The scarlet thread: Mary

Mary

Matthew’s fifth woman in the genealogy is the most revered woman of all time, and so perhaps we think nothing of her appearance in his list. The mother of Jesus must be worth mentioning above all women, surely. But perhaps it is not as straightforward as that. Matthew’s list bucks the usual trend for ancient genealogies in mentioning women, so wherever he does name a woman, we know that he has a reason for doing so.

One might assume that the genealogy is there to assert Jesus’ credentials as a good Jew of aristocratic lineage, and a descendant of King David. In this list is the proof that Jesus is an inheritor of the Royal and Messianic leadership of Israel.

If this was Matthew’s purpose in having a genealogy, including Mary’s name complicates things. By including her he reminds his readers that Jesus is not actually a blood descendant of Judah or David, because his virgin birth connects him to one human only: Mary. And it is not Mary who is descended from the royal line, but her fiancé, Joseph. If Jesus has any claim on his Jewish heritage it is as an adopted son, chosen and treated by Joseph as his own.

Mary’s presence in this genealogy is then a reminder that Jesus’ inheritance as a first born son from his father is not earthly but heavenly. Jesus is not the inheritor of David’s Kingship, but of the Kingdom of Heaven. The adoption that gives him a place in the line of David is a reminder not only of the love that was given to him by his adopted father but of the potential that is offered to us as adopted sons of God the Father. Whether male or female, the right of inheritance that was only available to a first born son in the ancient world is available to all of us today – we can take up the full rights as first born sons of God by adoption, just as Jesus gained full rights as the first born son of Joseph by adoption. He may not have been David’s descendant by blood, but he was by right of inheritance.

So Mary’s presence in the list tells us something of rights of inheritance, and reminds us that we have a place with the Father as children of God if we – like her – say ‘yes’ to God. And there is more, for Mary has something to show us that goes beyond the fact of her motherhood, and takes us into seeing something of who she really was.

Read    Choose readings from the following, according to how much time you have:

Luke 1: 26-28                     the annunciation

Luke 1: 39 – 56                  the visit to Elizabeth

Matthew 1: 18-25              Mary’s marriage to Joseph

Luke 2: 1-7                         the birth of Jesus

Luke 2: 15-19                     the visit of the shepherds

Matthew 2: 11                             the visit of the magii

Matthew 2: 14-15              the flight to Egypt

Matthew 2; 10-23              the family settles in Nazareth

Luke 2: 41-51                     the family attend Passover in Jerusalem

John 2: 1-10                       the wedding at Cana

John 2: 12                          Mary travels with Jesus

Mark 3: 31-35                    visiting Jesus with her other sons

Matthew 13: 54-58            Jesus visits Nazareth

John 19: 25-27                   at the foot of the cross

Acts 1: 14                           in prayer with the disciples

Consider

Mary is so surrounded by myth that the story we have is sometimes lost or tangled in it. The myths of her parentage and her death are beautiful stories, but without enough historical evidence for us to be sure they are true. What is true is to be found in the gospels and the book of Acts.

The scriptures show us a young woman who mothered several children, and a mature woman who stood by her eldest son beyond the end; she remained in Jerusalem with his followers as they began the task of founding a new community (Acts 1:14), setting an example of prayer. The only story of Mary to appear in three gospels is when she came with her other sons to visit Jesus (Mt 12: 46-50; Mk 3:31-35; Lk 8: 1-21). We are not told how the visit went, but only how Jesus used the opportunity to offer some teaching about adoption into the family of God, telling his followers that they were as closely related to him as the blood relatives waiting outside.

Some stories appear in one gospel only. Luke points us to a contemplative and obedient woman of faith, while John shows Mary as the first to point to Jesus as someone distinctive and able to help, and then shows a tender moment of love between mother and son in the hardest moment of their lives: the crucifixion. Matthew either didn’t know or chose not to retell those stories, but ensured that his portrayal of Mary was of a faithful Jewish woman who did everything properly as the traditions demanded.

Question

1)   When God asked Mary to carry His Son, he was asking her to risk her future marriage and possibly even her life, since she would be considered an adulteress for which the punishment was stoning. How does this make you feel about Mary’s ‘yes’? Have there been/might there be times when saying saying yes to God brings risks or troubles for you? How did you/might you cope with them?

2)   In John 2 Mary risks being the sort of Mum that modern young adults find embarrassing! What can we learn from Mary about being the parent of an adult son or daughter?

3)   Luke tells us that Mary ‘ponders’ or ‘treasures’ the things she is told or experienced in her heart. Do you find reflecting on what has happened to you helpful? If so, why – and how? St Benedict recommended reflecting daily before going to bed. Are there ways that you find it helpful to reflect?

4)   Luke also shows us an image of Mary as part of a group of women who pray together. When praying with others, what ways of prayer do you find helpful? How can you help others to pray?

The Scarlet Thread

The Scarlet Thread is seen by some as a symbol of salvation. As Rahab was saved from the destruction of Jericho by her thread, so we are all saved from the horrors of life without God by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus, son of Mary. The scarlet thread becomes the blood of Christ. Mary ties each of us into the story of salvation by bringing into being the Son of the Living God, who in turn offers to adopt each of us to become children of God – and heirs of salvation - in our own right. What does this theme of adoption into God’s family mean to you? Can you identify with it?

When you reflect on Mary, the fifth of the women Matthew marks out as important in the line that led to Jesus, what do you think marks her out? Why does her presence in Jesus’ story matter? Keep a note of your thoughts and ideas, because in the next session the scarlet thread that marks out these women as beacons in the history of God’s people will be the focus of our exploration together.