Saturday 22 July 2023

"Elementary, my dear Watson." This is the famous catchphrase of the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes – perhaps just as famous because it never appears in the stories penned by Arthur Conan Doyle.  

Similarly, the stories that have attached themselves to Mary Magdalene over the centuries are arguably better-known than her story as it appears in the Bible. In popular culture, she is often assumed to have been a prostitute. This stems, in part, from the fact that she is often confused with the woman who appears in all four gospels who anoints Jesus’ feet or head, and who is described by Luke as a ‘sinner’ (7:37) and by John as Jesus’ friend, Mary of Bethany (12:3). Over the centuries, Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, and Luke’s anonymous ‘sinful woman’ have somehow become conflated, and many have taken the leap from ‘sinful’ to ‘prostitute.’ So it is that paintings of Mary Magdalene frequently feature a jar of ointment. 

So what does the Bible actually tell us about Mary, called Magdalene?  

It tells us that Jesus healed Mary, setting her free from seven demons (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2). It tells us that Mary, in her gratitude, supported Jesus financially in his ministry (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:2-3). (The fact that she was able to do so, and that she appears to have been known by her place of origin, rather than her husband’s name, suggests (unusually) a wealthy woman of independent means.) It tells us that she followed Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41). It tells us that she, along with other women, was brave enough to look on as Jesus was crucified and buried, when many of his male disciples had fled (Matthew 27:55-56, 61; Mark 15:40, 47; John 19:25). It tells us that she went to the tomb early in the morning on the first Easter Day and, according to John’s Gospel, was the first person to see the risen Christ and to be commissioned with the task of sharing the good news – the first evangelist, in fact (John 20:1-18). 

To Ponder:

• Think of a Bible story or verse that means a lot to you. Go back and read the text (ideally in a couple of different translations) and see if anything surprises you. Is there something there you hadn’t noticed before? Have you inadvertently added anything to the original? (Such as the little donkey that is notably absent from the Christmas story!) 
• Having read Mary Magdalene’s story as it appears across the four gospels, what kind of woman do you think she was? What can we learn from her? 

Prayer

Gracious God, we thank you today for Mary Magdalene – for her generous support of Jesus’ ministry, and her faithfulness in the face of adversity. Help us, too, to be generous and faithful, and to follow you more closely each day. Amen.  

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