Bogus Roman Catholic Memes #9

 

This is a Martin Luther meme typically posted by Rome's defenders. I've noticed that out of all the Roman Catholic "Luther" memes circulating, there seems to be a majority expressing something about Martin Luther's view of Mary. Weird. 

How to Respond:

1. Begin with the provided documentation, "Martin Luther Explanation of the Magnificat, 1521." If you search Luther's exposition of the Magnificat, you will not find this exact quote in this form. The quote is actually a truncated English version from article entitled, "Was Luther a Marian Devotee?" by Roman Catholic scholar William Cole. See my detailed explanation here. 

2. The Magnificat was originally viewed as an attack on popular sixteenth century Mariology by Rome's sixteenth century defenders. See my detailed examination here.  Times have changed... now Rome's defenders use it to promote their current understanding of Mariology.

3. Did Luther "honor" Mary. Yes... but what is meant by "honor"? Roman Catholic apologists need to define their terms. They need to be able to tell you what Marian "honor" is. They cannot be allowed to equivocate: Luther saying nice things about Mary does not equal Rome's version of devotion / honor. Force them to provide an official statement from the Magisterium.  Then, apply that official statement to Luther’s writings. I do not deny that Luther spoke favorably about Mary, but when Roman Catholics say "honor" or “devotion”, they mean something quite different than Protestants. In fact, in Luther's exposition of the Magnificat he says, "Whoever, therefore, would show her the proper honor must not regard her alone and by herself, but set her in the presence of God and far beneath Him, must there strip her of all honor, and regard her low estate, as she says..." (LW 21:322). And also, "all those who heap such great praise and honor upon her head are not far from making an idol of her..." (LW 21:322).

4. Was Luther invoking Mary as an intercessor when he writes, "Mary does not wish that we come to her, but through her to God"? No! In context Luther is exhorting people to consider themselves low and humble and in awe of God's grace, like Mary:

Whoever, therefore, would show her the proper honor must not regard her alone and by herself, but set her in the presence of God and far beneath Him, must there strip her of all honor, and regard her low estate, as she says; he should then marvel at the exceedingly abundant grace of God, who regards, embraces, and blesses so poor and despised a mortal. Thus regarding her, you will be moved to love and praise God for His grace, and drawn to look for all good things to Him, who does not reject but graciously regards poor and despised and lowly mortals. Thus your heart will be strengthened in faith and love and hope. What do you suppose would please her more than to have you come through her to God this way, and learn from her to put your hope and trust in Him, notwithstanding your despised and lowly estate, in life as well as in death? She does not want you to come to her, but through her to God.

Again, nothing would please her better than to have you turn in fear from all lofty things on which men set their hearts, seeing that even in His mother God neither found nor desired anything of high degree. But the masters who so depict and portray the blessed Virgin that there is found in her nothing to be despised, but only great and lofty things—what are they doing but contrasting us with her instead of her with God? Thus they make us timid and afraid and hide the Virgin’s comfortable picture, as the images are covered over in Lent. For they deprive us of her example, from which we might take comfort; they make an exception of her and set her above all examples. But she should be, and herself gladly would be, the foremost example of the grace of God, to incite all the world to trust in this grace and to love and praise it, so that through her the hearts of all men should be filled with such knowledge of God that they might confidently say: “O Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, what great comfort God has shown us in you, by so graciously regarding your unworthiness and low estate. This encourages us to believe that henceforth He will not despise us poor and lowly ones, but graciously regard us also, according to your example.” (LW 21:322-323).