Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

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Bootstrap
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Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by Bootstrap »

Rules for this thread: I would like to start by limiting the thread to those who consider themselves Mennonite / Anabaptist. I will open it up later, but probably after exploring a few more questions with the Mennonite / Anabaptist contingent. This is also a no-debate thread, just answer for yourself or agree with things others have said, don't debate.

How do you relate to the phrase "all generations will call me blessed" in the Magnificat? What does it mean to you?
Luke 1:46-55 (ESV) wrote:And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
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silentreader
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by silentreader »

Bootstrap wrote:Rules for this thread: I would like to start by limiting the thread to those who consider themselves Mennonite / Anabaptist. I will open it up later, but probably after exploring a few more questions with the Mennonite / Anabaptist contingent. This is also a no-debate thread, just answer for yourself or agree with things others have said, don't debate.

How do you relate to the phrase "all generations will call me blessed" in the Magnificat? What does it mean to you?
Luke 1:46-55 (ESV) wrote:And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
Sorry, I posted in the briar patch before I saw this, I'm not sure how to flip it over.
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Bootstrap
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by Bootstrap »

Feel free to repost it here, if you want. Most things get lost in the Briar Patch - that may be its purpose ;->
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silentreader
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by silentreader »

silentreader wrote:
Bootstrap wrote:Rules for this thread: I would like to start by limiting the thread to those who consider themselves Mennonite / Anabaptist. I will open it up later, but probably after exploring a few more questions with the Mennonite / Anabaptist contingent. This is also a no-debate thread, just answer for yourself or agree with things others have said, don't debate.

How do you relate to the phrase "all generations will call me blessed" in the Magnificat? What does it mean to you?
Luke 1:46-55 (ESV) wrote:And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”


Mary was the mother of the incarnate Christ,
 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
found in v7&8,

She was not mother of the pre-incarnate Christ, nor, (IMO) of the post-incarnate Christ who sits on the right hand of God from v9-11.
She was the mother, as an instrument of God, of the Servant spoken of in the OT, for the Person Who was born flesh and blood, to do the will of His Father.
Last edited by silentreader on Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Neto
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by Neto »

In Mary's response to the message brought by the angel her humility really comes through. I see her statement of being blessed in that light. Not as though her being blessed was something she thought she deserved, but quite the opposite. I'll try to say this a different way: She saw herself as the recipient of a great blessing, and proclaimed that people would recognize that fact. I don't think she saw being blessed as coming out of her own character or worth. I guess I don't know how to say it other than to stress her utter humility.
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silentreader
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by silentreader »

Bootstrap wrote:Feel free to repost it here, if you want. Most things get lost in the Briar Patch - that may be its purpose ;->
And rightfully so.
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KingdomBuilder
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by KingdomBuilder »

I'll reply as overall I identify with Anabaptism. Sorry if you meant this was for more "real" Anabaptists.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
If you look at the prayer overall, and the specific verse quoted above, I see Mary as pointing all glory to God. Nowhere does it indicate that she is at all worthy of any praise or credit. I believe she is to be called blessed, and in fact she is, because she was used by our God as an instrument of bringing His Son to earth. That is why she is blessed. Nothing to do with her, her nature, or any special attributes. All because of God.
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silentreader
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by silentreader »

silentreader wrote:
silentreader wrote:
Bootstrap wrote:Rules for this thread: I would like to start by limiting the thread to those who consider themselves Mennonite / Anabaptist. I will open it up later, but probably after exploring a few more questions with the Mennonite / Anabaptist contingent. This is also a no-debate thread, just answer for yourself or agree with things others have said, don't debate.

How do you relate to the phrase "all generations will call me blessed" in the Magnificat? What does it mean to you?


Mary was the mother of the incarnate Christ,
 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
found in v7&8,

She was not mother of the pre-incarnate Christ, nor, (IMO) of the post-incarnate Christ who sits on the right hand of God from v9-11.
She was the mother, as an instrument of God, of the Servant spoken of in the OT, for the Person Who was born flesh and blood, to do the will of His Father.
Sorry again, I guess what I posted was not what you were looking for, since I have now actually read your post :oops:

But as I'm already off the beaten track, one more thought in my previous vein.
John 19:26-27English Standard Version (ESV)
26 When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” 27 Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
I have to wonder whether, besides being an example of His love and care for His mother, whether we could consider this a kind of 'handing off' as He prepared to lay aside His humanness.
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Bootstrap
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by Bootstrap »

silentreader wrote:Sorry again, I guess what I posted was not what you were looking for, since I have now actually read your post :oops:
OK, but there's still time to respond to the question in the OP ;->
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Re: Mary - an Anabaptist / Mennonite understanding

Post by silentreader »

Bootstrap wrote:Rules for this thread: I would like to start by limiting the thread to those who consider themselves Mennonite / Anabaptist. I will open it up later, but probably after exploring a few more questions with the Mennonite / Anabaptist contingent. This is also a no-debate thread, just answer for yourself or agree with things others have said, don't debate.

How do you relate to the phrase "all generations will call me blessed" in the Magnificat? What does it mean to you?
Luke 1:46-55 (ESV) wrote:And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”
One of the alternate possibilities of the 'all generations' is that she is referring to Jewish girls/women past and future who yearned to be chosen as the mother of the promised Messiah, but it was her whom God had chosen.
There does not seem to be any feeling of personal merit, she "rejoices in God my Saviour."
She recognizes the honor of bearing the Redeemer, but does not draw honor to herself, but rather offers it to God.
She recognizes the grace that is given to her is not hers but God's grace outflowing from who He is and what He has done and what He will do.
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Noah was a conspiracy theorist...and then it began to rain.~Unknown
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