Tuesday, July 22, 2014 (St. Mary Magdalene)

Tuesday, July 22, 2014 (St. Mary Magdalene)

Mark 15:37 - 16:9

Who is looking on at the horrifying scene of the crucifixion? Not the apostles, but a group of women: Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome. Another witness, who responds to what he has seen -- and even been a part of -- is a centurion, who declares “this man was God’s Son!” And the one who boldly goes to Pilate to retrieve Jesus’ body is Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Sanhedrin, a council that was involved in the trial of Jesus. So we have a number of courageous key players in this brief passage whose roles in the story are a bit of a surprise for us.

http://www.stmarymagdalene.co.uk/stmarymagdalene.html

Today is the day in our calendar when we remember Mary Magdalene. In a video series I watched recently based on N.T. Wright’s book Surprised by Hope, Wright argues for the historicity of the bodily resurrection of Jesus by highlighting the important role of these brave and faithful women in today’s story. In the ancient world the testimony of women would not have been given as much consideration as that of men, so it is interesting that the Gospels place such an emphasis on the experience of the women. If the Gospel writer was just making stuff up, it would have been a lot more strategic to have some trustworthy and authoritative men as witnesses to the crucifixion and as the first witnesses at the cave. Instead, we have the testimony of those from the margins, Mary, Mary, and Salome, along with the descriptions of Joseph of Arimathea and the centurion, challenging us to remember that truth can come from unexpected places. “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Their important role in the Gospel indicates to us that these women were looked upon highly in the early Christian community. We live in a world, and in a church, with titles, ranks (whether official or unofficial), norms, and procedures. Today’s passage reminds us that sometimes the truth can come from unexpected sources.

- Matthew Kieswetter