Types of Discipleship (Contd)
Among the many women disciples who accompanied Jesus to his crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James, are singled out by the Synoptic Gospels as first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. John, however, concentrates his attention on Mary Magdalene as the sole first witness of this great event.
Mary Magdalene, a true disciple of Jesus: When Jesus went about proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God, along with the twelve there were many women who had been set free from evil spirits and infirmities. Seven devils had come out from Mary, known as Magdala. There were many others including Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was a steward of Herod, and Susanna. These women provided for Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources (See Luke, 8: 1-3). Just before this report, we read in Luke 7: 36-50 an incident dealing with a woman, who was living an immoral life in the town, standing behind Jesus who was sitting at table in the house of a Pharisee. We are not sure whether we can identify this woman with Mary Magdalene or not. However, the sum and substance of the incident probably fits the character of Mary Magdalene when the seven devils were ejected out of her. Therefore, let us transpose the character of Mary Magdalene to the sinful woman standing behind Jesus at the Pharisee's house.
While Jesus was going about doing good and announcing the Good News of the Kingdom of God, this sinful woman was a captive of Satan. In her whole life, she had never met a man who was compassionate and interested in her true welfare. Everyone wanted only to exploit her for their own selfish ends and therefore she was longing for true love. She may have had occasions to listen to the words of Jesus and to see his actions, which might have kindled a yearning in her heart that grew day by day. This was already the beginning of the working of God's graces to release her from the satanic bonds of captivity she was under. And yet, she had to say "yes" to the graces of God and that moment came when she decided to visit Jesus uninvited in a stranger's house. The hawkish gazes of the lustful men did not deter her from her resolve to get away from her sinful life. There was a flask in her hand with oil of myrrh and she went straightaway to Jesus to stand behind him weeping. She had found her true love sitting at table unconcerned about her. When her tears fell on his feet, Jesus did not show any displeasure nor did he stop her wiping his feet with her hair, kissing and anointing them with the myrrh. At this moment Jesus was mentally passing judgment on the two main protagonists of the scene, namely the Pharisee and the woman at his feet. The Pharisee, being the host who invited Jesus to dinner, proudly stood at the head of the table looking at the woman with disdain and at Jesus with suspicion. His suspicion was about the prophetic ability of Jesus who was apparently not able to know the kind of woman that touched him. The woman sat at the feet of Jesus kissing and anointing them without saying a word. The Pharisee's name was Simon and it was time for Jesus to kill two birds with one stone. He addressed Simon posing a simple problem before him about two debtors. Simon passed the test by giving the correct answer. Then Jesus applied the situation to the current scene where Simon was found wanting and the woman at Jesus' feet won hands down. It was a judgment of the one who reads the hearts of human beings and does not go by outward appearances. Words were not necessary for the woman to be truly repentant because her actions were louder than any number of words. Mary Magdalene was a changed person from that moment onward and she followed Jesus till the end.
Thereafter the Gospels report the presence of Mary Magdalene at the cross of Jesus and at the empty tomb. There we see the prominence given to her by the Gospels. According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, she is the one leading the group of women who followed Jesus from Galilee. According to the Gospel of John, the three women at the foot of the cross are: the mother of Jesus, her sister and wife of Clopas, also named Mary and Mary Magdalene. John also says that early on the Sunday morning, it was Mary Magdalene who went to the tomb of Jesus. Mark reports that it was to Mary Magdalene that Jesus appeared first after his resurrection (See Mark, 16: 9). As soon as she saw that the stone at the entrance of the tomb was moved out, she ran to the Apostles announcing that the body of Jesus had been taken away by someone. Along with Peter and John, she ran back to the tomb where the risen Lord Himself met her. She was sent back by Jesus to the disciples to announce the good news of his ascension to the heavenly Father (See John, 20: 1-18).
From the little we know about her from the Gospels, we see how Mary Magdalene was a transformed person out of love for Jesus. A sinner was turned into a proclaimer of the Good News of God's love and mercy experienced by her through the compassion showered on her by Jesus All of us are called in the same manner, if only we don't harden our hearts to the promptings of divine graces. (To be Contd).
