Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich
The Virgin Mary?
Is this consistent with how God has revealed Himself?
[I know this is a rather silly topic to discuss, but sometimes we can learn significant truth from the most ludicrous things. I hope that is the case here, so let's talk about something silly.]
In 2004 a grilled cheese sandwich bearing an image of a ladies face was sold on eBay for $28,000. Apparently the lady who made the sandwich had great luck over the years the sandwich was in her possession, it never decayed and brought her luck at a local casino, she believed the image to be that of the Virgin Mary. The question before us is this; does God really reveal Himself this way or use these types of occurrences to encourage Believers, His children.
Look at the image above, is this the Virgin Mary? First of all we can't answer that question honestly; no sketches, engravings, graven images, or even written descriptions exist of Mary, the one who bore our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ exist. So no one can say based on historical documents that this is Mary. All we can say is that there does appear to be an image of a lady. So is there another source we can use to determine if this is Mary?
Now we ask the question, would God either create this or allow this as a way of encouraging Believers in His Son, Jesus the Christ? You don't want my opinion so let's ask God that question. In Exodus 20:4 it says mankind is not to make any graven image or any likeness of anything that was created. This is a very clear statement. Now I know that this was written well over 3,000 years ago and times change, I mean really, just look around at all the images we have around us in our Christian homes, churches, worship centers, Christian schools, on our money, everywhere! But just because we change doesn't mean God does, in fact just the opposite is true. God never changes, He is Immutable. In Psalm 102:26-27 it states that we shall change like an old garment but in verse 27 it contrasts God to us by saying "Thou art the same." If God prohibited graven images in the Old Testament and He does not change, why would He use a grilled cheese sandwich with a graven (okay not quite graven but close) image to speak? He wouldn't, and more importantly He couldn't. He can't go against His character.
Now I know God is unique and speaks in various ways (Hebrews 1:1) but He never did it in such a way He wanted the object to be worshipped, remember the bronze serpent and staff that Moses used to heal the people of the snake bites while in the wilderness? This same bronze serpent and staff was later worshiped as an idol, when King Hezekiah realized how wrong this was he had it destroyed. God created an image for the express purpose of being raised up on a pole and looked to for healing (sounds like when He allowed His own Son to be raised up on a crucifixion pole). Because the brazen serpent and pole became an idol, contrary to God's purpose or desire, the item that was once a picture of the future Christ had to be destroyed.
So if God is the same today as He was when Exodus was written He would never allow a grilled cheese sandwich to be used in this way, it doesn't point people back to God it points them away!
What are your thoughts on this? Can we use this same principle in evaluating weeping statutes of Mary or of Jesus? Are any of these events truly from God or from some other source?
A couple of other thoughts. First Mary didn't remain a virgin, she had several more children, but this time Joseph was the Father, and not God the Holy Father. The Gospel of Mathew in Chapter 12 talks of Jesus' mother and brothers and then in the very next chapter it names those brothers. So this cannot be the Virgin Mary because Mary didn't remain a virgin her whole life.
[I know this is a rather silly topic to discuss, but sometimes we can learn significant truth from the most ludicrous things. I hope that is the case here, so let's talk about something silly.]
In 2004 a grilled cheese sandwich bearing an image of a ladies face was sold on eBay for $28,000. Apparently the lady who made the sandwich had great luck over the years the sandwich was in her possession, it never decayed and brought her luck at a local casino, she believed the image to be that of the Virgin Mary. The question before us is this; does God really reveal Himself this way or use these types of occurrences to encourage Believers, His children.
Look at the image above, is this the Virgin Mary? First of all we can't answer that question honestly; no sketches, engravings, graven images, or even written descriptions exist of Mary, the one who bore our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ exist. So no one can say based on historical documents that this is Mary. All we can say is that there does appear to be an image of a lady. So is there another source we can use to determine if this is Mary?
Now we ask the question, would God either create this or allow this as a way of encouraging Believers in His Son, Jesus the Christ? You don't want my opinion so let's ask God that question. In Exodus 20:4 it says mankind is not to make any graven image or any likeness of anything that was created. This is a very clear statement. Now I know that this was written well over 3,000 years ago and times change, I mean really, just look around at all the images we have around us in our Christian homes, churches, worship centers, Christian schools, on our money, everywhere! But just because we change doesn't mean God does, in fact just the opposite is true. God never changes, He is Immutable. In Psalm 102:26-27 it states that we shall change like an old garment but in verse 27 it contrasts God to us by saying "Thou art the same." If God prohibited graven images in the Old Testament and He does not change, why would He use a grilled cheese sandwich with a graven (okay not quite graven but close) image to speak? He wouldn't, and more importantly He couldn't. He can't go against His character.
Now I know God is unique and speaks in various ways (Hebrews 1:1) but He never did it in such a way He wanted the object to be worshipped, remember the bronze serpent and staff that Moses used to heal the people of the snake bites while in the wilderness? This same bronze serpent and staff was later worshiped as an idol, when King Hezekiah realized how wrong this was he had it destroyed. God created an image for the express purpose of being raised up on a pole and looked to for healing (sounds like when He allowed His own Son to be raised up on a crucifixion pole). Because the brazen serpent and pole became an idol, contrary to God's purpose or desire, the item that was once a picture of the future Christ had to be destroyed.
So if God is the same today as He was when Exodus was written He would never allow a grilled cheese sandwich to be used in this way, it doesn't point people back to God it points them away!
What are your thoughts on this? Can we use this same principle in evaluating weeping statutes of Mary or of Jesus? Are any of these events truly from God or from some other source?
A couple of other thoughts. First Mary didn't remain a virgin, she had several more children, but this time Joseph was the Father, and not God the Holy Father. The Gospel of Mathew in Chapter 12 talks of Jesus' mother and brothers and then in the very next chapter it names those brothers. So this cannot be the Virgin Mary because Mary didn't remain a virgin her whole life.
