WWJD (what would Jesus do?) about "Consulting with the Saints"

Orthodox Christians are known to consult with and seek the intercession of the saints as part of their spiritual struggle in life. The saints- (the righteous dead who are in the "bosom of Abraham" (c.f. Luke 16:23))- are considered by Orthodox as alive today (and in fact more so) as compared to when they lived on earth.

Although this is an ancient practice, at least as far back as St Polycarp of Smyrna (circa AD 160), it begs the question:

"is this the right thing to do?" Is this what Jesus would do?

Non-Orthodox Christians, who do not particularly venerate the saints, would argue : "You don't need the saints, just go straight to Jesus!" They quote as proof text 1 Timothy 2:5- "there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus"

So what should we make of this?
Who's right and who's wrong?
Where do we go from here?

It would appear from 1Timothy that the argument is pretty much black/white.... isn't it?

BUT hang on........ "WWJD?"

"What is WWJD?"-- you may ask. Many Protestant (esp. Evangelical) Christians walk around with 'WWJD?' (What Would Jesus Do?) stitched into or stamped on their clothing, hats, silicone wrist bands and the like. It is a question that some Christians pose to themselves when confronted with a choice or need to make a decision in life. In essence, it is a 'philosophical' principle by which (in theory at least) some Christians rule their behaviour and interactions with the world. One can imagine that being a Christian means to be a follower of Christ's example and thus to "do as He would do".

This got me thinking:

"Can the Orthodox justify their practice of consultation with the Saints using 'WWJD' principles?"

Before I look at 'WWJD' (or more precisely, 'what DID Jesus do') with regard to question of "should the Orthodox consult with the saints in their spiritual life?", I want to develop my argument a little further with regard to "who and what is a saint?" .

Who are the Saints?

How are we to understand the Saints? How are they understood in scripture? What are they up to after their earthly life has ended? These are all important questions that need to be understood before we can address the matter of calling on them for intercession.

Most people will be aware that Orthodox Christians venerate, BUT do not worship, the saints (the righteous dead)- (for a discussion of this distinction please see my previous post Veneration vs Worship: is there a difference? )

Orthodox Christians (like many traditional Trinitarian Christians) routinely consult the saints, call upon them as living members of the Church for intercession and help. They celebrate their lives and (more importantly) their deaths (i.e. their "birthday" into the Heavenly Kingdom). Orthodox Christians do this because they have a firm conviction that the righteous dead, having been with Christ before their deaths (i.e. during their life on earth (or at least with God as He had revealed Himself, in the case of the Old Testament saints)), remain alive in Christ after their earthly 'death', being more alive spiritually than before. They believe the saints are always before the throne of the living God, with Christ Jesus, the Son of God, seated at the right hand of God the Father in all His full Glory (Col 3:1); and the saints are being continually refreshed by His presence (c.f. Acts 3:19)

We read time and time again, that God is the God of the the living and not of the the dead:

"I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Matthew 22:32;
"He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” Mark 12:27;
"For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”Luke 20:38.

Christ Himself said that: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." John 11:25. Thus the saints-- whether Old Testament (such as the Prophet Isaiah, King David, the Patriarch Abraham etc.) or New Testament (such the Apostle Paul, Apostle Peter, St Luke the Evangelist, St Phoebe the Deaconess etc.)-- having believed in God (in Old Testament times) and in Jesus (during His time in the flesh c.f. John 1:14) whilst on this earth, are now truly alive in Him even after their departure from this life. They remain just as much a part of the "Church, the Body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27), in their 'death' as they did during their (earthly) life.

Saint Paul tells us clearly that "Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living." Romans 14:9. So the message remains consistent:

If you were alive in Christ before your death,
you continue to be alive in Christ even
after your physical death!

[Permit me a small digression. This reminds me of an Orthodox monastic saying I heard Fr Thomas Hopko quote : "In the Christian life, we must die before we die, so that when we die we do not die!" The saints are those who died to themselves (i.e. suppressed their ego for Christ's sake) and lived 'in Christ' whilst on earth. Like St John the Forerunner and Baptist, the saints lived an 'ego-denying' life for Christ's sake: "He must increase, but I must decrease" John 3:30. St Paul said the same to his flock: "For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" Col 3:3. St Paul is not equivocal about this point: "it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20
Thus the saints, having "died before they died", live now in Christ after their death! ]

Regarding death of the body and life in Christ, Jesus talked about a distinction between physical death and death of the soul or spirit:

"do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" Matthew 10:28.

