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Lesson OneMary, Jesus’ Mother and Disciple3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoOld Testament Women in Matthew’s Genealogy3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeMary Magdalene3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FourJairus' Daughter and the Hemorrhaging Woman3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson FiveThe Canaanite Woman3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SixThe Samaritan Woman3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson SevenMary and Martha3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson EightPhoebe and Junia3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson NinePriscilla and Lydia: Hosts of Paul3 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TenConclusion3 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion2 Activities1 Assessment
Discussion Questions
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Reflect on Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55). What stands out to you from Mary’s words?
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Instead of worrying about the future and all the difficulties it could bring for bearing a child out of wedlock, Mary was able to accept her mission from God in faith. She considered herself blessed that the Lord had done great things for her (v.48-49). Hence she praised and rejoiced in the Lord, instead of being sad (v.46-47). I think that this is remarkable from a young lady like her.
#women
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The Magnificat, from the Latin for “magnify.” Mary magnifies the Lord, proclaiming God’s greatness and rejoicing in God as Savior. She is exalting God, acknowledging His greatness. So beautiful, we all do well to praise God
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What a perfect way to express Mary’s emotions, in her song. That she has faith, courage and was obedience to God. Mary has a big heart and she is willing to sacrifice everything to fulfill God’s will. On the other hand, God does not look outward but inward of a person and Mary must have all the attributes and characteristics of a person that God chose her. Furthermore, no matter the circumstances, Mary knows that God will not abandon her. Mary is a blessed and special woman indeed.
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“Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed.”
These words stand out to me because they show that Mary understands her significant role in history. And she is correct. Generations later we do know her and call her blessed.
As a middle age woman, I sometimes reflect upon my own life and things that have occurred and how I did not realize their significance at the time.
So, I think those words highlight the prophetess aspect of Mary’s character. But of course, when an angel of the Lord speaks to you and informs of such an amazing mission that’s been assigned to you, you gotta know something major is happening!
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Mary was a woman loved God was open to be used by God. She also was a woman who knew the old testment.
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Compare and contrast your thoughts and emotions around Mary’s character in the Gospels before and after this session. What has shifted in your perception of Mary? Why?
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I see that, although Mary accepted her mission from God, she would have a lot to learn as to what heartache Jesus’ death would bring her. Moreover, at junctures when she didn’t fully why Jesus carried his mission the way he did, she had to learn that it is Father God’s will that is more important than her own will for her son.
#women
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I consider her to have been humble and meek, she glorified God, yielded to the will of God, she would also have had courage and strength, to have been pregnant and not many people would have believed her it was by the Holy Spirit. Her friend Elizabeth was also described as righteous. So Mary would have long revered God. She also showed great faith. Mary lived to see her son Jesus Christ crucified. She showed courage and faith, and is a model for us to follow
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I have to say that before this session I saw Mary more as a mother and playing more of passive role in Jesus’s life after she gave birth to Him.
After this session, I came to see Mary as also one of Jesus’s disciples.
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I’ve always thought of Mary as devoted and submissive to God, a woman who must have been a bit confused about what was happening in her life but was willing to trust God. Now I am beginning to see the other important roles she carried, a prophet, a disciple of Jesus, and her role in giving birth to Jesus and being present at the births of the Church. A humble woman exalted by the God whom loved and adored.
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My shift in perspective has to do with my understanding of the betrothal and how farther along in the process Mary and Joseph were. I also did not think about Mary’s parents and the implications this may have had on their lives as well.
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According to Dr. Cohick, Mary’s identity in the Gospels centers around three primary roles: mother, prophet, and disciple. Which of these elements tend to get left out, why is that, and what difference does it make?
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I think that the roles of prophet and disciple tend to be left out. In venerating her (which the Catholics do), we tend to forget that she was also human and she had to learn to be a disciple of God too. We also forget that in the Magnificat Mary was able to say many things about the future under the inspiration of God.
#women
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Mary’s role highlights the attributes of women who followed Jesus Christ. Mary was a mother, but also a disciple, she would have been an important leader in the formation of Christianity. This shifts the focus onto the importance of women in sharing the Gospel message and their importance in sharing the message of Jesus Christ.
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I think Mary’s role as a prophet mainly gets left out. I can’t say I’ve ever thought of her that way before this session. I think emphasizing Mary’s role as a mother is a beautiful thing. However, limiting her to just this role and not exploring her role as a prophet and a disciple, falsely portrays her as somewhat one dimensional.
Because Mary has been used as a role model for following generations of women, this incomplete perception of her can be used to restrict and limit the role of women in the church, perhaps hindering women from serving the fullness of their calling.
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I think Mary as a prophet is usually left out. I have never heard of Mary being referred in a prophetic way and to some degree she is not so much recognized as a disciple. The focus that I am familiar with is, “Mary, the Mother of Jesus”. She is more often “mother” of our Lord. I suspect that this is because she lived in a very patriachal society and to some extend that patriarchy is still with us today. By leaving out the elements of prophet and disciple, Mary is shown a very submissive (for lack of a better word) role and not as a woman who has knowledge of the old testament scripture or as a follower of Jesus.
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Over the centuries there has been such an overemphasis on Mary, the mother, that I actually think that there are two elements of her character that should be mentioned even more—her as a prophet and as a disciple. She had to navigate all three at such a young age but she did it with grace and honor to her Lord.