Mary Magdalene
Luke 8:1-3, Mark 15:40, Mark 15:47, Luke 24:1-12
There aren’t any accounts detailing the actual moment of Mary Magdalene’s healing. But what we do see is that she was healed by Jesus when she had seven demons cast out from her. This changed her life. The defining characteristics of Mary Magdalene are her love and faithfulness toward Christ.
Mary Magdalene was there following Jesus as he went from town to town. She was there when he died on the cross. She was there seeing his burial. She took spices to his grave, realized he was resurrected and was among the first Jesus revealed himself to after his resurrection. Her dedication to Christ is unquestionable, and the closeness of their relationship is clear. Why? Why did Mary Magdalene dedicate her life to Christ?
The extent of her suffering was very significant, the torment of being possessed by seven demons. Seven, typically a biblical number representing fullness or completeness, without the ability to confirm the exact significance of this, it is clear that Mary was in a horrible place. But then Christ healed her, casting out those demons and giving her freedom. The depths of her suffering gave her all the reason in the world to give everything she had to her healer and savior. She knew the significance of Christ in her life and responded accordingly.
Mary Magdalene gives us a beautiful example to follow. While not all of us were possessed by demons or faced suffering to the extent of Mary, we were saved by Christ. We were dead in our sins and separated from our Creator until Christ made a way for us to be reconciled to God. We should follow the example of Mary Magdalene and dedicate our entire lives to Christ, setting him at the center of our being and our days, living for him in everything we do. This cannot be understated. As Mary did, let us wake daily and give everything we have to our healer, savior, and cornerstone. Thank God for the example Mary Magdalene sets, a remarkable woman showing us that giving Jesus our yes and following him obediently is the only response we as Christians have when we meet Christ.
