I’m not sure whether Jesus lived in turbulent times or just sort of caused tumult wherever he went.  He definitely upset a lot of old, traditional notions and ways—those venerable old wineskins weren’t going to do for the wine he was offering.  Mainly, Jesus made it evident that those who thought they knew all about God—or at least God’s requirements for His creatures—they didn’t know as much as they thought.  It’s all too easy for people to add.  People tend to add.  What God requires seems just too basic, or too difficult.  So people add practices to show devotion, they add beliefs to get others to see it’s quite difficult to come to God and that those others need many mediators—priests for example, hierarchies, bureaucracies, stamps on their passports, notary seals on their documents.  It’s not official, otherwise, not genuine.  We speak of Trinity, and they make it triplicate.  We understand triplicate, though I still don’t know if I’m supposed to get the pink or the goldenrod.

Jesus tells us, as often as he needs to, that we don’t need any of that—hierarchies, passports, stamps, forms and formalities—none of that has the least ability to offer any help; indeed, it all becomes hindrance.  Jesus tells us, as often as he needs to, that all the help we need we shall find in him, only.  Turn your eyes upon Jesus, turn to Jesus, fall down before Jesus, lift hands and hearts to Jesus.  He is merciful, he will save.  All those added levels, traditions, and beliefs—they can’t.  They aren’t the way.

Have you ever had a hard time giving up something?  People have a hard time giving things up.  From the perspective of religion, some people would really benefit from a trip to the spiritual Goodwill.  Now, the one who is good will itself is God, and what does He ask of us?  In Jesus Christ, grace for us all, God reminds His people what He asks.  God had been reminding His people for centuries and generations.  Through Jeremiah, some six hundred years before the birth of Jesus, God told His people, “when I brought your ancestors out of the land of Egypt, I said nothing to them, gave them no orders, about [whole burnt offerings] and sacrifice.  These were my orders: Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people.  Follow right to the end the way that I mark out for you, and you will prosper” (Jer 7:22-23, Jerusalem Bible).  Listen.  Follow.  Kind of sounds like what Jesus keeps saying.

The problem in our own times is the same as the problem five hundred years ago and 2,500 years ago.  God also tells Jeremiah to say this about the former generations: “But they did not listen, they did not pay attention” (Jer 7:24, Jerusalem Bible).  And why?  Well, God tells us that, too: “they followed the dictates of their own [. . .] hearts” (Jer 7:24, Jerusalem Bible).  Yes, God provides a way, but He puts it so briefly.  It needs, you know, elaboration, addition.  It seems like He must have left some things out.  So, we add according to the dictates of our hearts rather than the clear teaching of God’s Word.

Consider Mary.  A couple of you grew up Catholic; you are well aware of how important Mary is in Catholicism.  Why, we can’t even conceive Catholic faith without Mary!  It can seem as if, in some circles, Mary is Catholic faith.  The Bible doesn’t tell us much about Mary, but that never stopped anybody before.  Did you know her parents were St. Joachim and St. Anne?  Where is that in the Bible?  Catholic teaching is quite firm that Mary—who, if we’re to take Luke at his word, had children with Joseph after Jesus (Lk 8:19, Ac 1:14)—Mary remained a virgin throughout her life.  This has been defended vigorously since the early centuries of the Church, and it tells us more about the early centuries of the Church than about Mary.  Did you know that, like Jesus, Mary also was born without sin, at least since 1854, officially?  And, since 1950 at least, Catholics have been taught that Mary, at her death, was taken, body and soul, into heaven, just like Enoch and Elijah.

Where our Catholic brothers and sisters find these teachings in the Bible remains a mystery to me—I’ve yet to find them in all my repeated reading through God’s Word.  And there’s the sticking point: is Scripture an authority in the Church or the authority?  Is Scripture subject to those who officially interpret it, or is every believer subject to Scripture?  For us, it’s not a choice between Mary or the Word of God.  Rather, for us, it is always a matter of every believer—including Mary—in relation to the Word.  Culture, history, and tradition can put us next to the Bible, but only the Spirit can put us into relation with the Word.  The word is for our transformation.  People like to add, though; they like to alter the Word.