In addition, St John writes in Revelation: "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Revelations 2:10-11

The 1st death is death of the body; death as understood by the world-- by the world of science, biology and forensic pathology. The 1st death is the stench of the decaying Lazarus 4 days in the tomb (John 11:39). But this is NOT the death to fear. The 1st death cannot hurt the righteous in God. The 1st death is not the final word. It may be inevitable for all, but for the righteous saints of God, it is their crowning glory! It will be when they receive the imperishable crown of victory!

The 2nd death is death indeed. The 2nd death is estrangement from Christ. The saints may have died the 1st death, BUT having remained faithful until death, they are crowned with life (as promised by the Lord). Having remained faithful, they are protected from the 2nd death by being one with the One who is the "Resurrection and the Life!"

What are the Saints doing after they 'die'?

.....OK OK, we can agree that the righteous dead are alive in Christ, BUT what sort of life do they live? Are they aware of us and each other or are they closeted away or self-absorbed; self righteous people indifferent to our sufferings and struggles?

Would a pious Christian, who prayed for all mankind during their life stop praying for us just because they had 'died'. Would they stop offering : "supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks ... for all men" (1Timothy 2:1) just because they weren't physically with us?

Does a prayer-warrior cease being a prayer-warrior just because they depart from this earthly life to a life in Christ?

Well it is pretty clear to me from the scriptures that if the saints are indeed alive in Christ, they must, by extension, be doing what Christ commanded them to do, even after 'death'. In Jesus' own words: "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.............“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me." John 14: 21-24

St John the evangelist and theologian said the same:

"He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked." 1 John 2:4-6

Jesus Christ did not waffle or vacillate in His teachings about His commandments. He was clear as a bell! When asked: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22: 36-40).

Thus Jesus emphatically commands all who 'live in Him' (which includes the living and the dead) to love Him with their whole being, and (in addition to this) they must love their neighbour in a like manner (in no less a way). Thus, the saints, (who now live in Christ after their earthly death), MUST be able to continue to do both. It is NOT FEASIBLE for the saints to be 'in Christ' and yet remain indifferent to their neighbour's needs (living or dead). This would alienate them from Christ if they did.

Thus the saints (those who were with God on earth and remain alive in God after their passing from this world) continue to do God's will (keeping His commandments) even 'after death'.

Do the scriptures give any evidence of this?..........why heck yes they do!

The Saints in Heaven:

Turning to the Revelation of St John:

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying: “ Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honour and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger any more nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:9-17

OK, there's your evidence that the saints are loving God with all their being. They are being nourished and protected by the Lamb (Christ); they are dressed in the white robes of purity and are carrying the branches of victory and DAY AND NIGHT they SERVE HIM.

OK, OK, so in heaven the saints can love God with all their hearts, minds and whole being. BUT, you may ask: "do they care about us here on earth?", "Have we got any evidence that they actually care about our struggles our spiritual 'race'?"

To find that evidence we need to look to Hebrews:

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Heb 12:1) ......... you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel (Heb 12:22-35).

Thus we are urged on by a 'cloud of witnesses', 'just men made perfect', to run the race that is before us. St Paul likens the spiritual struggle in this life as a race for an 'imperishable crown' (1 Corinthians 9: 24-27). The saints are not insensitive to our struggle. They are looking on, but more than looking on, they are actively involved with our struggle in this life, urging us on with their prayers and supplications and intercessions and thanksgiving, because they are in Christ! And to be 'in Christ' they MUST be doing His word! And His word is clear and unequivocal: "Love your God and love your neighbour!......On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets"

So in the final analysis, the 'dead' in Christ are not dead at all, but fully alive. Active and aware and just as concerned (if not more so) for our struggles, because now they are found before the Risen Lord and they see Him in His full Glory- with no earthly or carnal distractions. The Church is ONE..., BUT......for yet a short time (c.f. 1 Peter 1:6), two distinct elements can be distinguished within this One Church:-

(i) the 'Church Triumphant' (as described in Revelations and Hebrews above)
and
(ii) the 'Church Militant' (struggling against evil in this world).

