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Mother Mary the Warrior Queen
How the Magnificat changed my view of her
For the Advent Season, my Bible study group is reading a 4-week study by Dr. Amy Jill Levine, who is an orthodox Jewish divinity scholar. Today’s study focused on Mary, the mother of Christ.
One of the questions asked — what do we know about the character of Mary?
We talked about how innocent she was, and good. How faithful, and humble. I said that she was a woman of courage.
In her culture, a woman found pregnant outside of wedlock would be stoned. Yet when the angel Gabriel goes to her and tells her she will become pregnant, she only asks how it will be possible, for she is a virgin. She then tells the angel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word be fulfilled.” In that moment, her faith and courage exceed that of many men to whom the angels had appeared throughout the Bible.
She then goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth. The book of Luke has already told us about this woman, who had been married for many years to Zachariah, yet was barren. Now, in her old age, she is with child, and 6 months pregnant when Mary enters her house and greets her.
At Mary’s greeting, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leaps for joy. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and proclaims, “Blessed are you among women and…
