Meri, Jinen Jisōs

Jān Gaye Strathearn

Associate Professor an Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University eo

Bwebwenato eo an Meri ej juon kakememej ejjeļo̧k jem̧ļok in kōn wōņāān ko im kōjeraam̧m̧an ko an rikaļoor.

Meri, eo jinen Jisōs, ej juon iaan kōrā ro reiet kar kōnono kake ilo jeje ko rekwojarjar im e wōt eo mour eo an im jerbal in karejar eo kar kanaan kake bukwi iiō ko m̧okta jān ļotak eo an (lale 1 Nipai 11:15, 18; Mosaia 3:8; Alma 7:10).¹ Rijeje ro ilo Kallim̧ur Ekāāl an Matu, Mark, Luk, im Jon rej letok wōt jidik meļeļe kōn mour eo an liin im jerbal in karejar eo an kōnke m̧adjake eo aer ej iookļo̧k Rilo̧mo̧or eo. Bōtaab kabun̄ ko an Rikirijin ro raar leļo̧k n̄an Meri taitōļ eo theotokos, “rikabwijer ak jinen Anij”² āinwōt juon kakeememej kōn m̧ōttan eo aorōk me liin eaar barāinwōt m̧ōttan eo aorōk me eaar kōm̧m̧ani ilo karōk eo an Anij.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) jān Doulul eo an Jon̄oulruo ro eaar je: “Jemaron̄ ke kanooj ekōnono kōn wōn e Irooj eaar kōjeram̧m̧ane ilōn̄ ilo aolep kōrā? Eaar wōr wōt juon Kraist, im ewōr wōt juon Meri. Kajjojo eaar aorōk im ļap ilo [mour eo m̧okta], im kajjojo eaar ekkapit m̧oktaļo̧k n̄an jerbal in karejar eo e ak liin eaar kōm̧m̧ane. Jej jab maron̄ ak ļōmņak wōt bwe Jemen enaaj kar kālet kōrā in jetōb eo em̧m̧an tata n̄an erom eo jinen eo Nejin, em̧ool āinwōt an kar kālet m̧aan ilo jetōb eo āinwōt e n̄an erom Rilo̧mo̧or eo. … Jej aikuj … kautiej Meri kōn kautiej eo ejejjet me ej an.”³

Bok eo an Luk kōn bwebwenato eo kōn Kean̄ eo n̄an Meri (lale Luk 1:26–56) ej letok n̄an kōj kōta eo me n̄an an em̧m̧anļo̧k ad kam̧m̧oolol kōn jiron̄ in ekabwilōn̄lōn̄. Jān ekōnono ko an ippān Gabriel im Elisabeth, jej lo juon jiron̄ ej kajjieon̄ keidi im meļeļe kūr eo an ejej uwaan jān Anij. Waļo̧kļo̧k eo an kūr jab in aikuj in ekar pād ioon juon eo ekanooj in dik, im aaet liin eaar pojak in ajeļo̧k ankilan n̄an eo me an Anij. Bwebwenato eo an ej kakeememej kōj bwe Anij ej ļōmņak kōn aolep ajri ro Nejin im bwe Ej kūr em̧m̧aan im kōrā ro rejjab oktak n̄an bōk kuņaer ilo wāween ko rejej uwaer n̄an jipan̄ kalōk aelōn̄ in kiin̄ eo An. Liin eaar erom rikaļoor eo an Jisōs m̧oktata, im kōn menin liin ej juon m̧ōņōkjān n̄an aolep ro rej kālet n̄an ļoor E.

Nazareth: Ļām̧orāān eo an Meri

Ejerata, Kallim̧ur Ekāāl ejjab jiron̄ kōj jabdewōt kōn ro jinen im jemen Meri, ļotak eo an, ak jabdewōt kōn mour eo an ilo Nazareth. Luk ej kōmeļeļeik Nazareth āinwōt juon jikin kweilo̧k, eo emaron̄ in ukōte āinwōt jim̧or juon jikin kweilo̧k ak juon bukwōn, bōtaab jab watōke āinwōt juon jikin eļap an aorōk. Itulikin Kallim̧ur Ekāāl, Nazareth jab kōnono kake ilo jabdewōt bok m̧ae jem̧ļo̧k epepen eo kein karuo AD.