St Paul again states it very clearly that those living in the Church Militant (i.e. those still alive) their spiritual life is one of WARFARE!:

"Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." (Ephesians 6:10-13).

And furthermore, St Paul tells us that the weapon par excellence in this warfare is not chariots or horses (c.f. Psalm 20:6) but prayer! : "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6: 18)

Summary of the Saints (the Righteous Dead)

If the saints whilst still on earth were urged to pray "with all prayer and supplication.......being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for ALL the saints", how much more would this apply to the saints in the Church Triumphant-- i.e. "the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" Revelation 7:9-17 . The saints in heaven are not insensitive to our pain, they are not indifferent to our struggles; rather they are hyper-acutely and supra-abundantly aware of our needs, and are ever present before the throne of the Lamb offering intercession on our behalf (whether we ask them to or not, OR EVEN, if we want them to do so or not).

The saints (being 'in Christ') can not deny themselves, as St Paul said of Christ (c.f. 2 Timothy 2:13). Being 'in Christ' means being a 'prayer-warrior'- always in intercession and supplication and thanksgiving toward God for the whole of creation (living and dead), before the Great Judgement seat of Christ. The Saint, who is 'in Christ', is in sharp contrast to the 'anti-saint' or the 'unsaintly' who "although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful..... and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Romans 1:18-25). The Saint, who is alive in Christ after his/her death on earth, can do nothing other than be more 'Christ-like' towards us.

Back to the question: "WWJD?"

Well this is all well and good, BUT WWJD?

Many will argue again and again; "Well I don't need the saints. I can go straight to Jesus!" Is this a legitimate argument? Is this a reflection of "love thy neighbour" that we are commanded to pursue? Is this what Jesus would do?, OR should I say, is this what Jesus DID!?

It is without a doubt that Jesus did go straight to the Father for prayer and communion. We have many instances where Jesus was found in private prayer to His Father, away from the throng, and away even from His beloved apostles/disciples (Matt 26:39, Mark 14:35, Luke 22:41-42 etc)........... BUT didn't Jesus also consult, commune and fellowship with created beings?

We know he interacted with angles (bodiless created beings) (Luke 22:43, Matthew 4:11, Mark 1:13 etc) who ministered to His needs; and with righteous people such as St John the Forerunner and Baptist, whom He approached to fulfil all righteousness (Matthew 3:15)- thus involving them in His public ministry. Why would Jesus have done that? He didn't need angels or the baptism of John. We know that Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30), but despite this relationship, Jesus was prepared to consult and interact with created beings, even despite His unique relationship with the Father.......

BUT

by far the most 'scandalous' or 'shocking' revelation of all in the life of Jesus is that Jesus Himself consulted with dead people. Righteous dead people, to be sure, but non-living people that once walked on the earth centuries earlier; who no longer breathed oxygen, nor had biologically active tissues. These people neither ate nor drank; neither slept nor rested; but nevertheless, they remained easily recognisable by others as living people. Jesus was not only happy to associate with them, He was prepared to discuss the most intimate details of His ministry with them (the pinnacle of His sacrifice) and He did so at a time when His Glory (which had hitherto been hidden from the eyes of His disciples and the world at large) was briefly permitted to burst forth!

You may well ask:"When did Jesus ever do such a thing?" ........

The answer is: AT HIS TRANSFIGURATION!

This is the clincher! The account of the Transfiguration can be found in: Matthew 17: 1-9, Mark 9:2-10 and Luke 9: 28-36. All three accounts describe Jesus taking Peter, James and John up a high mountain, and Jesus being transfigured. Jesus shone with heavenly light, that even His clothing became white as light. Then the most amazing thing happened: two 'non-living' people (one taken up into heaven before his death in 9th Century BC- the Prophet Elijah, and the other dying in 13th Cent BC- Prophet Moses) appeared before the Transfigured Christ as living people.

In all three accounts, we are told that Elijah and Moses appeared as recognisable people. They appeared alive, and were both talking with Jesus. These "non-living" men where seen alive and well and conversing with Jesus, the God incarnate. St Peter, in his excitement, believed them to be alive, he wished to make them each a booth (a tent or tabernacle) in which they could rest and shelter for a while. St Peter was in no doubt that these two men, whom he would have never seen before in his life, were alive, and furthermore, he was in no doubt as to their identity.

