Many people in the religious world – particularly among the Catholic Church – exalt Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, to a higher position than where she is placed in the Bible.
It is true that Mary does hold a special place in God’s scheme of redemption. The same is true for people like Abraham, David, or any of the others mentioned in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38). But some have taken their perception of Mary too far and it has led them to deify her and make her an object of worship and a recipient of prayers.
The glorification of Mary was idea that arose in the first century. Luke recorded, “While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, ‘Blessed is the womb that bore You and the breasts at which You nursed’” (Luke 11:27).
Jesus’ response should settle this issue for all time: “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it” (Luke 11:28).
Mary is not somehow equal to God because of the part she played in God’s plan. We must honor God, not His creation (Romans 1:25). The way we honor God, and the way we will be blessed by Him, is by observing what His word tells us.
