Originally Posted by 2nd Adam
Do you consider Mary as your co-reedmer with Christ?
Yes. I do, however need to explain what that means, or you are going to accuse me of all kinds of things. Jesus Christ is sufficient. He did not need Mary to participate in the suffering, but he chose to allow her to participate. Here is an analogy (A can’t take credit for it, it comes from Rosalind Moss): Imagine a mother is at home with her young daughter. It is nap time for the daughter, and she sets the toddler down for a nap. Then mom decides to bake a cake for her husband. Well, as she is getting the ingredients out, the daughter hears and comes out of the bedroom. Seeing that mom is getting ready to make something, she asks, “Can I help, Mommy?” Of course the mother allows her daughter to help. Mom measured things out and the daughter will put them in the bowl, the daughter will hold on to the spoon as Mom mixes. The daughter licks the bowl. After dinner, they are eating cake and the father comments on how good it is. The daughter says “I helped make it, Daddy!” He replies “You did?” And he finishes the cake. Some questions: Was the mother alone sufficient in making the cake? Yes she was. Did the daughter help? Yes she did. Did it add something to the cake for the father? Yes it did. The same is true with Mary. She was not needed, because Christ is sufficient, but since he allowed her to participate in the suffering it adds a richness, a depth, to our faith that would not be there if she was not involved.
Thanks for the explanation. However, all God’s children are co-laborers in God’s redemptive history. God doesn’t need us to help, but He allows all of us (his adopted children) to participate just like Mary. She has her assigned role, just like Peter, James, John, Paul… and each one of us. However, we… like Mary are not co-redeemers… because Mary did not live and die on our behalf in any way like what Christ has done on our behalf. Please consider this passage:
The Ministry of Reconciliation
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5
Please try to explain how Mary is your co-redeemer in regards to redemption and atonement.
