A Few More Thoughts About Mary Magdalene

The Sabbath was over at sunset on Saturday evening, but it was too dark to visit Jesus' tomb. So the women who had followed Him determined to do what little they could to honor His memory. Even before the sun rose we read of Mary Magdalene:

"Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him"(John 20:1,2). 

So much has been written and said about this Mary called Magdalene, but who was she really and what do we know of her? Outside of the speculation and legends we read only this in Holy Scripture:

"Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him,and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out . . . "(Luke 8:2). 

The name Magdalene identifies her as from Magdala. Does this refer to Magadan, the name of a town appearing only in Matt. 15:39? The name Magdala means "tower" (Migdol in Hebrew). After feeding over 4,000 men, not including women and children, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus went by boat to the region of Magadan (Magdala?), Matthew reports. Magadan was a small fishing village between Capernaum and Tiberias. Mark, in a parallel to Matthew's report, calls it Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10). Confused yet? Me too. It seems that we know next to nothing about this little village of Magdala from which Mary came.

Of Mary Magdalene on the other hand the legends and apocryphal accounts abound. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia the name Magdala may come instead from a Talmudic expression meaning "curling women's hair." The idea is that she did this to attract men. If this is true then the name could connect her to the woman who came to Jesus begging for forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50). Of course, we have no reason to connect Mary to that woman. Indeed, the Talmudic expression was so pejorative and contemptible that one wonders if the disciples would have nicknamed her Mary, the hooker, especially given her exemplary role in following Jesus to the cross. We are left rather with the understanding that she was from Magdala and that Jesus had driven seven demons from her.

Ah, but then what does that mean? It refers to a worldview rejected by most of the educated and rational of our day. No one really believes that demons are real and that they can indeed occupy a human's body along with that person's soul do they? Of course not. That's but the stuff of entertaining exorcism movies. They make for good box office and plenty of scares, but do we really, really believe in such stuff? The Bible writers—and Jesus—certainly did. Here are some of the many examples of the casting out of demons or exorcism:

Psalm 106:37 - They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons 

Matt. 8:16 -That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.  

Matt. 8:31 - And the demons begged him, saying, "If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs." 

Matt. 12:24 - But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons." 

Mark 1:39 - And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. 

Luke 4:41 - And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

Those who reject these accounts as real and yet want to maintain a high view of the inspired nature of Scripture speak about them as accommodation. Jesus knew there are no real demons. He was rather accommodating himself to the prevailing and non-scientific notions of his day. Don Stewart in the Blue Letter Bible website points out that "this theory does not really take into account what the Bible says about itself. The Bible claims to be God's truth to humanity. It makes no distinction between the spiritual and the scientific."


Given that, one can readily see why Mary was so dedicated to Jesus. We don't know what the demons living within did to her. We can only imagine what it would be like to hear them in your heart and mind day upon day. The temptations, the guilt, the fear and anxiety, the utter darkness and despair—who wants to think about it? 


So in this week in which we continue with Christians around the world to rejoice in Christ's resurrection, we also pray, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the power of the devil and his hosts!" And we can be confident that He will, for His is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever! Hallelujah! Christ is risen!