Something about Mary

I've noticed that we as Protestants tend to beat down on Mary (the mother of Jesus) a lot.

Recently, I heard someone say, "Mary wasn't anything special. She was just another chick."

Another person started making negative comments when they heard a reference to Mary in a Christmas song (sung by a non-Christian no less).

It is plain that we want to avoid veneration of Mary in the way that Catholics do. We want to affirm the virgin birth, but reject the perpetual virginity of Mary. We want to reject Mary as Mediatrix, because we know that with Jesus as our high priest, we have direct access to God the Father.

But we shouldn't just react by relegating Mary to "super-ordinary".

Scripture acknowledges Mary as a godly woman. God himself is pleased, even delighted with her (Luke 1:30) and she responds to what is not just amazing and wonderful news, but shocking and traumatic news with faith and humble submission to God's purposes: "I am the LORD's slave; may it be done according to his will." (Luke 1:38). Indeed, her Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) is, like Hannah's song, an acknowledgement and a deep understanding of how God works: the LORD who exalts the humble and brings down the proud and mighty. (c.f. Simeon's words - Luke 2:34)

Elizabeth too acknowledges this (I suspect prophetically): "She who has believed is blessed because what was spoken to her by the Lord will be fulfilled!" (Luke 1:45).

Mary is a woman of faith, humility, and we would do well to acknowledge her as a model of faithfulness, as much as Moses, David, Daniel.