leading us and encouraging us by her life and witness—that by God’s grace we follow her and imitate her in faith and in her other virtues. She remains our Lord’s servant—for us. Our Lutheran Confessions again note [Ap. XXI, 27]: Even though [St. Mary] is worthy of the highest honors, she does not want to be put on the same level as Christ but to have her example considered and followed.
On this day that we remember St. Mary, Mother of God, the appointed Gospel introduces us to another Mary—Mary and her sister Martha. Here we see the blessing that happens when Jesus comes as a guest.
Our text begins simple enough: Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. That village is probably Bethany. It’s hard to tell from the text whether this was a planned visit or whether it was, humanly speaking, “a chance encounter.” Either way, Jesus must have been a friend of the family and was welcomed … into her house. What joy it must have been for Mary and Martha that day to have Jesus in their house! Certainly Jesus did not disappoint as when He was there, He was teaching the words of eternal life.
Today, as we remember St. Mary, our Lord’s mother, it is also good to remember that she, too, welcomed Jesus, although in a much different way. The holy angel, Gabriel, announced to St. Mary that she would be the mother of God: you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And what was St. Mary’s response after her obvious question, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” was answered? In simple, humble faith and in love for the Lord she answered: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Here, that day, the true eternal God became also true man. He took on human flesh and blood in the womb of the virgin. St. Mary welcomed Jesus not only into her house but into herself. What a great miracle of our God—He whom the entire universe cannot contain has come into the womb of the virgin and from that moment on into all eternity the eternal Son of God is also true man, born of the virgin. What a tremendous grace of God to St. Mary and to the world!
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. But we, dear Christian, are not just left on the outside looking in at St. Mary and at Mary and Martha. We, too, can welcome Jesus—not merely into our homes—but into our hearts by faith, faith the Holy Spirit works in us by His holy word and sacraments. Just like with St. Mary—God did not just “zap” her and “boom” He was in her womb. Instead, He sent His holy angel Gabriel to give her the promise that she would be the mother of God [Lk. 1.30-32]: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Through that word and through the word of the OT St. Mary had heard all her life, the Holy Spirit worked faith in her heart that said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”
The Holy Spirit, through the word and the sacrament of Holy Baptism created faith in Jesus in our hearts so that we love Him with our whole hearts and receive His holy word with a believing heart, and so welcome Jesus—through faith—into our hearts. Jesus promises [John 14.23]: If anyone loves Me, he will keep my word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. As we in Spirit worked faith welcome Jesus, He together with the Father and Spirit dwell in us.
It doesn’t stop there. But in grace upon grace, we also welcome Jesus physically into our very bodies, in our mouths in the Blessed Sacrament. As we receive the bread and wine we are also receiving Jesus’ very body and blood; as we welcome them in faith, we are receiving the most precious gifts. Jesus tells us [John 6.56], He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
We are in Jesus and He is in us. And as we recognize Jesus is also in our fellow Christians—as we see Jesus in them—as we show kindness and help them we are receiving Jesus. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
2. Jesus is a blessed guest! As we welcome Jesus we are the ones who receive great blessing. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. The Mary of our text, the sister of Martha “gets it.” She realizes what a true treasure it is to have Jesus as guest in the house. She recognizes in Spirit worked faith that Jesus brings the treasures of grace—the forgiveness of sin—and leaves behind blessing, eternal life and salvation. Just like St. Peter’s beautiful confession [John 6.68]: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Here Martha’s sister Mary recognizes exactly who is in the house. She recognizes that He is the One who gives. She recognizes the truth of Jesus words that He [Mk. 10.45]: did not come to be served, but to serve and that service ultimately showed itself in Jesus giving His life as a ransom for many. So what did Mary do? She made use of His presence in the house—she sat at His feet to hear Him, to hear the words of eternal life. By sitting at His feet, she made it absolutely clear/ certain that her business was to listen and to hear and in faith she received Jesus’ word and by this she was welcoming Jesus. By sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening she was not allowing herself to be distracted; she was not allowing anything to keep her from Jesus. And there’s a beautiful image/ picture here for us: Mary, the sister of Martha, sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. Sitting at another’s feet is a lowly position, but the more lowly one sits, the more one can receive. Here St. Augustine uses the illustration of a valley. It gets better watered because the rain rolls down the hill to the valley. So here, sitting lowly and listening diligently to Jesus’ words gives an abundance of blessings to the soul and faith. Remember: through the word God accomplishes His gracious work in us.
Here, too, we can look at the example of the Blessed Virgin. Twice St. Luke records of her [Luke 2.19; 51] first at Christmas and then when Jesus was 12: But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart; and [Jesus’] mother kept all these things in her heart. She thought about them over and over; it wasn’t just “in one ear and out the other.” We see an example in St. Mary’s Magnificat—it is full of references to the OT and the psalms in particular. St. Mary pondered the Scriptures, meditated upon them so much so that they became part of her, so ingrained in her. Hearing the word, take it to heart; don’t let it roll off you like water off a ducks back.
After the sermon, we give you a few moments to begin to ponder and apply what you have heard; continue that throughout the day and week. During the distribution of the Blessed Sacrament, ponder exactly what it is that is going on before God: see Christ here; see Him giving you His body and blood; see the blood flowing from His pierced side to you; see the angels, archangels, the saints and all the company of heaven surrounding us as we join their praise of Christ.
As a blessed guest, Jesus also calls us in His word to repentance. This too is part of sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening. Even though we love Jesus, even though He is dwelling in us by faith, we are still sinners who need to hear His voice to correct us. Martha loved Jesus and had welcomed Him into her home but had to be cleansed from sin and false notions: But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.” Jesus here reproves Martha for thinking the works and care were true worship and Mary’s listening was idleness. Hearing the word is everything; by it faith is nourished and deepened and preserved. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.
As St. Mary heard and welcomed the word, and so had Jesus growing inside nine months and became the Mother of God, so may we welcome Jesus and may our prayer continue to be Come, Lord Jesus, be our Guest in our hearts with all Your gifts and blessings you give us in your word and sacraments. INJ Amen