I can tell you as a former protestant that those words in red, Jesus words in Matthew 12:48-49 and him referring to her as “woman” in John 19:26 seemed almost disrespectful to me on the surface. Not only because he did not address her as mother, but because he refers to some random person, the woman at the well, as the same term…“woman”. John 4:21.
Despite the great description of her by Luke, those other scriptures i mentioned make Marian devotion tough to justify as a protestant.
Of course digging deeper into the scriptures and Church teaching, it became evident to me that she is the mother of the Church and ark of the new covenant,…and a powerful intercessor for us as Christians.
Delighted with your post’s Lenten_ashes
St. Paul references Jesus as the new Adam, using the typological sense to scripture. The offices to which Jesus fulfills is Messianic, Davidic King, prophet, Son of man, High priest of God, Son of the Father (second person of the Trinity) who’s nature is fully human and fully divine. When Jesus speaks in scripture especially to His Mother, we need to reflect from which nature and which office Jesus speaks from.
At the Wedding feast (Jn.2), Jesus dignifies His Mother with the Title “Woman” from Genesis 3:15, Jesus is speaking as the prophet of God on earth and as the second person of the Trinity, God now reveals the “Woman” pronounced after the fall, is now present, but His hour has not yet come to deliver the mortal blow to that lying serpent.
At the foot of the cross, Jesus see’s His Mother, again dignifies her with the title “Woman” as the new Eve = Mother of all the living, gives her to His disciple John, whom He loved.
John reveals this Woman again in Revelations 12:13-17, who is the Woman, God divinely protected from sin (Immaculate Conception) and the dragon. This same Woman has offspring, John in particular, the dragon became angry with the Woman because Sin could not taint her, that the dragon goes off to wage war against the rest of her offspring. Who are the rest of her offspring? John reveals who they are; vs.17 "the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus.
Thus all those in every age who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus are the offspring of the Mother, Jesus dignified with the title of the new Eve = Woman = Mother of all the living.
I can see when a Protestant reads those versus you mentioned would appear in the negative or a rebuke, when read on the surface.
The Samaritan Woman at Jacobs Well, reflects all those who" worship what they do not know". The Samaritan woman is reflective of the 10 northern Tribes who rebelled against God and separated themselves from the King of Judah. These Samaritans were conquered five different times, thus the Woman at the well, had five husbands, who introduced to them five different deities. Jesus came to call His fallen away bride (Woman) back home where the Lion (Jesus) of the Tribe of Judah will reign eternally. For it is at the well where the nuptials for marriage are made.
Thus the Woman at the well portrays the harlot bride, who converts back to God. Thus we have two distinct personages being portrayed under the title of Woman. One Woman is a bride. The Virgin Mother whom Jesus dignifies with the title Woman is the new Eve, Mother of all the living.
Grant it, there is much more reflection to each of these scriptures. When the ECF’s spoke of these mysteries and reflected upon them, it is not hard to see, why many of the Saints and Martyrs, had a special devotion to our Lady as Davidic Queen and Mother of the living.
Without the faith that stems from the Oral Sacred Traditions, it is difficult to view sacred Scripture with apostolic lenses.
Peace be with you
