July 22 on the church calendar is Mary Magdalene's remembrance day. Prior to the DaVinci Code book, what would google have for Mary Magdalene besides her life being affected by the living Jesus Christ. I would write that 'His embracing her as an outcast, Jesus loved her into the kingdom'. But now after the book's popularity, that might not be the best way to phrase how Jesus saved Mary Magdalene. But that phrase is what I believe.So which Mary in the gospels is this Mary? I've read the confusions. Some think she's a prostitute and the one who weeped and wiped Jesus' feet; some think she's Lazarus's sister, who sat at Jesus' feet, and anointed his feet too? The actual use of Mary Magdalene is used of the woman who was healed of seven demons (did she weep at Jesus' feet too? I'm confused. But why wouldn't she too be so grateful and be at Jesus feet?).
Mary Magdalene is also mentioned at both the cross and the empty tomb. In fact, she's the first witness and missionary - 'sent one', to go tell the others the good news. We so often just picture Jesus walking about with the twelve men, when in reality there were many women in the close followers too.
If Mary Magdalene could speak to us today, she'd tell us that whoever she really was makes no difference because "we are all sinners in need of the saving power of God, whether our sins have been lurid or not". And like in the picture, I too have embraced the cross and what it means for my life - my everyday aliveness!
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