More specifically, St Luke tells that both saints "appeared in Glory" and spoke with Jesus about his departure (NASB, NIV), or decease (KJV, NKJV). The actual word in Greek being translated here is ἔξοδον:

(definition for ἔξοδος (exodos)

• 1. decease [noun] way out, exodus, hence, journey out, departure; spoken of departure from life, decease.
• 2. departing a way out, exit (hence, English exodus) journey out, departure. )

Luk 9:31, 2Pe 1:15

Thus the passage should more correctly read that "[they] spoke of His EXODUS which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem"

Thus these dead (humanly speaking) righteous men- AKA saints- appeared alive and glorified before the transfigured Jesus. They were not passive spirits, but were capable of discussing with Jesus His exodus- His death and, no doubt, His Resurrection from the dead. Jesus spoke with "dead" men about the most important aspect of His whole ministry- His death in Jerusalem. He discusses the New Passover-- the fulfilment of all passovers-- with two "non living" guys. Jesus had no problem consulting with, discussing with and fellowshiping with the saints. If we are to ask: "WWJD regarding the saints?" we would have to answer: "He had no problem consulting with them!"

Jesus talked with the saints as if they were alive! Jesus fellowshiped with the saints even when He clearly had demonstrated His divinity by His transfiguration. Jesus was not ashamed of the saints. Jesus did not shun the saints. Jesus did not say: "I don't need the saints, I'll go straight to God the Father". If you want to do as Jesus did; if you want to follow "WWJD" principles, then you must (MUST!) include the saints in your fellowship (whether they be on this earth or departed this life). To ignore the saints that have gone before us is to NOT follow 'WWJD' principles.

For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints;
They are preserved forever,
But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off. (Psalm 37:28)

Psalm 50:5
“Gather My saints together to Me,Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.”

Psalm 52:9
I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

Psalm 89:5
And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.

Psalm 89:7
God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

Psalm 97:10
You who love the LORD, hate evil!He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 116:15
Precious in the sight of the LORDIs the death of His saints.

Psalm 132:9
Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness,And let Your saints shout for joy.
Psalm 145:10
All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,And Your saints shall bless You.

Psalm 149:5
Let the saints be joyful in glory;Let them sing aloud on their beds.

SO DO WHAT JESUS DID AND HONOUR HIS SAINTS! That is WWJD!

Calling to remembrance our all-holy, immaculate, most blessed, and glorious Lady Theotokos and ever-Virgin Mary with all the Saints, let us entrust ourselves and each other, and all our life unto Christ our God.

AMEN

Veneration vs Worship: is there a difference?

A friend read my Blog "the mother of my Lord" (Luke 1:43): the communion of the Logos with the biology of Mary the Theotókos

and wrote:

"Sure, I agree that Mary and Elizabeth must have been holy, but they are NOT God and therefore should not be worshipped as such."

This is my reply:

Dear Friend,

You may be confusing veneration for worship.
In Greek we have two words to distinguish the two.
We have Proskynesis, (Greek προσκύνησις) and we have Latria ( Greek λατρεια)

Proskynesis is formed from the Ancient Greek words pros and kunyo literally means "kissing towards", and refers to the traditional Persian act of prostrating oneself before a person of higher social rank, and is the act of veneration; giving solemn reverence towards.

(see wikipaedia reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proskynesis#cite_note-0 )

Latria (from the Greek λατρεια) used in Orthodox to mean adoration, which is the highest form of worship or reverence and is directed only to the Holy Trinity.

(see wikipedia reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latria )

Orthodox Christians offer veneration (proskynesis) towards anything Holy and of great esteem, but offer worship/ adoration (latria) only to God the Trinity. In this Respect, the Orthodox Christians are continuing the Jewish custom of showing reverence to Holy things by holding them in high esteem and demonstrating this by touching, bowing and kissing them.

Just don’t take my word for it, have a look at these references:

“Whenever the scroll is opened to be read it is laid on a piece of cloth called the mappah. When the Sefer Torah is carried through the synagogue, the members of the congregation may touch the edge of their tallit to the Sefer Torah and then kiss it as a sign of respect.”

