“Too Much Appreciation”

Sunday, October 13, 2013

I have a friend at school who attends an Anglican church, and when referring to the mother of Jesus, she says the "blessed virgin Mary".  I attend a "Bible-only" Christian church and have never heard Mary referred to in this way.  I also follow many evangelical services on the radio and television and have also never heard any pastor call Mary "blessed".  When I asked my friend about this, she showed me Luke 1:48 "all generations shall call me blessed".  It was surprising to realize that if it weren't for my friend's faith tradition, and those like it, this Scripture would go unfulfilled!  No christian I have ever known, other than my friend, has ever called Mary "blessed".  Has anyone in your congregation ever called Mary "blessed" in a sermon or conversation?  If not, why not?

Sincerely,
Ready To Bless

Dear Ready To Bless,

The word ‘blessed’ simply means ‘to count happy, good, or with favor’… and that is something that all generations have thought of Mary.  The point of Lk 1:48 isn’t that mankind will use those exact words, but that people will for all generations look upon Mary as a favored woman.  Anytime someone reads the Bible and realizes the value and faith of Mary, Lk 1:48 is fulfilled.

It is also important to note that many of the churches that emphasize using the exact words “blessed virgin Mary” do so because of their ties to the Catholic theology that Mary was a perfect woman who lived without sin.  Many Anglican churches treat Mary with so much appreciation that it turns to worship and veneration – this is wrong (Lk 4:8).  Mary is a favored woman within Scriptures, but she shouldn’t be worshipped.

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