Mary's doubled-edged sword

by Rev. Far. Noel Dias

The Jesus whom we have traditionally encountered in Christmas was a serene, cuddly baby. Often, the scenes are landscapes in New England towns buried in snow, usually with the added touch of a horse-drawn sleigh. But, the Gospels account for quite a contrasting environment.

Mary accepted the will of God with abiding love and trust (saviorsite.com)

Christmas in the Gospels, did not sentimentally simplify life on the planet Earth. What follows is an evangelical presentation of the birth of Jesus, the persons who were intimately connected with this great event (kairos) and a few key values that one could gather from the Christmas event.

Christmas story

Mary is intimately linked with the Christmas story. Christmas art traditionally may have presented, Mary receiving 'the glad tidings of great joy.' But Gospel of Luke does not say so. Luke tells Mary 'was greatly troubled' and 'afraid' at the angel's appearance. Mary had something very mundane in her mind: "how can all these things happen, I am a virgin."

If one could only picture a gift from a traditional Asian village carrying a baby in her tummy out of wedlock!

Once, the Time magazine carried a cover page of a woman in some African country who was to be stoned to death, with her body buried exposing only the chest and above. Somewhat similar would have been Mary's plight. In the' modern West, each year, a couple of million teenage girls get pregnant out of wedlock. In that milieu, Mary's predicament: had undoubtedly lost some of its force. But then, it was not the permissive West.

Faced with this dilemma, appears Joseph her husband. He being a just and an upright man, wants to save himself and Mary from public shame. Mary then runs to her cousin, Elizabeth, apparent in the 'infancy narrative,' she alone seemed to have understood Mary.

The birth of John the Baptist and Jesus are in stark opposition. John's birth was celebrated with great fanfare, complete with midwives, doting relatives and village chorus celebrations. Whereas, the birth of Jesus was away from home without any of the comforts stated above.

The episode of Christmas, in the words or C.S Lewis is a 'narrowing until at last it comes to a little point, small as a point of spear - A Jewish Girl at Her Prayers.' Nine months of awkward explanations, the lingering scent of scandal - it is as if God arranged the most humiliating circumstances possible for His entrance, as to avoid any chance of favouritism (Yancey P. 32)

Malcolm Muggeridge captures graphically the dilemma of Mary: 'A Mary in the 21st Century.'

He says: "under the present, it is extremely improbable that a 'Jesus' would have been permitted to be born at all. Mary's pregnancy, in poor circumstances, with a father unknown, would have been an obvious case for an abortion; and her talk of having conceived as a result of divine intervention of the Holy Spirit would have pointed to the need of psychiatric treatment, and made a case for terminating her pregnancy even stronger."

Unplanned parenthood of the Virgin Mary resulted in a courageous fiat: Mary says; "I am the hand-maid of the Lord, be it done to me according to your (God's) Word."

Often, a work of God is a two-edged sword -great joy and great pain.

Mary accepted both.

- The Messenger