(ref wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefer_Torah )

Or another reference:

"A feature of most [Jewish] services is some form of kissing, usually associated with the Torah, kissing it as it is marched by or before one blesses it. This is done through another medium such as touching a prayerbook or a hand to the Torah then kissing it. Some people also kiss prayerbooks after picking them up if they have fallen to the floor. In Israel kissing mezuzot, ritual containers with biblical verses on the doorposts of most rooms, has become a major form of popular spirituality, including many who are not at all religious."

(ref. Dept Jewish Zionist Education http://www.jafi.org.il/education/juice/history1/week7.html )

The Jews would strongly deny that they worship the wood, metal, paper and ink of the Torah or other religious items, but because it contains the word of God and it brings God into the consciousness of the Jew, they touch it and kiss it like they would a precious Holy object or person. This is true for the Orthodox Christians, who are the new Jews (by adoption) in the post Messianic age.

The problem with a lot of Christians, in my opinion, is that they don’t offer adoration/worship to Jesus and God at any rate, and confuse their veneration (or agreement) of Him for worship. Most Christian, I suspect, would feel very uncomfortable to fall on their faces before Jesus if He were to appear before them. I suspect that this is partly a cultural thing (ie middle eastern, Mediterranean people kiss everything and anything out of love; whilst Western Europeans tend to shake hands and show little emotion even in times of severe distress, such as grief and trauma), but I also suspect that pride and feeling undignified has something to do with it.

Many Protestants have forgotten to offer respect to Mary, and some have gone so far as to shun her completely (as if she were a sinful person). Many Protestant churches today make little or no reference to her in their daily living and preaching (and yet they will discuss St Paul, John Knox, Martin Luther, Calvin etc etc), and yet we read:

The major figures of the Reformation honored Mary. Martin Luther said Mary is "the highest woman", that "we can never honour her enough", that "the veneration of Mary is inscribed in the very depths of the human heart", and that Christians should "wish that everyone know and respect her". John Calvin said, "It cannot be denied that God in choosing and destining Mary to be the Mother of his Son, granted her the highest honor." Zwingli said, "I esteem immensely the Mother of God", and, "The more the honor and love of Christ increases among men, so much the esteem and honor given to Mary should grow". Thus the idea of respect and high honour was not rejected by the first Protestants; but they criticized the Catholics for blurring the line, between high admiration of the grace of God wherever it is seen in a human being, and religious service given to another creature.

(ref wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus) )

In the final analysis, I agree with you that only God deserves worship (latria), BUT that still begs the question:

"how do you demonstrate your reverence and thankfulness
to Jesus' mother for her active part in the Incarnation?"

Without Mary's ‘Yes’ to God, the incarnation could not have happened (just read Luke chapter 1 slowly and carefully). Mary had to say “yes” for it all to occur. She was not coerced. And then, in the final analysis, Mary herself tells us that “For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48)

Cheers, hope to keep in touch
With love in Christ

Spiro

"the mother of my Lord" (Luke 1:43): the communion of the Logos with the biology of Mary the Theotókos

The Hypothesis- can the Orthodox Justify the Title of Theotókos for the Mother of Jesus from a Scriptural Standpoint?

The Orthodox Church calls Mary, Jesus’ mother, the Theotókos: a synthesis of two Greek words: Theós and tókos (Gr: Θεός- God, and τόκος- parturition, childbirth). But what is this all about? Is this scripturally defendable, OR some kind of Greek hocus-pocus? Surely if the Orthodox Church claims to be the true Church of Christ, there must be a reflection of the title “Theotókos” in the scriptures which the Church produced and claims to reflect its inner life.

My Scriptural Synthesis of the title Theotókos

My scriptural analysis and synthesis begins with Elizabeth and her prophetic role in the Messianic Age. According to the Gospel of Luke, Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron the priest (Luke 1:5). She and her husband Zechariah were "righteous before God, living blamelessly" (1:6), but childless. Zechariah was visited by the Archangel Gabriel, who told him his wife would have a son who "will be great in the sight of the Lord" (1:15) (text copied from wikipedia). Elizabeth is described as a relative of Mary in the Gospel of Luke, and by tradition is said to be Mary’s cousin, according to St Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170-c. 236); the mother of Elizabeth, Sobe and the mother of Mary, Saint Anne were sisters (Wikipedia reference).