Jejeļā bwe Nazareth eaar pād ilo juon bat ilo ijo ettā ilo Galilee eo reilo̧k im lale Jezreel Valley eo ewāmourur, 65 m̧ail ko (105 km) itu iiōn̄ in Jerusalem. Rikkatak ro kōn m̧akūtkūt in armej rej kwaļo̧k bwe ilo epepen eo kein-kajuon Nazareth eaar āinwōt juon bukwōn eļapļo̧k jān juon jikin kweilo̧k ak tauun, kōn kar jon̄an oran armej ro kar anto̧o̧ne epaakļo̧k 400–500.⁴ Kōn jet wōt jekjek ko, eļap wōt iaan oran armej eo ilo aolepān Galille raar kakkōt n̄an mour āinwōt rijerbal ro rej mour, lali menin mour ko, eon̄ad, im jerbal ilo āne n̄an kake m̧ōn̄ā n̄an baam̧le ko aer im n̄an kōļļā eeowōj ko aer. Bukwōn eo eaar jab eddōkļo̧k; ejjeļo̧k kein kam̧ool bwe iaļ ko ie raar pij ak ejjeļo̧k m̧ōko reļļap, ak bwe eaar kōjerbal m̧wiuk ko eļap wōņaer ko āinwōt marble, mosaic ko, ak uno ilo m̧ōko, ak bwe m̧ōko eaar wōr kōnno̧ ko rem̧m̧an raar wiaiktok jān ilikin.⁵ M̧ōko ilo epepen ko ruo-im̧aan tata me kar alikkar kar kūbwiji eaar juon po em̧ kōn ruo ruum̧ ko, aaj bōro̧o̧j eo, im juon meļan edik turin.⁶ M̧anit in kallib rimej im jet limestone vessel ko rekar pād wōt ej kwaļo̧k bwe armej ro ie raar Riju rejjab Riaelōn̄ ko.

Ilo an ejjeļo̧k iaan men kein kar loi maron̄ ekkejeļo̧k n̄an Meri ak baam̧le eo an, rej letok n̄an kōj juon kōļmenļo̧kjeņ eo kōn ekōjkan an wāween mour eo an Meri ilo Nazareth: juon leddik rikallūb mour ilo juon bukwōn ettoļo̧k, ettoļo̧k jān jikin kabun̄ an Jerusalem ippān tampeļ ko an, jikin pris, im rim̧wie. Em̧ool āinwōt juon leddik edik, liin ekōn jerbal iturin jinen im kōrā ro jet ilo bukwōn eo, keke nuknuk, kōmat, kōkane, aaet itōk dāān jān aibōj ko ilo m̧weo im̧ōn ak aibōjlaļ ko ilo bukwōn eo, im jerbal ilo meļaaj ko—aolep n̄an jipan̄ baam̧le eo an mour jān raan n̄an raan.

Kūr eo an Meri

Bwebwenato eo an Meri ilo Bok in Luk ej ijjino kōn waļo̧kļo̧k eo an enjeļ Gabriel, ejja enjeļ eo wōt me eaar waļo̧kļo̧k im̧aanļo̧k n̄an Zacharias ilo tampeļ eo (lale Luk 1:11, 19, 26). Ke Gabriel ej waļo̧k, Meri ej juon jiron̄ me eaar pojak in m̧areik Josep (lale Luk 1:27). Men̄e jejjab jeļā ewi rūtton in Meri ilo kar iien eo, ilo tōre ko etto emaron̄ in kar bwe koņ ko n̄an m̧are raar aikuj kōm̧m̧an em̧ool m̧okta jān jodikdik. Waļo̧kļo̧k eo an Gabriel im kean̄ ko me Meri ej “em̧m̧an tata,” bwe “Irooj ej pād ipam̧,” bwe liin ej “jeram̧m̧an ilubwilijin kōrā ro,” im bwe ekkar n̄an ukok eo an Josep Smith an Luk 1:28, liin “kar kālete” (lale barāinwōt Alma 7:10) aikuj in kōm̧m̧an en̄jake ko reioio kōn pok im em̧ool mijak ilo Meri. Jemaron̄ in wōt pijaikļo̧k ta eo liin eaar ļōmņake ilo iien eo, bōtaab remaron̄ in kar koba kajjitōk ko āinwōt, “Etke Anij eaar ļōmņake eō n̄an “jeram̧m̧an ilubwilijin kōrā ro?” “Etke iaar ‘lo jouj ippān Anij’ im ta kar meļeļe in?” “Etke Anij eaar jilkintok Gabriel n̄an eō im ejjab bar juon jiron̄ ilo Nazareth, ak ilo Jerusalem?” Aaet, liin eaar jān im̧ōn David (lale Luk 1:32; Rom 1:3), bōtaab ekar dik meļeļe in ium̧win tōl eo an Rirom. Ālkin men otemjej, liin eaar juon jiron̄ eo jān juon baam̧le in rikallūb, mour ilo juon bukwōn ejeram̧ōl. Āinwōt Nathaniel kar tokālik kajjitōk, “Jabdewōt men eo em̧m̧an ej itok jān Anij ke? (Jon 1:46).

