Mary of Magdalene: An example of faithful consistency
Luke 8:1-3
1 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means
Let’s start with context
In Bible times people would often be identified according to their closest male relative in place of their surnames e.g. John the son Zebedee. In Mary’s case she is named after her town called Magdala which indicates that she was a prominent figure in this town. Magdala is on the western shore of Galilee and It was a prosperous fishing town, so Mary was likely financially independent.
We are first introduced to Mary of Magdala in Luke 8 where she heads up the list of women who support Jesus’s ministry (because she has money). She is the second most mentioned woman in the New Testament after Mary the mother of Jesus (Not the same person!) Mary is often introduced in a list with other women, she is almost always the first in the list. This shows her prominence and the importance of her role in her community as a leader among the women.
We find that she has been healed of 7 demons. 7 is a meaningful number, it is the biblical number for completeness, this shows the severity of her oppression … her torment is complete and so is her liberation. This complete liberation is key in her story.
Something that struck me was the reputation that Mary has. It broke my heart to read time and again of how Mary has been branded a prostitute. There is no evidence for this in the Bible. It is tragic that a woman who played such an important role in the birth of Christianity is so often misrepresented.
When was this misinterpretation born?
Pope Gregory the Great, from 6th century thought Mary Magdalene was the woman in Luke 7.
The story in Luke 7 is set in the house of a pharisee and is about a sinful woman who washes Jesus’ feet with perfume using her hair and tears, much to the dismay of the pharisee. The woman is not named and we don’t know what sin she has committed- just that she is sinful. Jesus’ response to the situation is to show the woman grace and to rebuke the pharisee.
Gregory speculated that the perfume the woman used to annoint Jesus’ feet was once used to ‘perfume her body in forbidden acts’ insinuating that she was a prostitute. Additionally the portrayal of Mary Magdalene in ancient art commonly shows her with long unbound hair, mirroring the woman in Luke 7.
There are 2 reasons why this speculation makes no sense. Firstly, the sin of the woman in Luke 7 is unknown, so nothing to indicate that she is a prostitute. Secondly, She is unnamed, so no indication that she is Mary Magdalene. If that isn’t enough to clear her name then take a look at Luke 8! So, if Mary was the woman in Luke 7, then why is she now being introduced as a new character?!
Mary was a leader - Not a prostitute. She was set free from complete Oppression.
What does she do with her newfound freedom? She follows Jesus and she financially supports his mission. This is incredible. There was something about Jesus that drew Mary. Jesus had healed her and now we see this beautiful response.
Mary was in all likelihood a respected figure in her community who was expected to maintain a certain dignity. In the first century, this would have been in domestic sphere. However, she leaves her town of Magdala to travel alongside Jesus in the public sphere. She surrendered the security that comes from meeting social expectations to follow Jesus, this would have been scandalous!
Imagine how uncomfortable it would be for you to give up your social status right now?
Society now, just as back then has very specific expectations on how you should behave and sometimes God calls us to a life that goes in a completely different direction.
Sacrificing our social standing is terrifying.
To be able to this we need to be truly free, as Mary was free.
Luke 8:1-3 shows us the adventure of being with Jesus. He is ministering to every town and village in Galilee and Mary is along for the ride. She has freedom to fully engage in this adventure because she is convinced that this is the best possible investment of her attention, her money and her time.
The adventure of following Jesus is open to all of us but……. how much of it do we miss out on because we are only partially engaged? Looking down at our phones, instead of focussing on the one who brings complete freedom.
This was also a time of training. Mary was being prepared to be the ‘last to leave the cross and the first to arrive at the tomb.
In the christian walk we are often very excited when we first meet Jesus. He has set us free and now we are living a new life. Much like Mary in Luke 8.
However, this initial enthusiasm and passion is not enough to carry us through our whole life.
I grew up on a farm and so I have always had a love for nature and the things we can learn from creation.
The other day I was talking to my grandad about the crops that had been grown on the farm back in the summer. He shared that maize/corn cob had been one of those crops. Maize, starts off like any plant, with a weak supple stalk, if storm was to hit at this point the maize would not be able to stand, it would be crushed. Grandad shared something fascinating that he had noticed while the maize was growing. Following a very wet and blustery week of stormy weather he saw how the maize had begun to grow out extra scaffolding roots, some of these roots were quite far up the stalk. He shared that the maize was under such great stress from the weather that it needed extra support otherwise it would have collapsed and died. The analogy of the maize shows us that these extra roots supported the maise so it was able to withstand bigger storms and stronger winds.
This reminds me of Mary’s faith here. Was she ready in Luke 8 to be the last to leave the cross? Most probably not. She needed a time of preparation a time for growing roots. A time of strengthening for what was to come.
In the crucifixion accounts (show slide) in the gospels Mary is present. She has been a faithful apostle on the adventure with Jesus. She has followed him throughout his ministry. Now Mary witnesses her great adventure being publicly executed by the state. How do you think she felt in that moment? she had surrendered everything for this man. All her eggs were in this one basket.
We cannot know for sure what was going on in Mary’s heart but we do know what she did with her feet. She stayed to the bitter end. Mary is consistent.
What does that perhaps stir up in us?
How consistent am I in seeking Jesus when things are really hard? In my own life I have found that my struggles left me cynical. For a long time I found it hard to go to church, or to listen to a sermon without disagreeing with it.
In dealing with my struggles I spoke to a very wise and patient friend, she told me.... Beke, Jesus can handle your disappointments, Jesus can still use you despite your inconsistencies and your ups and downs, doubts and fears. He can handle your questioning, your anger and he welcomes you into his embrace when we don’t know what to say or pray.
Perhaps I relate more to the disciples here, scared of being exposed, afraid of being isolated or judged for what I believe. Wherever we are at the moment in our faith, the beauty of Jesus is that he is for everyone, his grace is waiting to be poured out to you, regardless of your doubts.
I am sure that following the crucifixion Mary would have had some major doubts of her own. Going back to the maise analogy it is during storms that faith is grown and put to the test...Mary may have been tempted to run from the ordeal of a fierce storm of testing. But her feet didn’t move.
Three days later her heart would still have been in ruins as she approached Jesus tomb.
Early that morning Mary set out for the tomb, with nothing to offer, except her simple devotion. Yet her simple offering of showing up is all that Jesus needs to work with.
In Luke the angels do not tell the Mary to go and tell the men but rather she is told to remember what Jesus had previously taught her!
There is this assumption that Mary had heard Jesus’ previous teachings. She was there! Sitting at her Rabbi’s feet! Listening! And she demonstrates her faithfulness once again by remembering what Jesus had said. Mary is confirmed in her discipleship, because she remembers Jesus’ words!
In a time when a woman’s witness was not counted in a court of law Jesus decided to entrust a woman with the ultimate truth. In doing so he redeemed women, then and now. As a result We have the assurance that the female experience and the female voice are valid expressions of faith.
I am moved. Everything God does has such significance and powerful repercussions. As we draw to a close I want to underline the significance of mary’s witness of Jesus’ resurrection and the fact that Jesus came and flattened pyramids that brought injustice and separated people from God, one of those was gender. Where women were commonly denied education Jesus used them as examples of faith, and discipled them!
Mary is turning up to grieve and let go of Jesus. Probably expecting to get some closure. Yet Jesus has much better plans in store. Mary is chosen to be the key witness to the most powerful climactic moment in history because she was present, when being present would have taken every ounce of faith she had left.
Jesus appears to her before anyone else and entrusts her with the most important message ever delivered.
In that moment when Mary is entirely spent Jesus redeems her, along with all of us.
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