Topic: The Mother of God & Death
Question:
John, how would you answer the following objection:
Mary is can no longer be Jesus' mother because physical relationships end at death?
Answer:
If that is true, what biblical teaching backs that up? In other words, what bible passage teaches that death nullifies the relationship between a Father and a Son or a mother and a son? There is no explicit teaching on that in the bible that I know of.
The objector will reason that since death ends the bond of matrimony and a widowed spouse is allowed to marry again, then the same reasoning applies to motherhood, fatherhood, brotherhood, sisterhood, etc. Passages that support such a position include:
"But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." (Matthew 22:29-30)
"Do you not know, brethren--for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law is binding on a person only during his life? Thus a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress." (Romans 7:1-3)
There are, however, couple of points of departure when comparing marriage to motherhood.
a)Unlike marriage, ‘motherhood’ is neither a covenant or a contract between two consenting parties (CCC 1626), nor is it a sacrament (Cf. John 2:1-11, 1 Cor 7:14), nor subject to annulment or dissolution:
"But if the unbelieving partner desires to separate, let it be so; in such a case the brother or sister is not bound. For God has called us to peace." (1 Cor 7:15)
A son can have no more than one mother, but a mother can have more than one husband in a lifetime.
There is no indication in the bible, or anywhere else for that matter, that motherhood is dissolved at death. Quite the contrary actually: Mary is still truly (called) the mother of Jesus even after His death (Cf. Acts 1:14)
b) So if Mary is no longer the Mother of Jesus, then does that mean we are no longer sons of God?
"Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:25-27)
John Pacheco
The Catholic Legate
July 2, 2001