“IF YOU CAN’T FIND JESUS, LOOK FOR HIS MOTHER”

I had seen bumper stickers of the title above and had also heard similar comments from certain Catholics.  I know that sometimes it may seem that God doesn’t hear our prayers, yet it is one of the most basic needs of a believer to have his prayers answered.  We all want to know that somebody’s listening.  I understand that, and I understand the seeming desperation that most of us have experienced at some point in our lives.    

But this title reminds me of the story of a man who fell off the edge of a cliff at night and managed to grab onto a small shrub on the way down, hanging on for dear life between Heaven and earth.  In the dark, he was unaware that safe and solid ground was only a couple of feet beneath him.  The desperate man calls out several times for help and no one answers.  Finally, he hears a loud voice from Heaven that says, “If you trust Me, let go!”  The desperate man pauses and thinks for a minute and then yells, “Is there anyone else out there?!!” 

Although the story is intended to be funny, there is a disturbing truth within it that causes some to want a “back-up” when praying.  What if God doesn’t answer your plea for help?  Is your need so strong that you are willing to compromise your spiritual walk with God?  Perhaps you, like King Saul, are desperate enough to go to a psychic or a fortune teller if God doesn’t answer? (1 Samuel 28:7-19)

Hopefully, you would never do such a thing, since this would have dire spiritual consequences (Leviticus 19:26, 31; 20:6, 27; 2 Kings 21:6; Isaiah 8:19-22).  You may never even consider such a thing… yet, you may feel like God is “uninterested” or “too busy,” therefore it’s ok, as a Catholic, to call on some other “positive” spiritual entity to help you, like Mary (Jesus’ mother). 

Surely, if Mary appeals to Jesus for you, He couldn’t turn her down, right?  After all, she is His mother, and as a kid, we know that if you wanted something, but you were afraid to ask your father, Mom would often step in to increase your chances of finding favor.  Therefore, it only seems fitting to call on Mary to do the same for you, right?

Several Assumptions

This slogan, “If you can’t find Jesus, look for His mother” assumes several things.  First, it assumes that one can have the ability to communicate with Mary to start with.  It also assumes that one has God’s permission, that it’s ok, to appeal to Mary and ask for her help.  And if it is ok, it assumes that she can actually hear us.  And if she hears us, it also assumes that she is able to help us in some way.

Furthermore, this slogan is assuming that sometimes we (perhaps “less spiritual”) believers just can’t “find” Jesus like we should.  But why would anyone who has any biblical understanding think that? (Matthew 7:7-8; 11:28; 1 Peter 5:6-7)

The slogan is also assuming that Jesus may not be touched by, or concerned with, our needs.  After all, He’s busy running the universe!  What makes us think that we are significant enough to even be on His “radar”?  But seriously, are Catholics really not aware that He is indeed conscious of our needs?

Hard to Find?

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

Jesus, Himself, as a human, had needs and was tempted to sin, so He knows what it’s like to be human and He knows our weaknesses.  Either, this passage is a lie or it is the truth.  Its message is very simple, nothing vague about it.  It is telling us that we can, indeed should, call on Him in time of need.  Trusting in Him is how we hold fast to our profession.

But appealing in prayer to someone else (even someone in Heaven, like Mary) is not “holding fast to our profession.”  In fact, doing so would deviate from our profession.  How so?  This passage is magnifying the person and role of our New Testament High Priest, Jesus Christ.  It is pointing to Him alone.

In the case of those who say, “If you can’t find Jesus, look for His mother,” their interpretation of Hebrews 4:14-16 would have to be: “Hey everyone, let’s give honor to Jesus, the Son of God, who has entered Heaven on our behalf and to whom we can directly and boldly come, without hesitation to help us in time of need (whether for salvation or anything else)… BUT, we will go to Mary first!”  I’m sorry, but that’s not giving Jesus the honor He deserves (Revelation 17:14, 19:16) and that’s not putting Him first and foremost.