Among the many women disciples who accompanied Jesus to his crucifixion, Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of James, are singled out by the Synoptic Gospels as first witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. John, however, concentrates his attention on Mary Magdalene as the sole first witness of this great event.
Mary Magdalene, a true disciple of Jesus: When Jesus went about proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God, along with the twelve there were many women who had been set free from evil spirits and infirmities. Seven devils had come out from Mary, known as Magdala. There were many others including Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was a steward of Herod, and Susanna. These women provided for Jesus and his disciples out of their own resources (See Luke, 8: 1-3). Just before this report, we read in Luke 7: 36-50 an incident dealing with a woman, who was living an immoral life in the town, standing behind Jesus who was sitting at table in the house of a Pharisee. We are not sure whether we can identify this woman with Mary Magdalene or not. However, the sum and substance of the incident probably fits the character of Mary Magdalene when the seven devils were ejected out of her. Therefore, let us transpose the character of Mary Magdalene to the sinful woman standing behind Jesus at the Pharisee's house.
While Jesus was going about doing good and announcing the Good News of the Kingdom of God, this sinful woman was a captive of Satan. In her whole life, she had never met a man who was compassionate and interested in her true welfare. Everyone wanted only to exploit her for their own selfish ends and therefore she was longing for true love. She may have had occasions to listen to the words of Jesus and to see his actions, which might have kindled a yearning in her heart that grew day by day. This was already the beginning of the working of God's graces to release her from the satanic bonds of captivity she was under. And yet, she had to say "yes" to the graces of God and that moment came when she decided to visit Jesus uninvited in a stranger's house. The hawkish gazes of the lustful men did not deter her from her resolve to get away from her sinful life. There was a flask in her hand with oil of myrrh and she went straightaway to Jesus to stand behind him weeping. She had found her true love sitting at table unconcerned about her. When her tears fell on his feet, Jesus did not show any displeasure nor did he stop her wiping his feet with her hair, kissing and anointing them with the myrrh. At this moment Jesus was mentally passing judgment on the two main protagonists of the scene, namely the Pharisee and the woman at his feet. The Pharisee, being the host who invited Jesus to dinner, proudly stood at the head of the table looking at the woman with disdain and at Jesus with suspicion. His suspicion was about the prophetic ability of Jesus who was apparently not able to know the kind of woman that touched him. The woman sat at the feet of Jesus kissing and anointing them without saying a word. The Pharisee's name was Simon and it was time for Jesus to kill two birds with one stone. He addressed Simon posing a simple problem before him about two debtors. Simon passed the test by giving the correct answer. Then Jesus applied the situation to the current scene where Simon was found wanting and the woman at Jesus' feet won hands down. It was a judgment of the one who reads the hearts of human beings and does not go by outward appearances. Words were not necessary for the woman to be truly repentant because her actions were louder than any number of words. Mary Magdalene was a changed person from that moment onward and she followed Jesus till the end.
Thereafter the Gospels report the presence of Mary Magdalene at the cross of Jesus and at the empty tomb. There we see the prominence given to her by the Gospels. According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, she is the one leading the group of women who followed Jesus from Galilee. According to the Gospel of John, the three women at the foot of the cross are: the mother of Jesus, her sister and wife of Clopas, also named Mary and Mary Magdalene. John also says that early on the Sunday morning, it was Mary Magdalene who went to the tomb of Jesus. Mark reports that it was to Mary Magdalene that Jesus appeared first after his resurrection (See Mark, 16: 9). As soon as she saw that the stone at the entrance of the tomb was moved out, she ran to the Apostles announcing that the body of Jesus had been taken away by someone. Along with Peter and John, she ran back to the tomb where the risen Lord Himself met her. She was sent back by Jesus to the disciples to announce the good news of his ascension to the heavenly Father (See John, 20: 1-18).
From the little we know about her from the Gospels, we see how Mary Magdalene was a transformed person out of love for Jesus. A sinner was turned into a proclaimer of the Good News of God's love and mercy experienced by her through the compassion showered on her by Jesus All of us are called in the same manner, if only we don't harden our hearts to the promptings of divine graces. (To be Contd).
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