Gabriel eaar jab uwaake jabdewōt kajjitōk ko me remaron̄ in kar kobrak ļōmņak im būruwōn Meri. Ijjello̧kin eaar wōnm̧aanļo̧k wōt kōn ennaan eo an: Liin enaaj keotak juon ajri, bōtaab ejjab baj juon ajri bajjōk. Ajri eo nejin enaaj kar ņa etan “Nejin Eo E utiejtata” im naaj bōk “tūroon eo an Devid jemān” (lale Luk 1:32–33). Ilo bar juon wāween ba, Gabriel eaar jiron̄ Meri bwe ļaddik eo nejin enaaj kar jim̧or Nejin Anij im Messaia eo kar kallim̧ur kake. Eļan̄n̄e Meri ekar tarpok im mijak m̧okta jān kōjjeļā in, jemaron̄ in wōt pijaikļo̧k en̄jake ko an rekajoor ālkin menin.

Jen ļōmņak kōn juon pedped me m̧ōttan bwebwenato in an Meri ej katain kōn rikaļoor. Karōk eo an Anij n̄an Meri eaar jab juon men me liin eaar kajjitōk kake! Gabriel eaar waļo̧kļo̧k n̄an Zacharias kōnke e im Elisabeth raar jar kōn juon ajri in kabwilōn̄lōn̄, bōtaab eaar itok n̄an Meri ium̧win jekjek ko rekanooj in eppen ejjab n̄an kakūrm̧ool juon kajjitōk, bōtaab n̄an kōjjeļā kōn ankilan Anij n̄an liin. Kōn iien m̧are eo an ej itok wōt, Meri eaar bōlen ļōmņak kōn maron̄ eo n̄an wōr nejin ajri ro ilju im jekļaj. Bōtaab men̄e eaar wōr juon ļapļo̧k in kōtmāne kōn juon messaia ilo ippān armej in Juda ro ilo epepen eo kein kajuon, Meri eaar ke ļōmņak bwe e, juon jiron̄ in rikallūb jān Nazareth, enaaj kar eo jinen Messaia eo? Bōlen jab. Aorōk eo ej bwe kūr ko an rikaļoor emakijkij an aikuji oktak ko n̄an karōk ko an mour an juon make.

Jibadbad eo an Luk ilo ļo̧o̧k eo an ilo kean̄ ko an Gabriel innām Elisabeth. Bōtaab ewōr jilu iien ko me Meri ej kwaļo̧k ļōmņak ko im en̄jake ko an.

Mary seeing the angel Gabriel — Enjeļ Gabriel eaar waļo̧k n̄an Mary kōn juon ennaan ekabwilōn̄lōn̄ bwe liin eaar “jeram̧m̧an ibwilijin kōrā ro” im bwe liin enaaj kar keotak Nejin Anij.

Juon Kajjitōk Eim̧we

Eo m̧oktata ej kajjitōk eo an n̄an Gabriel, “Enaaj kōjkan men in, bwe I jab jeļā m̧aan?” (Luk 1:34). Kar leļo̧k jekjek ko, kajjitōk eo an ej juon eo em̧m̧an. Ej kakememej ro rej riit kōn kajjitōk eo an Zacharias, “Enaaj kōjkan aō jeļā men in? [i.e, bwe Elisabeth enaaj keotak juon nejin m̧aan]” (eoon 18). Bōtaab kōn menin kajjitōk eo an ej kwaļo̧k pere kōn uwaak eo an Gabriel n̄an juon jar me Zacharias e make eaar kōm̧m̧ane n̄an Anij, kajjitōk eo an Meri ej pukōt alikkar kōn kean̄ eo kōn ankilan Anij n̄an e. Kajjitōk ko rej kōtmāni n̄e kūr ko an Anij rej idajon̄jon̄e rikaļoor ro n̄an kōkōm̧anm̧anļo̧k wāween aer kōm̧m̧an im kōm̧m̧ani men ko emaron̄ jab em̧m̧an kōļmenļo̧kjeņ kaki, im kajjitōk ko reim̧we rej tōlļo̧k n̄an revelesōn.

