Mary Magdalene

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Yesterday, July 22, was the Feast Day of Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ most important and most enigmatic followers. The word 'magdala' means tower in Aramaic. In Christianity, Mary Magdalene is a tower of faith and devotion to Jesus. 

Magdalene is thought by many to have been a prostitute, but this was an irresponsible assumption made by a pope in the late 6th century. He conflated her with the unnamed “sinful woman” who anoints the feet of Jesus in Luke’s 7th chapter. But Luke never says who this woman was, or that her sin was prostitution. Nowhere in scripture does it say Magdalene was a prostitute.

What scripture is very clear on, however, is Magdalene's presence at the crucifixion of Jesus and the discovery of the empty tomb. Magdalene, in all four Gospels, is the first witness of the resurrection, or among the first. The accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John differ wildly on how the events of Easter Day unfolded, but on Magdalene’s presence, they agree. She was there. In John’s Gospel, she preaches the first Easter sermon when she says, “I have seen the Lord.” If only every Easter sermon were that clear!

Luke also mentions Mary Magdalene in Chapter 8:

“Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.” -Luke 8:1–3

From Luke’s account, we learn that Mary is one of the women supporting the itinerant ministry of Jesus and the twelve disciples. Perhaps she shares her resources out of gratitude for having been healed of a demonic possession by Jesus. What this tells us is that she was a woman of some means, but her life had not been easy. 

Of course, Magdalene’s mysterious legacy has prompted plenty of speculation about her life after the resurrection and the nature of her relationship with Jesus. But remember that Dan Brown and his ilk write fiction, not history. The truth is, we just don’t know very much about her. But from the Bible, we do know of her generosity in providing for Jesus, her courage in bearing witness to Jesus dying on the cross, her grief in his death, and her surprised joy in discovering the empty tomb. So this week, let us remember Mary Magdalene for her generosity, courage, grief, and joy.

Yours in Christ,

Carmen

P.S. The photo you see is of a modern icon of Mary Magdalene by artist Gracie Morbitzer. This icon was a gift to me from BJ Havens and it hangs in my office. I love Morbitzer’s interpretation of Magdalene’s toughness and faith. To learn more about the artist, visit her website: https://www.themodernsaints.com/