Mystery at Magdala: first-century witness to the age to come

Jesus likens the Kingdom to an archaeologist who stumbles upon a rare find (Matt 13:44).  Perhaps a cache of gold coins from the time of Solomon. Or a wooden boat like the one Peter used. Or, indeed, an ancient stone pulpit where Jesus might have preached from, uncovered by a Mexican Catholic mission in Israel. When the Franciscans discovered two ancient synagogues in Capernaum built one over the other and a house turned into a church by the Byzantines, said to be the home of St. Peter, everything was reburied again (to avoid looting from the locals) until a team was assembled who could conduct proper archaeological investigations.

Yesterday’s article in the Guardian, dated Friday 14 April 2017 by Dr Simon Gathercole, states there is no question (from Roman and Jewish sources in the first century, Flavius Josephus and others…) that  Jesus actually live and died. The real question is whether he died and lived and if so, why so many so many have since believed in these extraordinary claims. What could account for the fact both Jew and Gentile, have embraced the ancient faith of Moses, Jesus and Paul and on what basis?

After Christ rises, we have a similar theme running through the book of Acts. It is Peter who preaches a short sermon and includes a call to action to which thousands respond. What accounts for this overwhelmingly huge ‘catch of fish’ so far away from his hometown in Capernaum? Later in chapter 8, an African court official from Ethiopia, also far from home, when confronted by Philip a first-century evangelist asks, ‘Of whom is the prophet speaking, of himself (Isaiah) or some other?’

I seek to add to the discussion of Jesus post-resurrection appearances with insights on a first-century personality that looms large in New Testament literature but one who is given very little prominence in the gospels themselves.

Her identity is somewhat opaque and hidden from view from what little evidence we do have of her life and ministry to Jesus. Mary Magdalene hails from Magdala, a fishing village just next to Capernaum in the general vicinity of where that stone pulpit, the wooden boat and the cache of gold coins were found.

The disciple Magdala was in fact, ‘sent’ (apostolos, in gk.) to bear witness of the resurrection, as an ‘apostle to the Apostles’. Much of her history is clouded by speculation that she was one and the same person as the (unnamed) woman who anoints Jesus at Simon’s house in front of a predominantly crowd of male onlookers who are stunned. So remarkable are her tears, and so public her devotion for Jesus, the gospel writers seem reticent to reveal her true identity: “wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (Matt. 26:13)

Likewise, another incident in John chapter 8 where the woman ‘caught in adultery’ (is this the precise history of the woman who perfumes Jesus and prepares his body for burial?) is made an object lesson of the messianic age to come. Through compassion and understanding, Jesus pronounces the woman clean with the command, “Go and sin no more”.

Thus, the highest and purest form of apostolic vision is bestowed upon a former prostitute, a word that is not heard by prophet, priest, angel or king anywhere else in Scripture.

The mystery at Magdala is presented to the bible student as follows: why does our Lord lay out the heavenly vision in such a clear and pristine manner to a former prostitute, unlike the parables he uses to speak to the scribes and the general public? Why does no one else receive this teaching – not Herod the king, Caiaphas the High priest, not even John Baptist?

The answer may lie in the radical faith of Mary as she stood by Jesus together with Mary the mother of our Lord, and the disciple whom Jesus loved. It was this radical faith that prompted her to go to the burial site immediately after the Sabbath (perhaps on Saturday night itself?) where she re-connected with the Lord, mistaking him at first to be the gardener. She fought fear, overcame emotion and straight up knew what to do and was ready to do it: “Tell me where you have put him and I will get him”. This was faith in action ready to make certain of the things others were hardly able to believe.

Here then, is the Mary Magdalene of the Christian Bible. If John was the disciple Jesus loved, here was the disciple Jesus couldn’t live without.

[About the author: Bridge-builder, Repairer of the breeches, Restorer of ancient paths, Rev. Gerard Seow from Singapore is primarily called to the Word, to find out what God is saying and do it, laying aside every weight to run. ‘Happy is the man in whose heart are the highways’ (Psalm 84:6)]