Uwaak eo an Gabriel n̄an kajjitōk eo an Mary ej itok ilo jilu m̧ōttan ko:

M̧oktata, ej jiron̄ Meri, “Jetōb Kwōjarjar enaaj itok iom̧” (eoon 35). Jetōb Kwōjarjar eo ej kajoor eo me rikaļoor ro ilo aolep epepen rej waļo̧k ilo kūr ko aer. “Keememej bwe jerbal in ejjab am̧ im aō,” Būreejtōn Thomas S. Monson eaar katakin (1927–2018). Ej jerbal eo an Irooj, im n̄e jej pād ilo ilo ijjilōk eo an Irooj, jej maron̄ bōk jipan̄ eo an Irooj. Keememej bwe eo Irooj ej kūri, Irooj ej kakōrbōbe.”⁷ Innām Gabriel ej letok n̄an Meri meļeļe ko rejejjet n̄an jekjek eo an: “Im kajoor an Eo E utiejtata enaaj kallor eok:⁸ im kōn men in Eo Ekwōjarjar enaaj ļotak naaj likūt etan Nejin Anij” (eoon 35).
Ruo, Gabriel ej jiron̄ Meri kōn Elisabeth, juon eo ej ioon ejja āinwōt, mekarta ejjab āinwōt juon, kabwilōn̄lōn̄ ilo an bōro̧ro eo an Elisabeth ej juon kōkaļļe n̄an Meri bwe ejjab makeļo̧k iaan, bwe ebar wōr juon armej me ewōr jidik an jeļā ta eo ej wōjake.
Jilu, Gabriel ej kean̄ ilo ejjeļo̧k pere, “Bwe ejjeļo̧k naan jān Anij enaaj m̧ōjņo̧” (eoon 37). Anij eaar kōm̧m̧ane men eo epen ke Elisabeth eaar etta.⁹ Kean̄ eo an Gabriel ej juon kakeememej n̄an rikaļoor ro ilo aolep epepen bwe n̄e jej uwaake kūr ko an Anij, menin bwilōn̄ ko rej bōk jikier.

Kōņaan an Juon Rikaļoor

Uwaak eo kein karuo an Meri ilo bwebwenato eo ej waanjon̄ak, ilo ļōmņak e aō, kallim̧ur eo im m̧wil eo an juon rikaļoor: “Lo n̄a ri karejeran Irooj; en pād ippa āinwōt am̧ ilo naan” (Luk 1:38). “Rikarejera” ej kwaļo̧k bwe Meri kar kālete n̄an bōk kūr eo me Irooj eaar leļo̧k n̄an e. Ennaan in ej riboot eo an Meri kōn ta eo Ļeo Nejin enaaj ba ilo Gethsemane, “a en jab, ankil aō, a am̧ wōt” (Luk 22:42). Ilo an āinwōt alikkar bwe ilo iien in ilo iaļ eo an, liin eaar jab maron̄ meļeļe aolep men me renaaj aikuji jān e—Simeon tokālik ej kanan n̄an ron̄ bwe “jāje enaaj wie im pejlo̧k am̧” (Luk 2:35)—mekarta, Meri ej kālet n̄an wōnm̧aanļo̧k kōn tōmak.

“Im enjeļ ej ilo̧k jān e” (Luk 1:38). Ke Gabriel ej ilo̧k, Meri eaar make wōt iaan. Ilo an juon iaan men ko n̄an juon rikaļoor n̄an kōm̧m̧ani kean̄ ko āinwōt eo an liin ilo im̧aan mejān juon rikwoj meļān ekwojarjar ta eo liin ej kōm̧m̧ane kiiō ke enjeļ eo eaar jako? Ekōjkan an liin kōmeļeļeik en̄jake in n̄an ro jinen im jemen? n̄an Josep? Ta eo en kar waļo̧k n̄an e eļan̄n̄e er ak armej in Nazareth ro reban kar tōmak e? Jikin jokwe ko an ilo Nazareth remaron̄ kiiō erom eppen n̄an e.

Kōn menin ej keememej m̧ōttan eo kein karuo in uwaak eo an Gabriel n̄an kajjitōk eo an im iaļ ko n̄an ļāām̧orān eo an Elisabeth. Bar juon alen, bwebwenato ko ruo im̧aan an Luk rej loklok ippān doon. Ilo iien eo wōt Meri ej iak-iakwe Elisabeth, “nin̄nin̄ ej bwijbwij ilo lo̧jien; im Elisabeth ej obrak kōn Jetōb Kwojarjar: Im ej kōnono im eļap ainikien, im ba, Kwe kwō m̧ōņōņō iaan kōrā raņ, im e m̧ōņōņō ineen lo̧jiōm̧” (Luk 1:41–42). Jetōb eo-an eaar tōl iak-iakwe eo kar kapenļo̧k ta eo Gabriel eaar kadede kean̄ kake kōn jikin eo an Meri kar kōjeraam̧m̧ane ilubwilijin kōrā ro. Meri kiiō eaar bōk kein kam̧ool eo kein karuo kōn kūr eo an, bōtaab eaar itok wōt āikin an kar m̧ōņōņō in bōk kūr eo.