We are told in Luke’s Gospel, that Elizabeth proclaimed in a loud voice about Mary:

"Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told her from the Lord" (Luke 1:42-45)

I would like to unpack these statements a bit in order to fully highlight their significance. But before I do that, I would like to take a few small steps backward to the circumstances just prior to Elizabeth’s “fantastical” comments regarding this young, unwed, pregnant woman, known to us as Mary.

Elizabeth's Inspiration- was it human or Divine revelation?

We need to see the aetiology of Elizabeth's exuberant proclamations. Were her words mere hyperbole, OR indeed inspired? Was it the expression of human flattery, OR God's revelation indeed? Were they the ramblings of an 'crazed' elderly pregnant woman who had been scorned all her life for being barren, OR were they the expression of truth from a prophetess' mouth?

"And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said..." (Luke 1:41)

Lets have a closer look at the sequence of events leading up to Elizabeth’s proclamations of Mary:
1. Mary's calls out a greeting--->
2. Elizabeth's hears the greeting--->
3. Elizabeth’s baby responds in an extraordinary joyous manner--->
4. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit.- i.e. she is saturated with the Spirit (you can't get more "Pentecostal" than that!)----> and
5. Elizabeth opens her mouth and goes 'nuts' with the praise for this little unmarried girl named Mary, who (oops), by the way, happens also to be pregnant!

Mary has said nothing specific to Elizabeth about her circumstances, nothing about her pregnancy or even the purpose of her visit. We recall that Mary left in haste after the Annunciation to visit her kinswoman (who was 6 months pregnant) (Luke 1:39). There were no emails, telephone calls, telegrams to inform Elizabeth ahead of time. There would have been no time to send a messenger ahead of time to inform Elizabeth, and why would she? To be found pregnant outside of marriage was a shameful situation and punishable by death by stoning!

All that Mary did was enter the house of Elizabeth and made a salutation. But this simplest of actions caused the foetus of St John the Forerunner and Baptist to leap for joy in an extraordinary physical way, And at the same time to enabled Elizabeth to be filled by the Holy Spirit.

This begs the question:

"WHY?".

Why does the greeting of a lowly pregnant girl, unmarried (although betrothed to Joseph) cause such a commotion? What was so special about this girl to inspire such a response form an elderly woman and her unborn baby? I will answer this question in due course- but before I do that, I would like to highlight yet another interesting fact in this scenario, that unfolded with the visitation of Mary and Elizabeth.

Prophecy returns to the nation of Israel after a 400 Year Absence!

With her encounter of the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth effectively becomes the first person of the nation of Israel since the Prophet Malachi (400 B.C.) to publicly prophesy God's will, albeit to Mary herself in the first instance. We know that the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary at the Annunciation (Lk 1:35), but Mary remained publicly silent of the event until after she visited Elizabeth (Lk 1:46). Zacharia was also visited by the Archangel Gabriel, but because he did not believe the angel he was made "mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place" (Lk 1:20). Thus Elizabeth effectively becomes the 1st to publicly prophesy in the Messianic age.

This is the first instance in a long-time (approximately 400 years) since the Holy Spirit filled a citizen of the nation of Israel (i.e. manifested and revealed Himself to that person) in order to proclaim God's revelation to the people of Israel (i.e. to become a prophet). Even though Elizabeth's public proclamation was to the exclusive audience of Mary, the foetal John the Forerunner, and the foetal Jesus, the message has in time been proclaimed to all generations (first to the Jews and then to the Gentile) as evidenced by its inclusion in Luke's Gospel.

Not since the Prophet Malachi (around 400 B.C.) has God's Holy Spirit prophesied to the people of Israel via a prophet concerning the coming age of the Messiah. Now once again, the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity), who (by the way) is yet to be revealed to the nation of Israel as the third person of the Trinity (a revelation still some 30 years or so away from Jewish consciousness; occurring at the time of Christ's Baptism (Luke 3:22)) this same Holy Spirit fills Elizabeth's whole being (her spiritual "hard-drive" so to speak) and opens her mouth (not in a robotic, manipulating or mechanistic manner, but in a synergistic way; in synchrony with "God's will", in order to proclaim God's word.