But is Jesus ever really “hard to find”?  His offer to “come boldly unto the throne of grace” does not permit the idea of praying to someone else in order to get to Him.  It does not leave room for an appeal to another person in Heaven.  He doesn’t say, “Come boldly unto the throne of grace and if I have time, I’ll try to get to you.”  Or, “Come boldly unto the throne of grace by going through other ‘mediators’ first who can then get My attention.”  Or, “Come through My mother, who always puts in a good word for you and convinces Me to help you.  Otherwise, I might not be interested.” 

No, there is no guessing what Hebrews 4:14-16 is saying.  If you turn your heart toward Him and seek Him, you will find Him.  He will make Himself known to you without having to go through other “heavenly intercessors.”  That’s a promise.  To say that there are others to which one should pray is simply eisegesis (reading something into the text that is not there).

On Whom are You Really Depending?

Now, Catholics will say, “But we, just like you Protestants, also rely on people here on earth when we ask them to pray for us.  So why can’t we appeal to Mary or the saints in Heaven, who are far more spiritual than anyone on earth?  Their prayers are stronger than anyone else’s.”

But requesting prayer from others here on earth is perfectly fine.  That is totally biblical, while requesting prayer from others who are supposedly in Heaven is not.  Catholics just don’t seem to get the concept that there are absolutely no examples in the whole Bible of anyone praying to Mary or the saints, and there is nothing to suggest that we should.  That idea is utterly absent from the pages of Scripture.  Yet, that doesn’t stop Catholics from doing it.  This is because they are simply being a faithful son or daughter of “Holy Mother Church.”  You are doing what the Catholic Church tells you to do.

This whole concept of depending on Mary’s intercession appears to be saying that somehow, we can better depend on her than we can on Jesus.  So, I would have to ask, when addressing Mary in prayer, on whom are you really depending? 

A Purely Human Concept

Recently, a devout Catholic and I were having a nice discussion and the conversation led to Mary and the subject of praying to her.  At this point, the Catholic gave that familiar comment and said something along these lines: “If, for some reason, you find it hard to pray to Jesus, pray to His mother, instead.  She will surely hear you and appeal to her Son to help you.” 

Well, that sounds good, but this is purely a human (and unbiblical) mindset.  Yes, on earth, moms generally intercede for their kids when speaking to their fathers.  And that’s because many fathers may be harsh and unloving – nothing like the High Priest in Heaven to which we have access today.  But He is a gracious Savior who knows what you need before you even ask (Matthew 6:7-8).  He just wants you to admit your need and come humbly, yet confidently, to Him.  He wants you to come directly to the Savior, not to a relative of the Savior.

Pointing to Jesus

Catholics are quick to say that Mary always points to Christ.  For example, they love to use this particular verse:

“His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5). 

And then they say, “See!  Approaching Mary is a good thing, since she always points to her Son.”  But every true Christian does that.  How does that separate Mary from other believers?  It doesn’t. 

And while we are on that topic, “pointing to Jesus” was exactly what John the baptist was doing when he said:

“He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). 

THAT is pointing to Jesus and honoring Him, and John did this while denying himself and lowering his own importance.  But, it’s funny, I have never seen a Catholic ever use this verse to apply to Mary decreasing.  Why do you think that is?  I’ll tell you why.  I believe that they will never accept any lowering of Mary’s status, never admitting that Mary must also decrease, because the Catholic Church will not let them. 

Interestingly, there are far, far more Catholic shrines that were built to honor her than there are to Jesus, and I’ve never seen a pope or any other Catholic official object to this.  The Catholic Church will turn its head the other way when there are large numbers of people who are giving Mary “excessive devotion” (using the Catholic Church’s own term).  No one seems to object to that.   But don’t you dare suggest that Mary diminish her own status!  The Church will simply not let that happen.  

A Bit Much!

