Reflections on: Women Disciples of Jesus
Part 5: Mary of Magdala, Woman of Love
Eleanor Lincoln, CSJ and Catherine Litecky, CSJ
Courtesy of Ansgar Holmberg, CSJ
“I have seen the Lord.”
John 20:18
Mary Magdalene, who was with Jesus from the beginning, is the first witness to the resurrection, as described in all four gospels. Ever since she has been called “apostle to the apostles.”
In one of the most touching scenes in all of the New Testament Mary Magdalene meets the risen Jesus. Her encounter with Jesus is dramatically described in the gospel of John (20: 1-18.) Early in the morning on the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala goes to the tomb where Jesus' body has been laid. She shows her courage and faith in going to a dark cemetery alone. As soon as she discovers the empty tomb, she runs to two of the other disciples to tell them, “The Lord has been taken from the tomb! We don't know where they have put him.” The only logical explanation for the empty tomb to her way of thinking is that someone has stolen the body of Jesus.
When the two disciples, Peter and the Beloved Disciple, come running to the tomb, the Beloved Disciple defers to Peter who goes in first. But it is this Beloved Disciple who sees and believes. Neither disciple understands the scripture “that he had to rise from the dead” and so, rather anti-climactically, they go home.
Mary stays outside the tomb weeping. When she looks into the tomb, she sees two angels who ask, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answers, “They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him” (20:13).
As she continues to weep, Mary turns around and sees Jesus standing there; he says, “Whom are you looking for?” Thinking it is the gardener, she says, “Sir, If you carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him” (20:15).
In his questions Jesus addresses her as “Woman,” the same term of respect he used for his mother at the wedding feast of Cana and at the foot of the cross. Jesus' use of the phrase, “Whom are you looking for,” echoes the calling of his first disciples at the beginning of John's gospel.
When Jesus then calls her by name, “Mary!” she answers “Rabbonni!” which means Teacher in Hebrew. This time she recognizes Jesus, her teacher, not the gardener. Her love and her joy know no bounds as they recognize each other by voice and name.
Earlier in John's gospel Jesus had called Lazarus by name from the tomb (11:43), and now his voice summons Mary Magdalene to new life. What a thrilling experience for her!
Mary attempts to embrace Jesus after she recognizes him, but Jesus says to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brethren and tell them, I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (20:17).
Jesus' words seem strange as a response to Mary's joyous recognition of him as Risen Lord. But if Mary Magdalene had prevented Jesus from ascending to God, the Easter story would be incomplete.
Mary does as Jesus asks. As a faithful disciple she carries out his instruction by running to the absent disciples to announce the good news of his resurrection: “I have seen the Lord,” (20:18)she exclaims. This is one of the most beautiful lines in all of Scripture.
Think of occasions in your life when you, like Mary Magdalene, have been able to exclaim, “I have seen the Lord.”
How has your sorrow ever turned to joy? Treasure your memories of these moments of grace, and thank God for them.
Although the encounter of Mary with the Risen Jesus is the most dramatic and longest of the gospel stories about her, all of the gospel writers include other stories about her. Her name appears twelve times in these gospels, showing the important role she played in the early Christian community. Because several women named Mary are counted among the disciples of Jesus, she came to be known as Magdalene or Mary of Magdala.
Early in his gospel Luke's names Mary Magdalene first among the women who accompanied Jesus and took part in his mission.
“Afterwards, he journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities. Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward, Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources.” (Lk. 8:1-3)
We don't know much about Mary's early life except that she came from Magdala, a town located on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus cures her and some other women of serious illnesses possibly of a convulsive nature, considered at that time to be caused by “evil spirits”. These women are so grateful to Jesus for healing them that they respond to the call to leave their homes to follow Jesus. They provide for the needs of the Twelve out of their resources, an indication that they must be women of some wealth.
For these women from Galilee to follow Jesus to help him in his public ministry was a highly unusual practice. Jesus, however, feels free to disregard customs or practices which stand in the way of his ministry. Often Jesus cures sick people on the Sabbath to the dismay of religious authorities of the time. He speaks to the woman at the well who was a Samaritan. Jesus has disregarded the law forbidding Jews to speak to Samaritans or to women in public in order to call the woman at the well to discipleship.
Other women disciples travel with Jesus throughout his ministry listening and learning as well as serving him and the other disciples.
This kind of service was given later by the deacons in the early Christian community.
Take a few minutes to think about women you know who serve others in the name of Jesus. Think of the many ways in which women minister in the church.
Are there additional ways you would like women to be able to serve as Mary of Magdala and the other women of Galilee did?
When some people today hear the name Mary Magdalene they picture a repentant sinner (probably a prostitute) kneeling at the feet of Jesus anointing his feet with costly oil. Many artists, poets, writers, and especially preachers have reinforced this false interpretation of the biblical Mary of Magdala. In several gospel stories a woman anoints Jesus, but none of these stories is about Magdalene.
Although Jesus does cure her and some other women of serious illness, at that time thought to be caused by evil spirits, these women are not sinners. However, Jesus does encounter women known to be public sinners.
Luke in his gospel (7:36-50) tells us that a “sinful woman in the city” anoints the feet of Jesus. He praises her for her faith and love, then forgives her sins, saying to this unnamed woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
The other gospels all have stories of women anointing Jesus (Mark 14:3-9; Matthew 26: 6-13; and John12: 1-8). In John's gospel Mary of Bethany, Martha's sister, anoints Jesus at a banquet given by Martha after Jesus raised their brother Lazarus from the dead. Mary anoints Jesus as a loving gesture of gratitude.
Unnamed women in anointing stories in Matthew and Mark receive praise from Jesus for their generosity and love. They approach him at public banquets, causing the hosts to be annoyed. These women show courage and love, and Jesus praises them.
In Mark's story Jesus says, “Let her alone. Why do you make trouble for her? She has done a good thing for me .... Amen, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed to the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her” (Mark 14: 6, 9). Matthew's story has Jesus say to the guests, “In pouring this perfumed oil upon my body, she did it to prepare me for burial” (Matthew 26: 12). These anointing stories show the kindness and gentleness of Jesus in his relationships with women.
None of these stories, however, is about Mary of Magdalene for she never anoints Jesus. She stands in a special relationship through her love and service as a disciple. As we have seen, at the cross she witnesses his death and burial. At the tomb Jesus calls her by name and commissions her to announce the good news of the resurrection to the other disciples.
Mary of Magdala gives us a model of true discipleship in her believing and loving of Jesus. Like all disciples she hears the call to become a disciple of Jesus and responds. In her faithful witness to his resurrection victory of life over death she continued to spread the good news.
Many women in the church today see Mary of Magdala as a model for discipleship. She played a significant role in the “community of disciples,” the model of church best describing the first Christians. She not only recognized Jesus as risen Lord, she fulfilled his command to preach the good news of his resurrection by speaking of what she has experienced. She was the first of all the disciples to meet the Risen Lord. Imagine her feelings of elation as she told the others, “I have seen the Lord.”
As you conclude your retreat on discipleship with Mary of Magdala, woman of love, as your model, pray slowly and pause after each line:
Loving God, you call me by name.
Guide my steps as I continue to walk with Jesus as a disciple on the way that leads to you.
Bless all who walk with me in faith and love of Jesus. Amen.
Now turn to Part 6: Women of the Early Christian Community |
