BIBLIO - Mary Magdalene - Sinner or Saint?

BIBLIO - Mary Magdalene - Sinner or Saint?

Mary Magdalene gets some bad press from time to time.

In the defense of Mary Magdalene, here is some more info >

Mary Magdalene was a woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons (Luke 8:2). The name Magdalene likely indicates that she came from Magdala, a city on the southwest coast of the Sea of Galilee. After Jesus cast seven demons from her, she became one of His followers.

Mary Magdalene has been associated with the "woman in the city who was a sinner" (Luke 7:37) who washed Jesus' feet, but there is no scriptural basis for this.

The city of Magdala did have a reputation for prostitution. This information, coupled with the fact that Luke first mentions Mary Magdalene immediately following his account of the sinful woman (Luke 7:36-50), has led some to equate the two women. But there is no scriptural evidence to support this idea.

Mary Magdalene is nowhere identified as a prostitute or as a sinful woman, despite popular portrayals of her as such.

Mary Magdalene is also often associated with the woman whom Jesus saved from stoning after she had been taken in adultery (John 8:1-11). But again this is an association with no evidence.

The movie “The Passion of the Christ” made this connection. This view is possible, but not likely and certainly not taught in the Bible.

• source > gotquestions.org

What the Bible is very clear about is the first person that Jesus showed himself to was not to His Father. And it was not to Peter nor to His mother, though both of them also visited the empty tomb earlier that morning, (though He did appear to each of them shortly afterwards).

For reasons not explained in the Bible, Mary Magdalene was that special person chosen to be the very first witness of the Resurrected Saviour.

At the time, under Jewish Law, the witness [or word] of a woman was not accepted, and Jesus knew this. In spite of her word not holding any weight as a witness to His victory over death, He still chose to appear to her first.

Whatever her past may have been, she was Born Again. She loved and cherished the Lord and whatever her past, her past was forgiven and forgotten. Her heart was healed and cleansed and pure - to the point that she was special enough and worthy enough to be that very first witness.

"though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow"

Isaiah 1:18

And if she is that special to Him then I hold her in very high regard and whatever her past was, if He can forgive and forget, then who am I to speculate and say anything but praise for her.

Footnote about the picture >

* painting by Del Parsons, "Eternal Love"

* this painting of Mary embracing the Risen Lord more accurately represents what took place. The King James rendition of "Touch me not" is an incorrect translation and more accurately should read "Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father"

BIBLIO - Mary Magdalene - Sinner or Saint?