Thursday April 9th. – Lent 2009

An article by Drew    No Comments

Here’s my second favourite Easter story. (If you missed the first one see Tuesday’s blog.) This one occurs on Easter Sunday, concerns Mary Magdalene and is found in John’s gospel.

After the Sabbath Mary Magdalene was the first to visit Jesus tomb, before dawn, where she discovered the big stone blocking the tomb had been moved. She raced to tell the disciples who ran to the tomb and found neatly folded grave cloths but no sign of a body. They didn’t know what to think and went home.

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” “They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him. Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?” She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.” Jesus said, “Mary.” Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!” Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: “I saw the Master!” And she told them everything he said to her. John 20 (The Message)

This is such a moving story, more for what you read between the lines than the brief account itself. A deeply devoted woman is still trying to serve the master she loves, although she knows he’s dead. With even his body gone, Mary is crying so bitterly she doesn’t recognize Jesus. It’s also quite possible that the risen Jesus was not easy to recognize. Certainly other disciples who met him, for example those on the road to Emmaus, didn’t realize it was their beloved leader walking with them.

But when Jesus says her name Mary knows who it is. Try to imagine how you would feel if the person you loved most had died and suddenly against all reason, beyond all hope, you heard him say your name. Mary obviously rushed to hug Jesus who – in a state between worlds couldn’t hold her but rather sent her off to tell the others.

This story is as familiar as it is wonderful but doing a little research into Mary Magdalene I realized I didn’t know much about her and some of the things I though I knew where popular misconceptions. There are several Marys in the Jesus story which is a bit confusing including Jesus’ mother, Mary of Bethany, Mary sister of Martha and Lazarus who may be Mary of Magdala – a fishing town on the western shores of Galilee.

Luke mentions briefly that Mary was cured of seven evil spirits by Jesus and all the Gospel writers record her as being present at Jesus’ crucifixion and burial.

It’s commonly believed that Mary Magdalene was the woman who put expensive perfume on Jesus feet and dried them with her hair. Matthew and Mark don’t name this woman and Luke simply describes her as a woman who had lived a sinful life. The three of them record the incident happening at the house of Simon. It’s only John who claims that it was Mary at Lazarus’ house, who ministered to Jesus in this extravagant and prophetic way.

Another common belief is that Mary Magdalene was an ex prostitute but there is no solid biblical evidence for this. And of course there are all manner of other traditions and fabrications around Mary. Some have her as Jesus mistress or wife. The secret at the heart of “The Da Vinci Code” is that Jesus and Mary were not only married but had at least one child together. This sort of fantasy may fascinate some but it has no substance and achieves nothing worthwhile.

It’s probable that Mary became a leading figure in the early church and there’s a nice legend about her dining with the Emperor Tiberius who dismissed the resurrection story saying that it was as unlikely as an egg turning red. Mary picked up an ordinary white egg which promptly turned bright red and continued to proclaim the Gospel.

But putting aside all speculation and tradition we still have a clear picture of a loving and devoted woman who followed Jesus to his death and beyond… a woman whose devotion was rewarded by the first sight of Jesus risen, alive and triumphant.

“She walked in the morning and cried in the garden
while trees, grass and flowers wept misty with dew
until there she found him, for who she was mourning
for Love undefeated had blossomed anew.”