Bwebwenato eo kōn an Meri im Elisabeth ej juon kakeememej kōn ruo jekjek ko ilo mour ko an rikaļoor ro rainin. Ej juon kakeememej kōn kōkaļļe eo aorōk ilo būruwōn Doulul ko an Kōrā ro ipeļaakin laļ in: kōrā ro jān epepen ko rokoktak im ilo jekjek ko an mour roktak rej itok ippān doon n̄an rejtake im rie kajjojo doon ilo iien aikuj ko. Ej barāinwōt juon kakeememej bwe Anij ejjab kōmakeikļo̧k ro me Eaar kūr er ilo iien aikuj ko bōtaab Emakijkij an uwaaki jān kapooļ er ilo pein ro jet me Eaar barāinwōt kūr er.

Juon Al

En̄jake eo āliktata eo an Meri jeļā kake āinwōt juon al im ej an kwaļo̧k lan̄lōn̄ ilo uwaake kean̄ ko an Elisabeth. Liin ej kwaļo̧k en̄jake ko an kōn ta eo eaar waļo̧k ilo mour eo an im kejōkļo̧kjeņ kōn meļeļe eo an ekāāl kōn ijo jikin ilo karōk eo an Anij. Eo m̧oktata im aorōk tata liin ej en̄jake n̄an kōļapļo̧k, leļo̧k nōbar n̄an, im kaiboojoj an Anij, ilo eo liin ej lan̄lōn̄ āinwōt Rilo̧mo̧o̧r eo an (lale Luk 1:46–47). Liin ej lo ilo en̄jake an wōnm̧aanļo̧k wōt in jouj eo an Anij, jim̧o̧r ilo m̧ool eo bwe Eaar kālet juon eo “ettā” āinwōt liin (lale eoon 48–50) im barainwōt ilo m̧ool eo bwe Eaar kālet liin n̄an jerbale juon m̧ōttan aorōk ilo kakūrm̧ool bujen eo an Ebream (lale eoon 54–55).

“Im Meri ej pād ippān [Elisabeth] ium̧win jilu allōn̄, im ej jepļaak n̄an m̧weo im̧ōn” (eoon 56). Meri eaar kiiō ļapļo̧k an pojak n̄an kakūrm̧ool kūr eo an ekwojarjar.

Waanjon̄ak eo an Meri n̄an Kōj

Rikaļoor ro raan kein rej em̧m̧akūt jān bwebwenato eo an Meri kōn jim̧or m̧anit im 2,000 iiō ko. Mekartak, bwebwenato eo ej juon kakeememej ejjeļo̧k jem̧ļo̧k in kōn ta eo emenin aikuj n̄an erom rikaļoor. Anij ej kōtmāne ro rej ļoor E n̄an itok n̄an kūr ko Ej leļo̧k n̄an er. Būreejtōn Russell M. Nelson ej kakeememej kōj bwe “Anij ej iien otemjej kajjitōk ippān ajri in bujen ro Nejin n̄an kōm̧m̧ani men ko reppen.”¹⁰ Meri eaar jab jejļo̧k, im barāinwōt kōj. Idajon̄jon̄ eo ej n̄an an wōr ad tōmak n̄an ajeļo̧k ankilad n̄an An, n̄an bōk kūr ko An kōn tōmak bwe Jetōb eo An enaaj kōļapļo̧k kōj ilo jerbal in jipan̄ eo An. Bonnie H. Cordon, Būreejtōn eo Eutiej an Doulul eo an Jiron̄ ro, ej barāinwōt kakeememej kōj bwe “jemaron̄ kōm̧m̧ani men ko reppan,” innām kakobaiktok, “bōtaab jemaron̄ barāinwōt kōm̧m̧ani ilo lan̄lōn̄.”¹¹

Āinwōt rikaļoor ro raan kein, ta naaj Al eo ad? Ekōjkan ad naaj kwaļo̧k ad lan̄lōn̄ ilo ad Anij? Ekōjkan ad naaj ļap eo an wōj eo An ilo mour ko ad? Ekōjkan ad naaj wāween ko n̄an kam̧m̧oolol kōn ijo kuņad ilo kakūrm̧ool bujen eo an Ebream ilo tōre in ad? Errein rej bōlen jet iaan wāween ko me jemaron̄ katak jān bwebwenato in rikaļoor eo ekabwilōn̄lōn̄ an Meri.