Veneration of Mary in Luke 11:27-28

August 15, 2013 | Annalex

[annalex]

Once a woman in the crowd surrounding Christ and His disciples cries out to Him:

Blessed is the womb that bore thee, and the paps that gave thee suck. (Luke 11:27)

What is it? We have, clearly, an act of venerating Mary. Note that the Blessed Virgin is venerated properly: not on her own but as the mother of Christ. Yet the reason for venerating is indeed concerning: it is her physiological and physiologically unique relationship with Jesus that is emphasized. That is not yet paganism with its crude theories of gods giving birth to other gods, but it is lacking proper focus and Jesus corrects it:

Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it. (Luke 11:28)

The Virgin with the Child on her knees and a prophet pointing at the star. Catacomb of Priscilla, late 2nd c. Source

Note that there is no condemnation here, not even asking the woman to stop; the "yea rather" (μενουνγε) is not a negation. It is used other times in the New Testament without a hint of negation. In Philippians 3:8 "αλλα μενουνγε και ηγουμαι παντα ζημιαν ειναι", "Furthermore I count all things to be but loss" (Textus Receptus 1550/1894, Byzantine/Majority Text 2000 has here "αλλα μεν ουν και ηγουμαι…" which is the same word morphology spelled separately and colliding affirmative "γε" with the following "και"). Romans 9:20 "μενουνγε ω ανθρωπε συ τις ει ο ανταποκρινομενος τω θεω" and Romans 10:18 "μενουνγε εις πασαν την γην εξηλθεν ο φθογγος αυτων" use the word reinforcing the subsequent statement. Some translations obscure this linguistic fact: in King James for example, the same word is rendered correctly, "yea rather" in Luke 11:28, wholly incongruously, "nay but" in Romans 9:20, but in Romans 10:18 the translation is again correct, "Yes verily". NRSV has both correct and elegant translations for all three. (See The Holy Mother and the "ΜΕΝΟΥΝΓΕ")

Having gotten past this linguistic hurdle, we can understand clearly what this passage, Luke 11:27-28, does: it establishes veneration of saints based not on their blood relation to Christ but on their obedience to God. It is in that sense that we venerate Our Lady: given that Christ is the Word of God personified, she heard and kept both Him in person as her Child and His teaching, figuratively. In Mary the essence of sainthood is seen in the flesh as well as in the mind. We could say that by the late second century at the latest, when we find evidence of the veneration of both the prophets and the Mother of God in the catacombs, the two reasons to venerate a saint: his martyrdom as in the case of Polycarp, or his obedience to the Word, as in Mary, -- unite into a single practice.

[Elsie]

Some philosophies appear to be simple at first, but after much study, become cloudy and incoherent.

Much like many replies in these threads.

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When Satan used SCRIPTURE in the wilderness against Jesus; Jesus used SCRIPTURE to overcome the words of Satan.

THIS is why we PROTESTants do NOT rely on anything BUT SCRIPTURE.

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(I hope this was simple enough...)

[jodyel]

“Come back Shane! (We need your tax money!)

We’ve got a fiscal conservative here (Branstad). I kinda like him.”

So sweet to see you two getting along. :)

[Elsie]

Mary is the model for all Christians...

HERESY!

CHRIST is!

[jodyel]

“Rv. 12 is referring to Israel”

Right on, daniel!! You are the first one to get this correct! Besides myself, of course. :)

[Elsie]

WHAT???

A sword will pierce MY soul; too?

I didn’t sign on for THIS!

[Elsie]

Jesus is God, Mary is not.

As a PROTESTant reads it:

Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

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As a Catholic understands it:

Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Mary

[Elsie]

We’re in a time warp here! lol

[Elsie]

So does my wife!

[Iscool]

Hey, I got you on a map...If you zoom way out, you’re right next to China...

This is weird...Are we talking to you yesterday, or tomorrow???

[jodyel]

Mine means “God is gracious.” Cool, huh?

And daniel means “God is my judge.” Assuming daniel is your true given name and not a username only. :)

[Elsie]

I have very little humor of my own; but am fairly adept at plagiarizing and using other’s to make a point or two.

[jodyel]

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
Calling for you and for me;
See, on the portals he’s waiting and watching,
Watching for you and for me.”

What a wonderful hymn! Love it.

[jodyel]

“The “figure” who has given birth (not “produced”) Jesus Christ is His mother, no?”

No is the word you are looking for in answer to this question.

[Elsie]

They just do not get it nor do they want to.

SOME will!

I see them as folks who have worked hard, all of their life, at a job.

Then, when retirement hits, they have nothing with which to fill the time.

Many just waste away and die WAY too soon.

Others find that life is MORE than work, and fill their lives with many wonderful things for many years.

[Iscool]

I am the church and anyone else who is born-again and filled with the Holy Spirit is the church.

There in lies the problem...They admit that they are not filled with the Holy Spirit, only their clergy are...The only time Jesus is inside them is when they eat the wafer...

As a result, they can not belong to the same church we belong to...

Their new pope teaches them that they don't even have to have faith in Jesus to achieve salvation; just good works...

[Elsie]

Yuh spelled BUM wrong!

—Catholic_Wannabe_Dude(he’s a Royal Pain!)

[jodyel]

“What’s ‘MARY’ doing out in the wildeness?

Being a nun.”

Another WOW, just WOW moment, annalex. Try again. You would sure never win a Jeopardy category on the bible. lol

[Elsie]

I just got back from your wonderful state.

We spent a week in San Antonio; taking in the sights.

Had a hotel perched right on the River, so a lot of stuff was in easy walking distance.

Sure was HOT! though...

[Elsie]

Methinks you are beyond hope with an ignorant statement like that.

I ain't the one blusterin'!

[jodyel]

“We are not saved by faith alone, so not every believer ends up in heaven. A saint is one who merited heaven; a canonized saint was recognized by the Holy Church to also be worthy of public veneration.”

What in the world have you been smoking, annalex? I have never heard such complete and utter heresy in my life!!!!!!!!!!

Merited...you mean worked for their salvation. I completely give up on you, annalex. I am not sure you are even capable of understanding anything. There are none so blind as those who will not see.