Mary was blessed by God to give human birth to Jesus Christ. Blessed. One syllable. Not two. She was blessed by God, as all Christians are blessed who have been given faith in His Son.
Mary was not the ark. Mary was sweet, but that doesn't make her a fruitcake.
“...that doesn’t make her a fruitcake”
Not so great, dear Dr. E.
Sola Scriptura doesn’t tell us anywhere that “she is sweet”, and I don’t think anybody wants to consider her a fruitcake.
Mary was the first Christ-bearer. Of this there should be no dispute. Hopefully, she is rightfully considered the first of many Christ-bearers.
Jesus the Lord told the parable of the virgins keeping their lamps lit. As you surely already know, He was making reference to the Hebrew custom of the wedding walk. Because the groom was always the prominent figure in the Hebrew concept of the marriage ritual, on the wedding day, the groom would set out from his house to take the walk to the house of his bride-to-be. Those who wished to be included in the festivities would light their lanterns and follow in procession behind the groom to the bride’s house. Of course this is all the typology,( allegory, symbolism) of Christ coming to gather His church for the great day of the Wedding Feast. Someone was surely the first in line behind the groom as he began his wedding walk to his bride’s house.
I see Mary, the first Christ-bearer, as that first person behind Our Lord in the wedding party, her lantern being visible to those who follow.
I send my regards and am respectfully,
ROE