Hi, I'm Tim Coombs, co-pastor of Trinity Presbyterian
Church in Scotia, NY and a member of the network
of biblical storytellers.
To learn more about its mission, go to nbsint.org
A lot has been thought about Mary Magdalene,
particularly these last 30 or so years partially
from novels and plays that have been out.
For instance, many people's understanding
of her has been shaped by the rock opera Jesus
Christ Superstar, where she is portrayed as
Jesus' girlfriend practically.
And then of course there is the Da Vinci Code,
where the message there is that she might
be one of the disciples painted into Da Vinci's
last supper portrait.
However, in the gospels we don't find all
of that much about her.
For instance, in Mark's gospel in one of its
other endings, which is a later part where
we are told that Mary had seven demons excised
from her, but that doesn't appear in the main
gospel or any of the other gospels.
She is one of the followers of Jesus.
She is one of the many women who provided
for Jesus and his disciples when they were
going about to all the towns and villages
and gully.
She even followed Jesus all the way down to
Jerusalem and was there to the bitter end,
was there at the Crucifixion, and we are told
specifically that she was one of the women
who came to the tomb.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus,
Salome in Mark's gospel, and when they do
not find that the body is there, they are
told to go, and tell the others so you could
very well argue that Mary Magdalene was the
first of all the angels if indeed she went
and proclaimed, ""He is not there.
He has risen.""
So, Mary Magdalene has an important role to
play in the life of Jesus and the early church.
