On 22nd July is the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. Strange isn’t it, for someone who has been labelled ‘a prostitute’?
In western Christian history, they have confused Mary Magdalene with Mary of Bethany, and the woman caught in adultery. Mary of Magdala was the one from whom Jesus had driven out seven demons. It consumed her whole life. Jesus was the only one who could save her, and He did (Mk 16:9). It is no wonder that she followed Him throughout His ministry. She had grown in her love for Jesus. This can only happen when someone is touched by Jesus, genuinely experiencing a conversion of the heart.
Popular literatures find it difficult to understand this love relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus, and so interpret it as a “worldly” love relationship. They do not understand the depth with which one is supposed to love Jesus, and be loved by Him.
Who is Mary Magdalene?
Mary came from a town called Magdala. It was a fishing village i.e Mary, like the other disciples came from a fishing village and understood the concerns of that occupation. She studied the scriptures and longed for a Messiah who would save them from the Romans.
In the scriptures, Mary Magdalene is much more prominent than most of the disciples. Her name appears in the Gospel more than Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Bartholomew or Simon the Zealot. In scripture, being named matters. Jesus had large crowds following Him but they were not significant enough to be named. Someone whom Jesus healed would be described as a woman or a little girl. So when a gospel writer gives the name of someone it matters. The name is to be remembered. It is not just that Mary’s name matters, but how often it is mentioned. This is to indicate the close relationship with Jesus. Mary’s name is mentioned first, whenever a group of women are identified. Even Peter is always mentioned first among the group of disciples.
Why is Mary such a Prominent Figure?
In Luke 8: 1-3 it is said, “Jesus walked through towns and countryside, preaching and giving the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve followed Him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases. Mary called Magdalene who had been freed of seven demons, Joanna wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward; Suzanna and others provided for them out of their own funds.” along with other women, Mary Magdalene was financially supporting Jesus, which made her a significant part of Jesus’ ministry. Rabbis were known to rely on the hospitality and support of others.
What makes Mary significant?
The primary reason Mary Magdalene’s name appears in the Gospels is because she was one of the few present, both at Crucifixion and the Resurrection of Jesus. All the Gospel writers agree on this. She is the only one all of them agree upon. She is the key witness to the Resurrection of Jesus. She saw the empty tomb. She was the first to witness that Jesus wasn’t dead, but was alive – forever!
Was Mary Magdalene a Prostitute?
There is no Biblical reason to believe that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. We have grown up believing this. There is no evidence to it. We must approach the Bible with humility. We have to distinguish between what we assume and what scripture actually says.
What can we learn from Mary Magdalene?
It is significant that Mary was the first to witness the Resurrection of Jesus. It is because of this moment, we too can believe and have eternal life.
In Mary we see a person who had no idea what God had in store for her. We could never imagine that she would be the first to witness the most significant Event in the history of the world – the Resurrection of Jesus! She was the first to go back and be a witness to Jesus.
Mary is a powerful reminder to each of us, just how much Jesus has done for us. He has saved us from our sin, rescued us from our afflictions and given us the opportunity for a new Life. Jesus deserves our full commitment and surrender. Like Mary, we should long to follow Jesus, to dedicate our everyday and trust Him fully with our life. We need to spread this message to others, so Jesus can save them too.
If you are someone who feels insignificant; that you have less value than others, take a look at Mary and realise that, if that is how others view you, it isn’t how Jesus views you. We have a God who desires to use each and every one of us, no matter what the world may say.
Your identity is not in what someone else says about you. It comes from Jesus. He declares who you truly are. He is the one who gives you a new life, a new name and His is the only opinion that should truly matter to you. May we never lose Jesus to anyone or anything. If we don’t have Jesus, we don’t have anything!
P.S. These notes are drawn from YouTube.
– J. Rodrigues