Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-03
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Golden Text-',ThOu shalt call His
name Jesus, for it is He that shah
save His people from their SINS
Matt. lei.
For July 8, 1928
BY DIR. MARION McH. HULL


name Jesus, for it is He that shall
save His people from their sins
Matt. 1:21.
For period of several decades we
nave been studying the Scriptures
but we have never until this time
had a study of the life of the Virgin
Mary incidentally, of course, we
nave had some references to her life
hut never before has sheSbeen the
chief object of study. The probable
reason is that the Roman Catholic
church has made so much of her
and given her such a large place in
the thought and life of the church
that the Protestant church has
swung to the other extreme. 1t is
true that the Romanists have given
her too MUCK ---z----=s5ssv,, 1ven worship,
particularly among the less intelli-
gent ones; but it is equally true that
the Protestants have not given her
that respect which is due to one
who was chosen, of God to become the
mother of the Incarnate Son of God.
This confession is made, and gladly
now does the writer offer this tribute
to one of the loveliest characters in
the Bible. and in fact in all history.
> Her place has been and is unique.
It is due to her Influence very large
~ that women have the place in the
world that they now have, as we
SHALL show. She represents the best
efId truest in womanhood and a
Study of her life, meager as the de-
tails are, will command for her a
place second to none in the per.
senalities of history. To take Mary
out of art, out of literature, out of
architecture would be destructive to
each.
OF course, there has been a great
dea! written about her that is purely
iegandry: most of this would be seen
to obe false on the very face of it,
and a great deal more would be re-
jected by a simple study of the facts
of her life as given in the Scriptures.
For example, the legends that she
was attended constantly from her
birth by a thousand angels, that she
was washed and dressed and fed by
them so that not even her mother
ever saw her body; that at 10 she
was told by the angels she must
marry and that all the marriage
able men of her tribe were made to
bring their rods and place them upon
the altar and that only Joseph's rod
budded, the bud being white lily
which afterwards rose to heaven like
A dove. Many legends concerning
the flight into Egypt are likewise
spurious on their face; for example,
that all the trees bowed to the holy
family as they passed on their jour
ney except the aspen, for winch II
has been made to tremble ever since.
\Other legends and teachings are
obviously untrue. For. example, the
doctrine of the immaculate concep
tion-that is, that Mary was born
without sin and continued all her HE
sinless. This doctrine is the chlid OIL
the brain of Pope Plus X, ana was
given out by him in a, papal pun
in 1850. It has never been WhoHy
received bv all intelligent Cathollcs
oven. Mary's own words in her
song-'"The Magnificent brand 1t as
untTue. for she says: MY spirit
hath reioiced in God, my Savior. II
she were always sinless she "oulu
need no savior.
The doctrine Of her perpetual
.,.iroinitv is also shown to be writ
ten hv the word before" in Mat
thew 118 and the word till IN
Matthew 1925. These doctrines
lev out of Mariolatry, or the Wor.
Shin If Mary, and that grew out OIL
the1vronc conception of her Son ana
Lord and Savior. In the early days
nj the church, Jesus was recognized
n 8 both God and man, and the sym
nathy so often expressed by HIS
lie and lips made Him very real TO
everv hungry heart. Later on He
Was thought of more as a king; but
ieiHas not until the church went
into the darkness and Jesus began
tn-ba regarded only as a severe
J.1dge that the need for human
sympathy had to be met by some
one and who. unless Jesus, could
gYe this or plead with HIM 1or
'.nercv better than His mother?
Thus Mariolatry grew out of per
verified idea about Jesus, the All
Compassionate friend Of sinners,
the One who could be both Judge
and Advocate.
- Mary's History
Tradition says she was born on
September s, in the year of the
world 1885, that She was only 10
wears of age when she brought
forth her first born. Son, and that
she lived Is years after His death,
dying at the age of SO years. Ira
dition also says that she was the
daughter, the first child, of Joach-
i'm and Anna, who had two other
daughters, both of whom were nam
ed Mary, one becoming the mother
ho
the wife of Cleopos and fhe mother
Of. James the Less and Joses. None
of this can be substantiated. al
though there is strong probability
OF the truth of the last statement.
Tradition says that at her death,
all Of the apostles then living were
brought back from their fields of
labor to be at the bedside, and that
she. was buried in the valley of Je-
hoshaphat. 9 Of course, none of that
can be verified.
The Truth About Her
There are a very few references
in the Scriptures concerning her;
in fact, the meagerness is remark
able; but these give us certain
facts about her which are uncon-
trovertible. 1t is on the basis of
THESE lHdL MIDI SHOuIu NC lSlO III
the highest esteem by every fol
lower of Jesus. These references
are found in Matthew 1 and 2, a
few verses in Matthew u and one
verse in Chronicles 13. Parallel
passa ges to Matthew II were found
in Mark and Luke 8. Luke 1866
and all of Luke 2 tell of her and
her Baby. John 2 shows her at
the wedding in Cana. John 19:25-27
is the only story we have of her at
the crucifixion and in Acts LA she
is found to be among those in the
upper rooms waiting for the descent
of the Holy Spirit upon them.
From these let us discover the one
who was highly favored" and
oOoonu