This Sunday, August 20, is the Twelfth Sunday after
Pentecost.
Verse of the Trinity Season:
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my
salvation, my stronghold.
This week’s sermon is: B.C. Heroes: Gideon
This
week's readings are :
Things You Didn’t Learn In Sunday School About … Mary Magdalene
Let’s talk about Mary … Mary Magdalene, that is. Not to be confused with Mary
the Mother of Jesus, Mary of Bethany (Martha’s Sister), or any other Mary you
might think of.
It was a fairly common
name.
Miriam, Moses’ sister –
a female hero of the faith
This Mary is differentiated from the others by her hometown – Magdala, on
the west coast of the Sea of Galilee, and not far from Nazareth, where Jesus’
grew up and started His ministry.
We know a few things about Mary Magdalene –
She is mentioned in all
four gospels.
Jesus healed her from
an illness probably caused by evil spirits, Luke 8:2 says that seven demons
came out of her.
Demons =
Fallen Angels … perhaps we can talk about this another time.
Some have
said that she was a prostitute (Jesus Christ Superstar) … that is not stated in
the text.
She was a woman with
some means. She, with some other women, financially supported Jesus’ ministry.
There are some who
teach that there was a romantic relationship between Jesus & Mary
Dan Brown, The
DaVinci Code
Bart Ehrman –
Lost Scriptures: Books that Did Not Make Into the New Testament
Gnostic Pseudepigraphy
– Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Philip
Bologna! Right
there with conspiracy theorist of today.
Something that is true of Mary – she is one of the first witnesses of the
resurrection, one of the first to speak to Jesus after He rose, and she was
sent to tell the disciples that Jesus was alive from the dead.
Some call her the first
evangelist.
Another Controversy around Mary
Female Pastor? – Nadia Weber-Bolz
Why?
I don’t know –
I only know what God says in His Word.
Many of the “explanations”
seem strange to me.
I know some say, “That’s
Paul – He’s a misogynist!”
That doesn’t fit
with the rest of Scripture.
I find this
complaint to be an easy way for people to reject the parts to the Bible they
don’t like.
“All
Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction and for training in righteousness ….” Peter himself calls Paul’s
writing Scripture. (2 Peter 3:16)
Interpretive Principle –
clear passages are used to interpret unclear.
Passages like
the instructions in 1 Timothy 3 interpret the unclear – like these narratives –
which can frankly be argued both ways. (Jesus chose 12 men as His Apostles.)
Yes,
I’ve heard that the men didn’t record the women. No evidence.
Mary Magdalene was a woman of faith – a woman who experienced Jesus’ grace
and mercy, and who was used to deliver a very important message – “Christ is
risen!” And that is a message that God still uses women and men to deliver –
along with the full message of His forgiveness and grace through Christ’s cross
– to anyone who will hear it!
Thanks be to God for the women whom He has used to spread the Gospel!
Mothers, wives, teachers, neighbors, community leaders – who have pointed
people to Christ! I the tradition of Mary Magdalene.
This is the work the Christ calls all Christians to – to share good news!
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