From this time onward, the Nation of Israel begins to prophesy again. We see multiple examples of Messianic prophesy occurring in the wake of Elizabeth's proclamations: the prophesies of Mary herself in the Magnificant (Like 1:46); of Zacharia in "the Benedictus" (Luke 1:76); of Symeon and Anna in the temple (Lk 2:25-38); and John the Forerunner and Baptist (Lk 3:2) just to name a few.

Even though women had very poor socio-political standing in Judaism at the time of Christ (and were not considered reliable witnesses by Judaic Law), God nevertheless chose a woman--Elizabeth-- to be the 1st prophet in the Messianic age!.....WOW!

Thus a new age of prophecy was ushered into Israel through a woman. It all gets kick started again with Elizabeth- an elderly, and, until recently, a barren woman, who would have been shunned by her community and suffered much grief as a result of her barrenness.

Having chosen a women to be the 1st prophet in the Messianic age, what did Holy Spirit want her to say?

The Proclamation of the Prophetess Elizabeth.

What was the 1st thing this prophet said? What had God enlightened her to say after some 400 years of prophetic absenteeism amongst the people of Israel. Was it something profound regarding the establishment of an earthly kingdom for the Jews in a Messianic age (or something equally as vain)?

No it was not.

The first words uttered by this neo-prophetess of Israel were words of praise and exaltation for a young, unwed, pregnant girl; a young mother-to-be, who although unwed was betrothed to Joseph (who lacking the prophetic insight of the prophetess Elizabeth, and jumping to the conclusion that Mary must have had sex with a man, sought to divorce her in an quiet manner and be done with the whole affair (Matthew 1:19).

God's re-establishment of prophesy to the nation of Israel begins with "over the top" praise of a young unwed pregnant woman. For 400 years there was prophetic silence, and then suddenly (as quickly as it took for one to respond to the salutation of a kins person), we have Elizabeth proclaiming in a loud voice, "blessed are you amongst women" and "blessed is the fruit of your womb".

Wow! Mama mia!

Just take a moment and think through the implications of these words.............

For 400 years, the Spirit of God did not inspire any new prophetic proclamations. Then suddenly, the first thing Elizabeth says after having been filled by the Holy Spirit are:

1. "You're most excellent amongst all women"

AND

2. "Your baby that is fruiting (forming, growing, taking shape)
in your womb as we speak is also most excellent "

Just stop a while and contemplate the order in which the praise was given. Remember, Elizabeth has just been saturated with the Holy Spirit. She is filled with the Spirit. She is the embodiment of the 'Pentecostal' believer. Out of her mouth comes praise for this woman above all other women, and then, contrary to the belief that Mary was just a conduit that God used (and thus, by implication, He could have used any womb to achieve the same purpose), Mary's 'uterine' fruit is equally blessed.

Mary's Uterus

Mary's uterus produced the fruit we know as Jesus from the seed planted by the Holy Spirit. Fruit on a tree or a vine takes time to form from flower to edible fruit. Jesus was that fruit from Mary's uterus. Flesh and blood drawn from Mary's endometrium (the blood-vessel laden lining of the uterus designed to sustain the growth of an embryo from a group of cells into a fully grown baby) helped grow and form the human body of Jesus Christ (who whilst He was and remained Truly God's Son from all eternity, became a True Man with a body that grew as an embryo inside his mother's uterus; embedded in the endometrium).

"The Word became flesh" (from the prologue of St John's Gospel) was a process which took time. It took 9 months to be precise. It required cell division (mitosis) and replication and cellular growth. It required the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into differentiated mature cells to form all the organs of the body. This whole process demanded a functioning uterus, with endometrium capable of allowing a placenta to form in order for life giving nutrients to be exchanged for toxic metabolites and waste products.

Metabolic waste material produced by the Messianic foetal tissues of Jesus' body, were exchanged across the placenta for nutrients found in Mary's blood stream, in order for Jesus to grow in-utero as a truly human baby. Mary was not just a passive tube (a conduit) that Jesus passed through without being in intimate communion with Mary's physiology and physical being. The encounter was not a passive and unimportant exchange between Jesus and His mother; but instead from her very own flesh and blood Jesus took nutrients and oxygen to make his own flesh and blood, and in turn Jesus passed on metabolic waste by-products to his mother. Mary's liver, lung and kidneys had to process those waste-products as part of the natural mind-blowing miracle that is pregnancy and child birth.

