A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Mary of Nazareth
MARY,
The mother of our Lord and Saviour, was the daughter of Eli, or Joachim, of the house of David. She dwelt in the city of Nazareth; and her personal history commences with the salutation of the angel, "Hail, highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." It was the angel Gabriel who thus addressed her. What appearance this ministering spirit wore, we are not told; but it seems that she felt it was an angel, and was "troubled," as she could not comprehend the purport of the salutation. Then Gabriel went on to unfold the purpose of Grod towards her; that she was to be the blessed mother of the holy Messiah, the "Jesus; called the son of the Highest."
To be the mother of "Shiloh" had been, probably, the hope and prayer of many a pious mother in Israel, from the time of Jacob's prediction. But, though Isaiah had prophesied that "a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us," still it is not probable this was understood literally, or that any Jewish virgin had even hoped to be thus miraculously endowed with the privilege of motherhood
Mary of Nazareth was a young and humble maiden, betrothed to a poor man, a carpenter named Joseph. Could she, in her lowly estate, ever have dreamed of the glory awaiting her? She could not. She had, in all truth and humility, only been solicitous to perform, from her heart, every duty before her, in the fear and love of God; thus it was that she "found favour with God."
When the angel had assured her she should be the blessed mother of the promised Messiah, and had answered her simple, child-like question, "How shall this be?" she instantly believed, and accepted the high mission.
Zacharias did not believe the announcement made to him by Gabriel of the birth of John. The priest was righteous—as man is righteous—but the difference between the masculine and the feminine nature is most strikingly illustrated in these two examples; Zacharias was earthward in his doubts, his reason; Mary was heavenward in her faith, her feelings. He believed not the angel, and was struck dumb; she believed, and "the Holy Ghost overshadowed her!"
Great, indeed, must have been her faith, when it wholly overcame all fear of man, all selfish considerations. She was betrothed, and therefore not only her reputation, but her life, would be placed in jeopardy if she were proven to have been unfaithful to her plighted husband. When assured that she should "bear a Son," who would not be Joseph's son, it would seem natural that some fears for her own safety might have clouded her faith. But no; her humble, trusting answer was, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Worthy was Mary to be the mother of our Saviour;—that the human nature, He who was very God took on himself, should be derived from her, the obedient woman! Thus is the high and holy mission of her sex indicated;—to receive the promises of God in humble faith, and transmute these, as it were, like living principles, into the souls of their sons.
From the birth of her first-born son, Mary seems to have been absorbed in His destiny. We only see her when ministering to Him. That His nature and office were revealed to her, the Bible records; and that she was His first disciple is also indicated, as she first applies the term "my Saviour" to God. She kept all these divine revelations, "all these sayings in her heart." A woman's heart was the only human heart which then held the secret that the Saviour had come.
And it was at the suggestion of a woman—of Mary—that the first miracle of the Saviour was performed. There seems to be a strange misapprehension in many minds respecting the circumstances attending this miracle—the changing of the water into wine—as if our Saviour spoke chidingly, or disrespectfully, to His mother. The word "Woman" is in reality a nobler and more beautiful appellation than Lady or Madam, or any other conventionalism or title. It is the Eden name of the female, and when our Saviour used it, was most honourable. It appears from the sacred narrative, that Mary, discovering there was no wine, and feeling assured in her own soul that the time was come for her divine Son to begin His mission of love, intimated this to Him.
During the three eventful years which followed this miracle, Mary watched the ministry of her divine son, rejoicing in his deeds of love and mercy, and weeping with him in his sorrows. And she was beside him in his last agony. We see in this the immense power of her love; though he was condemned to die the bitter death of a felon; forsaken of all his followers save a few women; of all his chosen disciples save one—the faithful, gentle, loving, womanlike John; and though the dreadful scene would be "a sword to pierce through her own soul"—yet Mary the mother was near the cross of the Christ. And the last throb of human affection the Son of God manifested was for his mother. With his dying breath, he consigned her to the care of the beloved John.
We have one last glimpse of this "highly favoured among women," as a meek and earnest follower of the faith the risen Saviour had established. In the "Acts of the Apostles" it is recorded that in an upper room at Jerusalem, where the eleven apostles "abode"—"these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus."
Her history commences with the salutation, and ends, appropriately, with prayer. Her youth was distinguished by the favour of God; her maturity by active piety and faithful discipleship; her age by fervent devotion and hallowed communion with the first church. Her birth-place, death, and burial, are not recorded; but the life is highest in honour whose records are of holy acts and heroic fidelity. What she said prophetically of herself has proved true—"All generations shall call me blessed." Can the like be said of any man? See St. Luke, chap. i., and St. John, chap. ii. and xix.