Real Easter Joy
One of the most well-known figures in the entire New Testament is at the same time one of the most elusive and mysterious. We often presume quite a bit about Mary Magdalene, a woman typically presented as the epitome of a converted sinner: once a prostitute, a harlot, an adulterer. But what can we know for certain about her, and what can be learned from her?
Let’s begin with speculation. Some assume she was the woman caught in the act of adultery (Jn 8:1-11). While the raucous crowd was ready to stone her to death, Jesus serenely wrote on the ground, and asked that the one among them without sin throw the first stone. When they went away one by one, and the woman recognized no one had condemned her, Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you. Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”
Is this Mary Magdalene? A couple of details lead me to say “probably not.” If it were Mary, why would John the Evangelist not include her name? And why would he not make that connection more explicit, when he references Mary Magdalene later in his Gospel? And after all, this episode happens in Jerusalem, far from the home of our person of interest.
Some have claimed that she is also Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. I’m inclined against that, since they reside in Bethany, and the moniker “Magdalene” essentially locates Mary’s home as Magdala, a bustling fisherman town on the west shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Some claim she is the anonymous penitent woman in the Gospel of Luke (7:36-50) who enters the home of Simon the Pharisee and anoints the feet of Jesus with perfumed oil and dried them with her hair. I find this convincing for some reason. It happens in Galilee, not far from Magdala. Simon speaks of how sinful she is, but Jesus responds, “So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Mary Magdalene’s great love for Christ gives evidence that she had been forgiven a great amount. And soon after this episode, St. Luke mentions Mary Magdalene as a companion of Jesus and the apostles for the first time. And yet, the identity of the sinful woman as Mary Magdalene is not certain.
So what do we know about her with absolute certainty? We know at least a few things. We know that Jesus cast seven demons from her (Mk 16:9). How she had become susceptible to such demons we can only speculate. We also know she accompanied Jesus and the apostles for at least some of their public ministry (Lk 8:1-3).
More dramatically (and more importantly) she resolutely remained near Jesus at His crucifixion, enduring that scene of brutality at the side of Mary and the apostle John. Once Jesus is taken down from the cross, she witnessed His burial preparations made by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. And this leads us to the most important certain detail of all: She had the singular privilege to be the first disciple to encounter the Risen Lord on Easter morning. What a tremendous honor! She doesn’t recognize Him at first, mistaking Him for the gardener. But once he says her name (“Mary!”) her eyes are opened and perceives her Lord (“Rabbi!”)
Many women today experience tremendous discouragement and even despair because their life isn’t quite picture perfect. Social media is an “envy generator,” where a person could daily spend hours scrolling through pictures and descriptions of other people’s (supposedly) perfect family, perfect vacation, perfect meal, perfect everything! No one else seems to be struggling with their family members. Everyone else’s marriages seem perfectly happy. No one else seems to have difficulty finding time to pray.
Just remember: those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Jesus Christ did not come for the perfect, but for sinners (cf. Mk 2:17). He’s willing to leave the 99 sheep to seek out the lost one (cf. Lk 15:1-7). If you need any further proof of this reality, look to the empty tomb: before anyone else, he comes to a very imperfect woman, gazes upon her with love, and reveals what He has in store for her: a resurrected life with Him. Had Mary Magdalene allowed her imperfections to consume her, she never would have come to the tomb early that East Sunday morning. It reminds me of the simple advice of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta: “God does not call you to be successful, he calls you to be faithful.”
The Risen Lord calls you by name. If in your journey of faith you feel downtrodden, discouraged, unable to change or unable to look beyond the sins of your past, find hope in the example of Mary Magdalene. This is the new life the Risen Christ offers this Easter season! A chance to rid ourselves of the demons of perfectionism, self-pity, vanity, self-absorption, lust, and other things of this world which can grab a hold of our hearts and keep us from the joy which comes with new life in Christ.
Your life isn’t perfect? Do not despair! Christ Is Risen! A blessed and joy-filled Easter to all.
