Minister Mary

I really like this new book by Amy Peeler, Women and the Gender of God. She discusses women and gender and God in a way that includes theology and Bible and gender studies, not just Bible. And she talks a lot about Mary, who deserves more attention for anyone studying women and gender in the Bible. I don’t have a verse count but is there any woman in the entire Bible [correction: New Testament] talked about more than Mary? (Don’t ask Protestants because they don’t know. Or at least most of them don’t.)

In her last chapter Peeler examines Mary and Ministry in four phases:

1.    Proclamation in the Magnificat (last post on this book)

2.    Mothering in Luke 2 especially

3.    Parenting and Proclamation at Cana (John 2)

4.    Proclamation at Pentecost (Acts 2). (Deuces are wild.)

Notice the theme of proclamation in these episodes in Mary’s life. In each of these four episodes Peeler goes through each text with a clear exposition and interaction with significant scholarship. All of it accessible, though.

In the temple

Mary mothers Jesus as he grows and matures, or as Hebrews says, is “perfected” (2:10; 5:9; 7:28). In the second temple visit, where the parents do not realize he’s not with them, we see more parenting and Amy suggests that Jesus participated in a moment of “mutual misunderstanding” – he does not understand why they didn’t think he needed to be with his Father, and they don’t understand why he remained in the temple (or why he did that to them). From this moment on Jesus returns with them to the Galilee where he remains under their, or her (more likely), tutelage. She suggests the temple event was a learning event for Jesus. The parents taught Jesus; they shaped him; and the presence of Magnificat themes in Jesus’ ministry evinces a Lukan portrait of Jesus learning from his mother’s song.

At Cana

Mary’s a leader here and family, along with Jesus’ followers, are all present. Mary intervenes with Jesus when they run out of wine; Jesus seems to push her aside slightly only to do what she wants, but her wanting surrenders to Jesus’ doing. Neither family nor timing will determine what Jesus does. Then the water is turned into wine, but only because Mary has instructed the servants to go to the right person to get the job done. Jesus only does this because “Mary has brought it to his attention and because the servants have followed his command.” Mary trusts; Jesus does. Provisions are abundant, well beyond what was needed. And “a manager avoids reproach, a family avoids shame, but for almost everyone else there, he does so simply so that their joyful celebration can continue and improve.” The abundant wine reveals a Jesus who wants “to make life worth living.” He intensifies joy and celebration and festivity.”

At Pentecost

This is often ignored because many miss Acts 1:14, where Mary is present. Amy Peeler establishes through the “all” words that Mary is not just there at the beginning and then turned into a wallflower or sent home. Mary is present for the ascension and prayer in Acts 1, for Pentecost and for speaking in tongues in Acts 2 (remember the Spirit in Joel comes upon daughters, too, and she’s the only named woman), and she would have been present to experience the fellowship following Peter’s sermon. Mary can be ignored by men and by Protestants, but women hear and see Mary. Thank you Amy Peeler.

I have one question for Amy Peeler after this chapter: What about Revelation 12?

This book has been a delightful read for me. Peeler illuminates dimensions about God, about theology, about the Bible’s language, and much of this with a concentration on Mary, that can stimulate the conversation about God in a way that we no longer image God in male or masculine terms.

Mary is the mother of God, Mary mothered God in the flesh, and in Mary, a woman, God took up flesh in a woman, the epicenter of the Spirit.