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The Gospel of Matthew Bible Studies
The Gospel of Mark Bible Studies
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007 Ordination of Louise Christensen
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
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Mary Magdalene, Apostle In the Name of our Lord. Amen. In our church year calendar, certain dates are set aside as “Lesser Festivals”. On these dates, we remember special persons or emphases in the life of the Church – and reflect upon what their witness may have to say to us today. We especially observe these dates whenever they happen to fall on a Sunday. Today, July 22nd, is one of those “Lesser Festival” days – designated as being in commemoration of St. Mary of Magdala – or as she is more commonly known, St. Mary Magdalene – or Mary Magdalene, Apostle. Who exactly was this woman? As today’s gospel reading tells us, she was the first witness of our Lord’s resurrection – and that in and of itself makes her very special and important. Whenever any of the four gospels mention the women who were with Jesus, Mary Magdalene is always included – and with just one exception she is always listed first. She was obviously highly regarded and beloved within the group of Jesus’ disciples. But who was she before she became one of Jesus’ followers? It is sometimes held that Mary Magdalene had been a prostitute – that she was the woman in Luke’s gospel about whom, to the righteous horror of Simon the Pharisee, Jesus let wash his feet and dry them with her hair despite her highly unsavory reputation, and about whom Jesus said, "I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven because she loved much (Luke 7:47). It's a powerful story, and it might be nice to think that Mary Magdalene is the one it's about, but that almost certainly is not the case. The first specific mention of Mary Magdalene is at the beginning of the eighth chapter of Luke’s gospel, which reads: “Soon afterwards (Jesus) 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 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.” (Lk. 8:1-3) Mary Magdalene, far from being a down and out prostitute, had rather been a woman of high social standing and with significant financial resources. But she, like the others mentioned with her, had been a very troubled and unhappy woman before meeting Jesus. She is described as having been possessed by SEVEN demons. “Seven” is a Hebraism for “total” or “complete”. In other words, she, despite her wealth and social status, was in the midst of a living hell. She was experiencing depression, despair, and all kinds of mental anguish. In some ways, perhaps it is easier for us to think of Mary Magdalene as having been a prostitute – because then we can say that she was not like us. But if she was indeed a person of wealth and status – that hits home because her situation may be like people whom we know – perhaps even some of us. Her “problems” were not visible ones, but were inside her mind. On the surface Mary Magdalene seemed to have it all, but underneath she felt total and overwhelming darkness and sadness. So many people among us and around us are just like Mary Magdalene. Of course, we usually do not say that they are possessed by demons. Instead, we say that they are experiencing mental depression or anxiety that can be treated by pills such as Prozac, Praxil, Ritalin and other mind and mood altering drugs. It is not my intent to attack the practice of psychiatry and psychology, but in reflecting upon this I have to wonder if we as a society are too far quick to seek medical “cures” for mental illnesses that are in actual fact spiritual problems. Mary Magdalene’s problem was one that could not be fixed by medicine. Her problem was a distress of the soul. It was a realization that her life, despite all of its outward trappings of success, did not have any real meaning or purpose. Is that the case with any of the people whom we know? Is that possibly the case with any of us? Jesus changed Mary Magdalene from the inside out. He made her feel valued as a person because he obviously cared about her and knew her by name. But at least equally important, he gave her a purpose for living. Before she met Jesus, Mary Magdalene like many other “important” and wealthy people of her day (and our own!) had been concerned only about trying to make herself happy. But Jesus showed her something. By his teaching and most of all by his life, Jesus showed that true happiness and fulfillment in life did not come by her trying to live for herself, but rather by loving and serving others. Mary Magdalene took that understanding to heart. She left everything that she had in her former life to follow Jesus and to help provide for his ministry. She and Joanna and Susanna and the other women mentioned by Luke in his gospel gave financial and emotional support to Jesus and his disciples so that they could continue on with their work of teaching and healing. Their support may not have been “glamorous” in the world’s view, but it was very, very necessary and important! Indeed, it can be safely said that had it not been for Mary Magdalene and her companions, Jesus would not have been able to accomplish nearly as much as what he actually did while here on earth. In a very real way, these women were the backbone of his ministry! Although it is not explicitly stated in the gospels, I know that our Lord appreciated the love and support of Mary Magdalene and her companions more than words can express. And Mary Magdalene, for her part, experienced a happiness and fulfillment in her own life that she had not been able to find while purchasing and doing things for herself. By committing her life to Jesus and sticking by him to the end – and beyond – Mary Magdalene knew that her life had great purpose and value indeed! She was cured of her “seven demons” in a way that no medicine could have done. She was cured wholly and completely and forever! And at the end, Mary Magdalene was the first person to meet Jesus after his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Her face, shining with joy and excitement, gave power to the report she gave to the disciples when told them, “I have seen the Lord!” What about us? As I have said earlier, I know that there are many people today - women and men – who are just like Mary Magdalene used to be. People who on the surface may appear to be successful and have it all, but who inwardly are afflicted with all kinds of mental darkness – with depression, sadness, doubts, and despair – much of which can never be treated by drugs or other medical means. The good news for living that we have to proclaim is that Jesus is truly alive - and that he is inviting us to have a life-changing relationship with him! Jesus wants to reveal himself to everyone who is the midst of sorrow and pain, just as he did to Mary Magdalene. Jesus wants to cast out the inner demons that afflict us, just as he did for Mary Magdalene. Jesus wants to give us a wonderful purpose for living – a commission to witness, love, and serve others – just as he gave to Mary Magdalene. If our hearts are open, and our prayers are real and fervent, Jesus comes to us and calls us by name saying; Mary!”…”Mark!”…”Judy!”…”John!”…”Dorothy!”…”David!”…and you can put your own name in there as well! Jesus is waiting – eagerly waiting – for us to call upon him. And when we do, when we really, really do – Jesus indeed comes to us and reveals himself to us, filling our hearts with joy and peace! May we too, like Mary Magdalene, be able to truly say; “I have seen the Lord!” “I have seen the Lord!” Amen! -------------------- George R. Karres, Pella Lutheran Church 418 W. Main Street Sidney, MT 59270
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