The gospel of luke is rich in references and allusions to mary, and in it, her figural relationship to Abraham and to the faith of her fathers and her connection to sacrifice take on new dimensions. In this gospel, Mary is introduced as one of two mothers in Israel (the other is Elizabeth) who conceive and bear messianic sons by special dispensation contrary to the order of nature. Mary has, however, a unique intensity in this regard, for she is, theologically speaking, an entirely virgin mother, and the peculiar status this condition accords her vis-à-vis both God and the human community create both great potentials and great contradictions, giving her a complex and ambiguous place in the spiritual and communal lineage of their people. These contradictions are reflected in the infancy narratives in Luke, and in the subsequent stories of presentation in the temple, entry into the religious community in Jerusalem, genealogy, and baptism.