CLEARING UP THE MYTHS ABOUT MARY

Text- Luke 1:26-56

Introduction

A small boy was writing a letter to God about the Christmas presents he badly wanted. "I’ve been good for six months now," he wrote. But after a moment’s reflection he crossed out "six months" and wrote "three". After a pause, that was crossed out and he put "two weeks". There was another pause, and that was crossed out too. He got up from the table and went over to the little crib scene that had the figures of Mary and Joseph. He picked up the figure of Mary and went back to his writing and started again: "Dear God, if ever you want to see your mother again…!"

This morning I would like to speak to you on the subject of Mary, the mother of Jesus, our text is found in Luke 1:26-56.

Today within the religious world there are many different ideas and teachings that are being presented about Mary.

As most of you know, I was born and raised a catholic and was a practicing catholic until I was about 20 years old.  During my years as a Catholic I was baptized as an infant, went to catechism, observed confirmation, became an alter boy, went to Sunday school and mass on Sunday and confession on Saturday.  I learned each prayer I was supposed to say for whatever sin I had committed and faithfully did my penance.

As a boy I never questioned why I did these things, but as I grew older and began to see the differences between the Catholic church and other churches I began asking questions.

The culmination of my questions resulted in the most important decision I have ever made in my life.  That decision was to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior and be baptized.  Thus I severed all participation with and relationship to the Catholic church.  This does not mean that I hate Catholics, but simply that I do not agree with their teachings.

It was after I left the Catholic church that I really began to fully understand what it meant to be a Catholic and the full meaning of their doctrines.  One of these doctrines has to do with what Catholics call the doctrine of “The Blessed Virgin Mary”.  Much of this teaching is derived from the following account of the birth of Jesus.

Luke 1:26-37 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.  28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."   29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.  30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,  33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."    34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"   35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  37 For nothing is impossible with God."  (NIV)

Mary was afraid because of the angel who appeared to her and trouble by the announcement he made.. She was told that she was “highly favored” in verse 28.  And in verse 31 that she was going to give birth to the Son of God.  Then in verse 34 she asks the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

Those three facts about Mary--that she was afraid, troubled and that she questioned the angel--tell us she was a person like us, with normal concerns.  What is to follow in Luke 1:39-55 is what many refer to as “Mary’s Song” or “The Magnificat of Mary.”

This morning I would like to clear up six myths concerning Mary and help you understand what the Bible says about her.