Mary, Woman of Witness

The fifth chapter of the book focuses on what Mary witnessed concerning Jesus. Together, the things which she witnessed, McKnight notes, led her to the conclusion that "God would soon set her son on David's throne in Jerusalem, defeat the Romans with their own swords, escort them to a Roman road in their own chariots, or send them back to Italy in their own boats."

What did Mary witness? First she witnessed Jesus' real body. Unlike the sentimental words of "Away in the Manger," Jesus had a real birth and a real body. Babies cry. Jesus cried like all babies cry. The most striking thing that McKnight says in this chapter concerns Jesus physicality:

God didn't just use Mary as a "rent-a-womb" but actually became DNA--Mary's. The theological expression at work here is "incarnation," and the underlying principle is this: What God becomes, God redeems. God becomes what we are--with a real body--so we can become children of God. That's why Jesus' real body is important for our faith.

Second, Mary witnessed the Magi. We don't know what Mary thought of their visit, but she did observe them bowing down and worshipping her son as well as bringing him gifts. She may well have understood that her son's influence would make its away to Rome and beyond.

Third, Mary witnessed the star. McKnight notes that celestial events were often harbingers of the birth of a king. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the "general believe is that a comet means a change of emperor." Whatever the cause of the star, it's significance, do doubt, further impressed upon Mary the uniqueness of her child.

The last witness was that of the angel. The angel appeared to Mary at the annunciation, appeared to Elizabeth and Zechariah, and to Joseph before they fled to Egypt. As McKnight writes, "From the first word out of Gabriel's mouth to the arrival of the Magi, everything added up in one direction: Jesus would become king and neither Herod the Great nor Caesar Augustus would be."