For instance, look at this prayer from a doctor and “saint” of the Catholic Church named Liguori:

"Most Holy and Immaculate Virgin! O my Mother! Thou who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the Advocate, Hope, and Refuge of sinners! I, the most wretched among them, now come to thee. I worship thee, great Queen, and give thee thanks for the many favors thou hast bestowed on me in the past; most of all do I thank thee for having saved me from hell, which I had so often deserved.  I love thee, Lady most worthy of love, and, by the love which I bear thee, I promise ever in the future to serve thee, and to do what in me lies to win others to thy love.  In thee I put all my trust, all my hope of salvation…” (emphasis added)

See here:

http://laudatedominum.net/marian.php#sal

If this doesn’t offend you as a believer, there is something wrong with you.  These are things said of Mary that the true and biblical Mary would never accept or attribute to herself. 

Actually, the above prayer is from Liguori’s very popular book, The Glories of Mary.  You can find the book online here:

http://www.themostholyrosary.com/the-glories-of-mary.pdf

It’s funny that some will object that Liguori’s “worship” doesn’t really mean worship, yet the extravagant language they use exposes them.  As the old saying goes, “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it is probably a duck!”  The activity around Mary is, by definition, worship, regardless of what the non-biblical detractors want it to mean. 

And this is only one of a multitude of blasphemous comments and prayers in his book. 

See also this article addressing Liguori’s book here:

https://answeringcatholicclaims.blogspot.com/2019/04/liguoris-idolatry-and-catholic-churchs.html

Furthermore, I think that another reason for not allowing Mary’s status to diminish is that the Catholic Church plans to use this unbiblical version of her as a tool in the global ecumenical arena to form a one-world religion as the Bible predicts (Revelation 13:8).  As one source describes it, she is:

“… rapidly becoming the ‘queen of ecumenism,’ someone whom diverse religions can honor, rally around, and even worship without offending their respective theologies.” 

Very well said!

See here:

https://www.thebereancall.org/content/mary-who?sapurl=Lys5MjZkL2xiL2xpLyt3dm44dWs4P2JyYW5kaW5nPXRydWUmZW1iZWQ9dHJ1ZSZyZWNlbnRSb3V0ZT1hcHAud2ViLWFwcC5saWJyYXJ5Lmxpc3QmcmVjZW50Um91dGVTbHVnPSUyQnd2bjh1azg=

Conclusion

It is critical to remember that there must be a clear distinction between mankind and the Savior of mankind.  The problem with the Catholic Church’s magnifying of Mary is that it causes this distinction to be blurred by such exalted language.

All this boils down to the fact that the Catholic Church wants Mary to remain exalted, even at the expense of Jesus losing status and staying in the background.  Of course they won’t say this out loud, but this is the logical consequence of a “continually increasing” Mary. 

It is also interesting that many pictures we see of Mary often have her holding the “baby Jesus.”  Folks, let’s not forget that He grew up and that He performed His ministry and death on the cross (the most important part of His life) as an adult, not while on His mom’s lap.  It’s as though there is a force in the Catholic Church that wants Mary to appear to be the one in control, to be the main figure, while Jesus is depicted as a toddler in need of guidance.

Now, I’m certainly not saying that Mary shouldn’t have honor, since the Bible says to give honor to whom honor is due (Romans 13:7).  But praying to someone other than God is not “honor” – it is worship.  All Christians will be exalted in due time, but never as the object of prayer. (Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 22:8-9)

Again, Mary was a wonderful, humble and godly handmaid, whom I believe is in Heaven today, but I’m sure that never did she expect to have such attention, devotion, veneration and idolization directed toward her.  But if God would allow her, from Heaven, to see all this attention directed toward her, I would bet that the humble Mary of the Bible would be utterly grieved and weep over it.  And I believe that she would say, “If you can’t find Jesus, humble yourself and continue seeking Him, since He is always nearby!” (Matthew 11:28; Acts 17:27)