There’s Something About Mary

I have never watched the 1998 film, “There’s Something About Mary.”

Although I have watched almost any Ben Stiller comedy, I have never seen this particular film. In fact, I am not a fan of Cameron Diaz, who also stars in the film. However, the film’s title has always stuck in my mind because it seems to resonate with the concept of Mary, the Mother of God.

If you are Roman Catholic, she was and will always be the Virgin Mary. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, she is: “…the Church’s model of faith and charity… by her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to the Son’s redemptive work, and every prompting of the Holy Spirit…”

However, to Protestants, she is only the mother of Jesus.

Protestants believe that Roman Catholics place an excessive emphasis on Mary and, therefore, will ignore her throughout the year, except during Christmas when every Protestant becomes a Neo-Catholic: singing hymns in Latin, such as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” singing songs about Mary, such as “Mary Did You Know,” celebrating Christmas—which in some Protestant circles is an unbiblical tradition initiated by the Catholic Church—and finally, even dragging out graven images of Mary with baby Jesus. Despite these actions, Protestants seemed determined to tarnish her Catholic reputation by reminding anyone willing to listen that she did not remain a virgin.

“Do whatever he tells you.”

Years ago, in my capacity as a Protestant pastor, I delivered a sermon on the significance of Mary as a role model for all followers of Jesus. I meticulously referenced every instance of Mary mentioned in the Bible and other historical accounts. The information available is substantial. I referred to her as the “First Disciple.”

Even if one’s religious beliefs prohibit the designation of her as a saint, Mary stands as an exemplary figure of unwavering devotion to God. Furthermore, she provided invaluable guidance on how to live one’s faith. During a Middle Eastern wedding in the first century, just moments before Jesus’s initial revelation of His divine nature beyond that of a small business owner, Mary instructed the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

This counsel is both timeless and relevant to contemporary times.

Clearly, there is something profoundly admirable about Mary..