Mary mentioned in the Bible

[hope]

Continued.

My personal reflection is that Mary’s role was probably prayer. She seems to have been a contemplative - a “ponderer”. Prayer is a powerful weapon. Also, I think her quiet home in Nazareth could have served as a “quiet retreat” for Jesus on occasion - where He could go and not be swamped by crowds as He was in Capernaum when people would learn He was home there

What an excellent thought. Scripture often talks about Mary pondering the things happening to her “and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart”

We only have the one time showing Jesus in Nazareth, it was anything but “quiet”

Why would Jesus have had to give responsibility to John if Mary’ was already being taken care of by relatives?

Jesus would have been responsible for her care which goes more to my point than yours.

Why would Jesus have given her care over to John if she had a home and was taking care of herself?

The fact that Jesus does provide for her is exactly why I believe she was with Jesus and not in Nazareth. When John took over her care what do you believe happened to her house?

On this point I disagree. Scripture does note that there were women who followed and ministered to Jesus - but Mary, His Mother, is never mentioned among them. When she is present, it is usually specifically noted.

The last point I disagree. I don’t believe that she was always mentioned. I believe she was there but that it wasn’t important to Jesus’ mission that she be mentioned. Mention of her is only when it makes some point about Jesus. Mary always points to Jesus her last recorded words are `Do whatever he tells you.’

There is also this scripture in John 2:12

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there for a few days.

I don’t believe it is the only time Mary went with Jesus.

Nazareth is in Galilee and not that far from Cana.

I meant Capernaum and it is twenty mile. Other than that correction the point stands.

 

[JGD]

I was doing both - making a point and asking questions. And doing it because you bolded “they” as a way to support the understanding that the reason they were left to seize Jesus is because they thought He was out of His mind. However, the first phrase in verse 21 states that it was connected to something they “heard” - “When they heard of this they set out…” Thus, I really was wondering what you thought they heard, etc.

Now, my thoughts are they “heard” a large crowd had gathered by Jesus and with some very vocal scribes among the crowd - scribes who had come to Capernaum from Jerusalem and were trying to incite the crowd by saying Jesus was demon possessed and out of His mind, etc. Thus there concern for Jesus’ safety.

It’s so easy for the opening phrase to go by unnoticed, and yet it contains the reason for their leaving to get Jesus - unfortunately the reason is not fully explained; we only know it happened “when” they heard something. Hearing that a crowd had gathered around Him would not have been startling; as that happened all the time. So there must have been more than just that. Thus, my question about what you thought they heard.

 

[hope]

Mark reports that Jesus’ family (with a strong implication that Mary is included in “family”) thought Jesus was out of his mind, and also that Mary and Jesus’ brothers tried to stop (or at least interrupt) his preaching on at least one occasion.

There is no indication that Mary was part of this group. The different translations that I have say relatives or friends. The Greek is those who belong to Him. A strong indication is that Mary was not part of this group as she is associated with a different group in versus 31 where His mother and brothers come to speak to Him.

 

[TMC]

It’s so easy for the opening phrase to go by unnoticed, and yet it contains the reason for their leaving to get Jesus - unfortunately the reason is not fully explained; we only know it happened “when” they heard something. Hearing that a crowd had gathered around Him would not have been startling; as that happened all the time. So there must have been more than just that. Thus, my question about what you thought they heard.

I don’t know. They may have simply heard what He was teaching and were concerned about the content of His teaching (or by His healing or other signs). They may have heard that His teaching was getting Him in trouble with the religious authorities and been alarmed by that. I think the first is more likely, because Mark says they were worried about His mental state, not His safety. But maybe its something else that Mark does not mention for some reason.

We don’t really know. I think Mark is trying to emphasize how radical Jesus’ teaching was - that His preaching had a big impact on people, even to the point of alarming them. Mark drives that point home by pointing out that even Jesus’ own family thought He was out there a bit, and uses Jesus’ quote about the relative importance of religious ties over family ties to help drive that point home.

 

[hope]

I don’t agree with this. Jesus asks who are His brothers and mother, and answers His own question by saying that His followers are. I read that as picking one over the other.

Then you miss the point Jesus is making. Earthly relationships don’t matter. It is the spiritual relationship that does. In that sense it is picking one over the other but it does not preclude that Mary is also His mother. She was as she said the slave of God. She did the will of God. Jesus was not saying that she did not do the will of God. He wasn’t disowning her but placing the true relationship of doing God’s will.
(For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Mary is in that category.

 

[TMC]

There is no indication that Mary was part of this group. The different translations that I have say relatives or friends. The Greek is those who belong to Him. A strong indication is that Mary was not part of this group as she is associated with a different group in versus 31 where His mother and brothers come to speak to Him.

I don’t know that I would say there is no indication of Mary’s presence. Verse 21 refers generically to His relatives or family, I agree. Verse 31 expressly says His mother was there when His family came to get Him. I read that as one event - His family was concerned, and they went to get Him. But I agree that it might not be one event. I think the fact that it seems to be part of the same narrative is some indication that Mary was included in the family members who were concerned for Him, because she was definitely among the family members that went to get Him. But perhaps she was not.

 

[hope]

I agree that it is one event. You have the family or was it friends? trying to seize Him than you have “His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.” which indicated they were not part of those trying to seize Him.

 

[TMC]

Then you miss the point Jesus is making. Earthly relationships don’t matter. It is the spiritual relationship that does. In that sense it is picking one over the other but it does not preclude that Mary is also His mother. She was as she said the slave of God. She did the will of God. Jesus was not saying that she did not do the will of God. He wasn’t disowning her but placing the true relationship of doing God’s will.

No, I get that. What did you think I thought it meant? I didn’t say that Jesus didn’t accept Mary as His mother. But I do think He is placing the importance of doing God’s will over family connections.

(For) whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."
Mary is in that category.

Never said she wasn’t.

 

[hope]

Yes I did misunderstand what you meant and I agree with you.

 

[TMC]

I agree that it is one event. You have the family or was it friends? trying to seize Him than you have “His mother and his brothers arrived. Standing outside they sent word to him and called him.” which indicated they were not part of those trying to seize Him.

I don’t read it that way. They may not have been among those that thought He was out of His mind (although I think they were). But they were definitely the ones trying to get Him out of the house where He was teaching. That seems clear to me.

Seems to me they heard about His teaching, became concerned, then went to where He was teaching (thus “arrived”), and asked Him to come out of where He was teaching. That is how I read it, and it seems the natural reading to me.

 

[hope]

After rereading it I can see how you might arrive at this conclusion. However, it is not clear if those who wanted to seize Him are the same as His mother and brothers. It seems that if they wanted to seize Him they wouldn’t have stood outside the group asking to talk to Him.

 

[ReaderT]

she’s mentioned I think about 12 times by name in the New Testament.

And about a dozen times in the Old Testament [though not by name] - and those times especially show how important and “greatly favored” she is.

Jesus asks who are His brothers and mother, and answers His own question by saying that His followers are. I read that as picking one over the other.

He says “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven” - which Mary did. Her acceptance of God’s plan cancelled out Eve’s refusal to go along with God’s plan.

Likewise in Luke’s Gospel a woman shouts to Jesus, “Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the breasts which Thou hast sucked,” and He responds, “Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” Well, who heard the word of God and kept it? Mary did! She heard the word of God from Gabriel and “Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.” (Luke 2:19)

 

[EndTimes]

how do I argue that? she’s mentioned I think about 12 times by name in the New Testament. Many thanks.

The number of times is not a measure by which to know Mary.