Mary is perhaps the most fascinating person in the Bible for us to listen to and think about. Mary’s role is not only about giving birth to Jesus and the importance of mothering him in his childhood. In John’s gospel, she is among the women standing near the cross; in Acts, she is among the disciples awaiting the gift of the Spirit. The church (including Martin Luther) honors Mary with the title theotokos, meaning “God-bearer,” for her role in giving birth to the Child of God. Through all that happened, Mary continued to see how God was at work in Jesus, keeping the ancient promises to her ancestors, calling the powerful to account, and focusing on those as powerless as Mary in her time. August 15 was set as the Assumption of Mary, because of the early church’s understandings that Mary was “assumed” to heaven. As Lutherans, we honor Mary, her being, her humility, her tenacity, her trust, and her life-long focus on Jesus, her dear boy, who is her risen Lord and ours.
Sunday, August 16 | The Feast of Mary, Mother of God