In Presbyterian circles, we have the option of giving Mary one Sunday each year, if the pastor chooses, during Advent.  One Mary Sunday, back in Illinois, I gave my Mary sermon for that year, from a Reformed perspective.  The adult son of one of our long-time pillars was in worship that day, along with his wife, who, I learned only afterwards, came from Ireland and was very Irish Catholic.  So my Mary sermon from a Reformed perspective didn’t go over well with her, though she was Christian enough not to give me the stink eye on her way out afterwards.

We should always honor Mary, as we would honor every other saint who lives this faith, who says Yes to God’s claim upon his or her life, who willingly, lovingly says, “God, use me for whatever plans You have, I give myself to You”—and then stays the course of that very consequential decision.  Beautiful words without beautiful deeds don’t turn out so pretty.  Mary does just what God told His people He wanted, what He reminded them through Jeremiah that He wanted: He wants His people to listen to Him and follow the way He marks out for them: not their way, not the dictates of their willful wayward hearts, but the way God makes for them, the way where there had been none.  Possibility is the power of God.  Isn’t the Virgin Birth about which we’re so dubious these days a demonstration of that very point?

It might seem as if following the way God makes shouldn’t be so difficult, but in practice it’s always a challenge, like doing one of those American Ninja Warrior obstacle courses!  Only, in this case, God doesn’t set up the obstacles: people do, we do.  Strange, how we’re so adept at cluttering the way to God.  We’re ingenious at clobbering ourselves.

Luke records how, on one occasion, “a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you’” (Lk 11:27).  Behind every great man there’s a great mother?  I say Amen.  What does Jesus say?  “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it” (Lk 11:28).  What are we to make of that?  Is there any mother here who would say that giving birth is easy work, or starting nursing her baby?  Jesus isn’t saying that his mother is not worthy of any honor or blessing; she’s as worthy as every other mother who lives into motherhood with full heart.  God bless mothers!

But if we get focused on the mother, we can lose sight of the Father, and in this case to lose sight of the Father is to lose sight of life.  That’s not so good.  That’s very risky.  Thank God for Mary, certainly.  Above all, thank God for God, who overcomes every obstacle, tears every barrier down, who will be reconciled with His people.  That reconciliation is lived by those “who hear the Word of God and obey it.”  Not alter it or add to it.  God makes it possible to hear.  God changed Mary’s heart, too, giving her a heart for hearing.  When we focus on the Word of God—which is who?—we will go the right way, the way of life, the way to life, the way of giving, casting aside every weight and burden, especially the weight and burden of what we are always inclined to add to the way of salvation.  That way is simple.  It’s not easy, because we make it difficult, but the way is not complex or intricate: listen, follow; don’t get distracted; don’t add.  But that means we will be changed, and yes, I’m afraid that means I and you need changing.

Another time, the family of Jesus, with his mother, try to get to Jesus, take charge of him, because they’ve been told that he’s acting crazy: saying things and doing stuff, and they’re concerned that he’s burning all his bridges, not to mention bringing shame upon the family.[1]  “Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd.  Someone told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you’” (Lk 8:19-20).  Remember, this is Luke telling us, who also has told us at the outset about Mary’s role in saying Yes to God’s plans.  Of all the Gospel writers, surely Luke gives highest honor to Mary.  He honors God’s Word more.  Luke tells us how Jesus answered: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice” (8:21).  Sounds like what God told Jeremiah.  Sounds like what James tells us: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).  Listen and do, and you shall hear words of highest praise: “well done, good and faithful servant” (Mt 25:21).

If we have much to learn from Mary, and every other saint of ages past and of our own age, we always have much more to learn from Christ.  And what did Mary herself say?  “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5).  William Barclay quotes an earlier Bible student: “[i]n the New Testament it is the work, not the workers, that is glorified.”[2]  The work is salvation, and salvation is change.  God means to change us, and we shall be changed.

Mary never points to herself because she is nothing herself, just like us.  Then God gives her everything, just like He gives us everything, in Jesus.  For several ancient reasons, Catholics devotedly pray to Mary.  To whom does Jesus teach us to pray?  Our Father, who art in heaven.  Traditions are of men; the Word is from God.  Traditions too often get in the way.  God is the way.

And to Jesus Christ, who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests of his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.

               [1] So, William Barclay, Gospel of Matthew.  Vol. 1.  Philadelphia: Westminster P, 1975.  228.

               [2] Alfred Plummer, qtd in Barclay, Gospel of Matthew.  Vol. 1.  359.