“SON AND MOTHER”
Saint Luke 1: 39-55
Saint Mary, Mother of God: 16 August Anno Domini 2015
Father Jay Watson SSP
Saint Mary of Nazareth blesses the Lord at all times and her Son’s praise is now continually in her mouth. This is what Christians believe and confess. Jesus said: “I Am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” [Mt. 22. 32] When the beloved Saints of Christ pass this mortal coil and go to be with Him until the Day of the resurrection of all flesh, they are nonetheless alive in Him. Mary’s Magnificat always rings out in perfect harmony with the celestial choir which she leads. Melanchthon writes in the Apology: “…concerning the saints, we concede that, just as, when alive, they pray for the Church Universal in general, so in heaven they pray for the Church in general.” [Art. 21.8 see also 27]
So along with Paul, Peter, and John, so too, Holy Mary Mother of God prays for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.
This is a perfect day, August 15th, and now transferred to this Lord’s Day, to honor and remember Saint Mary as our confessions bid us do.
As President of Concordia River Forest, Dr. Daniel Gaard said: “Every Lutheran needs a proper Mariology, but never a Mariolatry.” Amen. For to speak highly of the Virgin is to simply echo her words and confession of her Son, Christ the God/Man! Her testimony is true for she remains as Luther’s Smalcald Articles say: “That the Son became man in this manner, that He was conceived, without the cooperation of man, by the Holy Ghost, and was born of the pure, holy, [and always] Virgin Mary.” [SA I.IV, Triglotta] And though the worship folder, and the hymnal designation for today is: Saint Mary, Mother of our Lord, the more correct title comes from Scripture and the Book of Concord. For as Saint Thomas knew Who the Christ was: “my Lord and my God” so too do Chemnitz and the others confess truth in the Formula: “On account of this personal union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed Virgin, bore not a mere man, but, as the angel [Gabriel] testifies, such a man as is truly the Son of the most high God, Who showed His divine majesty even in His mother’s womb, inasmuch as He was born of a virgin, with her virginity inviolate. Therefore she is truly the Mother of God, and nevertheless remained a virgin.” [FC SD 8.24]
We sin when we worship her. But Lutherans do not worship Saint Mary. We sin when we despise, belittle, or ignore her. And Lutherans do this all the time. Mary says: “whatever He (The Christ) says, do it!” And Jesus says love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.
To love God is to love His children. To love Jesus is to love His mother. To love the Blessed Virgin is to love your own mother, father, sister, brother, children, and neighbor.
You don’t love as Christ says you must. You don’t love Him as He desires. You doubt and you wander away from love incarnate.
Jesus loved you before you love Him. He loved you and saved you from before time began. He chose you and loved you in His obedience to the Law—and the Law of Love—and in His payment for your lovelessness when He was crucified dead.
For Mary’s sins, and for your sins, Christ is love in action. His very nature of sacrificial and giving love is why you are saved and why you are here this morning to be washed, fed, and loved again.
Not the Babe, but The adult God/Man leaped for you. He leaped to willingly and joyfully keep the Commandments. He respected and honored all Old Testament Saints. He cherished and gave great laud to Saint Joseph His Guardian and to His Blessed Mother. He leaped by meekness and docility when He allowed Himself to be arrested, bound, tortured, and executed in your place. Jesus has performed all things written by Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. He has brought you cross not the Jordan to Judah and Israel but across the placenta of the font to be washed in His cloud not Moses’ acid rain of Law.
Saint Mary’s soul and voice magnified Her Son in the most beautiful of Canticles and the clearest Evangel. This day have your tongues are loosed again by The Holy Ghost to sing forth Christ’s praises and His mercy. You rejoice in your new family and you joy in your home of peace and your meal of reconciliation. Jesus has regarded your low estates of sinner, broken ones, diseased, leprous, blind, maimed, and rotting. Jesus has pulled you from the pit and made you handmaidens, brothers, sisters, and His pure, chaste, virgin Bride. Saint Mary is your model. You too have all of Christ chambered in your hearts by faith through grace. Ponder Him for your redeemed soul magnifies His mercy.
You are weak unto damnation but Jesus is God. Jesus became weak for you and has done great things in His Name. His Name is Savior and He has saved you for His Name is His identity and essence.
His arms scattered your enemies of sin, death, devil, and worldly corruption, by being bound, bruised, bitten with nails, and buried dead. He put down your haughty, unloving, and dismissiveness of others when He was put down on the tree. He fills you with good things. He fills you with Himself.
Mary as “type” of the New Testament Church comes forth from the New Adam’s side in a rich flow of water and word. Washed and given pureness to drink; fed and given Body and Blood to banquet upon; you join the Virgin and Abraham and all the Host in the good things of peace and forgiveness and family—forever!
In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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