The seed planted by the Holy Spirit into the uterus of Mary, following her assent to God's will at the Annunciation (Luke 1: 35- ), was nurtured and cared for by her biological uterine tissues in order to achieve the birth of a live-baby (a truly human child) 9 months later.

Mary did not give birth to Jesus' divinity..... NO, that existed before all time. It was with God and it was God (prologue of St John). BUT in order for the Eternal Logos to become flesh, he had to take flesh and grow as an embryo inside the womb; inside a biological uterus.

Just pause a moment and ponder on this mystery......

We confess Jesus Christ as True God and True Man. The God-Man in total perfection. One with God the Father from all eternity, and one with us in his humanity, except that He did not sin (Hebrews 4:15). The Divinity of the Second Person of the Trinity was somehow completely contained within the confines of Mary's uterus- unaltered, uncompromised and unbelievable- a mystery beyond the understanding of our feeble human brains. The Uncontainable became contained within the uterus of Mary........ impossible for us to understand but for "God nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37)

Why is Mary so Blessed?

Was Mary blessed because she possessed functional female genital-reproductive anatomy? Was she blessed because she had the capacity to nurture the foetal Jesus in-utero, and breast feed Him after giving birth to Him? No Mary was NOT blessed because she possessed the right anatomy and physiology (Luke 11:27). Most women are born with a uteri and breasts, but they are not automatically "Blessed amongst women" because of them.

No, biology and physiology were NOT the source of Mary's blessedness. But rather, her willingness to be obedient to God's will. She was blessed because she was willing to say "Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38), a fact testified to by the prophetess Elizabeth: "Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Luke 1:45). Thus Mary's obedience reversed the disobedience of our mother Eve in the Garden, and as a result Mary became the ultimate example of Jesus' teaching that "blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (Luke 11:28).

Mary not only heard the word of God, but also kept it, consented to it and did it, and thus her physical biological attributes become an extension of her blessedness, so much so that not only her voice (her greeting) can be perceived by the foetal John the Forerunner and Baptist, making him leap for joy, and Elizabeth can be filled by the Holy Spirit, but also her womb has the capacity to bear good fruit; to give form and structure to the Incarnate Logos, the second person of the Trinity.

Now for the KNOCK OUT PUNCH

Finally we reach the pinnacle of the argument. Was Mary just the mother of Jesus the man? Was the baby she formed in her womb just a mere human to which the Word of God was somehow subsequently attached following His birth. Well, besides the fact that these arguments have been refuted as heresy by the Church in the 5th Century, the biblical account clearly refutes this.

Firstly, if Mary was carrying in her womb a mere human being and not the God-man Jesus, why was her salutation capable of inducing the foetal John to leap in his mother's womb, and to cause Elizabeth to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Why would her voice have any power to induce these reactions? If she were not carrying the Word of God in His entirety, she would have been like any other pregnant woman that Elizabeth would have encountered in her daily life. But Mary's salutation was capable of inducing metaphysical reactions.

And secondly, why did Elizabeth (after being filled by the Holy Spirit) call Mary the "mother of my Lord" if she was not in truth the Theotókos? The name of God was too reverent to be read aloud by the Jews. It was the Jewish practice of substituting the spoken Hebrew word 'Adonai' (translated as 'Lord') for YHWH when read aloud (wikipedia reference). Thus when Elizabeth referred to Mary as the "mother of my Lord", she was calling her the "mother of God". And thus we find in the scripture the legitimacy of the Orthodox Title given to Mary as the Theotókos.

Conclusion and Summation

It is with confidence that the Orthodox call Jesus' mother the Theotókos. They take their lead from Elizabeth, the 1st prophet of the Messianic Era. Having been filled with the Holy Spirit, she pronounced with a loud voice "blessed......, blessed........, and ....the mother of my Lord".

This begs the questions: "Can one be filled with the Holy Spirit and deny Mary's blessedness? Can one be filled with the Holy Spirit and deny Mary's claim to motherhood of God the Son? Can you give honour to the Son and shun His mum?"

Glory be to Jesus Christ. Blessed is His mum, for she has given birth to the Saviour of the world.

"more honourable than the cherubim,
and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim,
who without defilement gave birth to God the Word,
true Theotókos
we honour you"


AMEN