Faithful Friday : A Portrait of Mary Magdalene
by: Debbie Waltz
Despite the obscurity surrounding her early years, Mary Magdalene played a crucial role in supporting Jesus’ ministry. Although Mary’s testimony mainly points to her being Mary of Magdala, we believe her hometown is an ancient Jewish city located three miles north of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.
Despite the limited information available about Mary Magdalene’s origins, her personal change serves as a powerful illustration of Jesus’ ability to transform lives. This woman, who was once afflicted by seven demons, experienced an immediate and miraculous healing. I can scarcely imagine the profound feeling of relief that must have enveloped her at that precise instant. With a clear mind and a grateful heart, she decided to follow Jesus, unaware of the significant role she would later have in his ministry.
It is important to note that women were regarded unfavorably and were supposed to be obedient to men. Jesus was more focused about people’s souls. He followed Jewish traditions, yet his primary concern was cultivating connections with people. While Jesus healed people to provide His credentials as Messiah, His primary mission was to bring them closer to God. Although Jesus healed individuals, his greater concern was for their spiritual condition over their physical health. The purpose of His journey to the cross was to bring about reconciliation, allowing individuals to be brought back into fellowship with God.
During his three-year ministry, Jesus frequently urged religious leaders to reexamine their priorities and focus on caring for their followers. We can logically deduce that Mary’s miraculous healing implicitly challenged the Jewish traditions that had historically excluded women and other marginalized groups, neglecting to recognize their important roles. By sharing the gospel’s good news with everyone, Jesus came to alter that perspective, affirming that each person plays a role in God’s kingdom upon acknowledging their need for a Savior.
While Mary’s specific participation in Jesus’ earthly ministry is not well-defined, she exhibited unwavering loyalty throughout his last hours on Earth and afterward. She holds the distinction of being among the first to see Jesus after he rose from the dead. Despite varying viewpoints on each Gospel, Mary can be depicted as arriving to anoint the body with burial spices, as the crucifixion occurred on the day before the Sabbath. Once again, this demonstrates God’s mercy in creating equality by allowing Mary the honor of sharing the good news with the other disciples.
Since each perspective is different, each author gives details important to them. In Mark’s account, he emphasizes Mary is not alone when she comes to prepare the body. She sees a man inside the tomb, but does not record a direct appearance of Jesus to Mary. (Mark 16:1-11). Matthew also narrates a comparable incident in which Mary and a second woman visited the tomb and met an angel. This angel communicated the news of Jesus’ resurrection and his planned reunion with them in Galilee. (Matthew 28:1-10)
John’s account is the sole insight into Martha’s burgeoning faith, detailing her journey from recalling Jesus’ words to understanding that he had fulfilled them.
His resurrection occurred exactly as Jesus had proclaimed.
Her response is entirely understandable. She witnessed her friend enduring crucifixion and remained present for several hours as he suffered in agony. Overwhelmed by her sorrow, she rose on that Sunday morning intending to prepare his body for burial, only to discover that it was no longer there.
She didn’t entirely comprehend the true nature of his earthly mission. She had been following Him this time, but she had forgotten Jesus’ words to his disciples. He was indeed going to die, yet He would also rise again, conquering both death and Satan at once. (Matthew 17:22 – 23). He mentions this three times, with one instance appearing in all the Gospels: Mark 9:31 and Luke 9:44.
Only upon hearing Jesus call her name, does she understand Jesus was alive and calling out her name just as He had said. She was a faithful follower of Jesus, and that poignant moment as she realized He was alive was perhaps her greatest blessing.