St. Paul’s Adult Forum
Spring 2008
Women of the Bible
Mary, Mother of Jesus - May 4
Luke 1-2, Matt. 1-2, Mark 3 & 6, Acts 1-2
Before we discuss the specific passages assigned for today, let’s think about the images and concepts that come to our mind when we think of Mary. How is she usually depicted in art? How is she referred to? How is this different from and similar to the Mary we actually encounter in scripture?
Luke’s birth narrative of Jesus gives us more description of Mary and her response to her situation than any other gospel.
 | How is she depicted in Luke? How does she view Jesus? |
| What does Luke’s story say to the reader about Jesus? about his mother? |
| What is the theme of the Magnificat? |
| Suppose that Luke’s account is meant metaphorically--what might we imagine could have been the real life situation of Mary? |
Matthew’s birth narrative tells us much more about Joseph than Mary. What is Mary’s role in this account?
Mark does not have a birth narrative, but it does contain references to Jesus’ family. What is Jesus’ relationship like with his mother and siblings in these accounts? How does this compare to Luke?
John’s depiction of Mary shows her as one of his disciples who follows him during his ministry and to his death in Jerusalem. (This also seems to be the case at the start of Acts.) How is this different from the other accounts? What does her relationship with Jesus seem to be like in John’s gospel?
| What do you think Mary has to tell us? |
| Do you think of her depiction as a virgin to be a positive or negative tradition? Why? |
| Were you surprised by anything you discovered when reading these sections? |
For next week: Jairus’ daughter and the bleeding woman (Mark 5, Luke 8:4 - 56; Matt. 9:18 - 26)