Yesterday was a long day of taking in some of the sights of Puebla City. We walked the market and ate at a place Kevin frequents and has had many gospel conversations with the staff. We also went to the Puebla Cathedral which began construction in 1575 and was completed in 1690. Needless to say, it is an architectural wonder and quite something to behold in person.
The sad part is as massive and opulent as this structure is, the high and arched ceilings that capture the air between the floor and themselves are an illustration of the cavernous beliefs of Roman Catholicism, especially ones as dedicated to the Virgin Mary as they are in Mexico.
We are days away from the celebration of Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe (the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Dec. 12). This day celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe which is the Roman Catholic title for the Virgin Mary due to the encounter of Juan Diego with her on his journey to Tepeyac. The Cathedral itself is dedicated to the virgin and almost everything within pays homage to her. The most striking image is in the oldest part of the structure which pictures Mary kneeling, with God the Father on one side, Jesus on the other, and the Holy Spirit as a Dove above her, as they are crowning her. Her veneration in Mexican Roman Catholicism is undeniable.
In stark contrast to this belief, I will be preaching on John 2:1-12 this morning at the Bult’s home church Comunidad Bíblica, as they are in a series entitled “Encounters with Jesus.” The reason such a difference will be seen is that in this encounter it is Mary who knows and points to the authority of her earthly Son as the one who is also Divine. When the bridegroom of the wedding in John 2 runs out of wine, Mary knows she can turn to Jesus. Jesus lovingly rebukes His earthly mother, adjusting her thinking to kingdom priorities; His hour has not yet come. Mary’s response to this is to tell the servants to do whatever He says. It seems as if Mary understands that whatever happens, it is in the hands of Jesus now. Mary is at the crossroads of Jesus’ humanity and His divinity here.
In Mary’s humble response to the news of being the bearer of the Messiah in Luke 1, she sings “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” She, like every other human, needs a Savior, and she recognizes it. She is certainly one to be honored in the way the Lord honors her; she is the one whom God chose to bear the Son of God for the incarnation, but she is not to be venerated and in all honesty worshiped as she is here in Mexico. This breaks the first and second commandments.
All of this is also to say that we have the joy of worshiping the Triune God with our brothers and sisters of Comunidad Bíblica this morning. This church is a faithful representation of Biblical fidelity in the midst of a dark city that does not rightly worship the God of the Bible in the way He has instructed us to worship Him. In the face of a cold dead religiosity, there is a beacon of the true gospel in Puebla. We are grateful to be able to partner with them in our ministry in Mexico and grateful for their gospel witness here. It is not an Americanized church with only American leaders in a different country, but a church that has local national leadership, and we see this as very important for the stability of the church in Mexico.
Thanks for your continued prayers as we minister here this week.
