(John
20:11-18 NIV) but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent
over to look into the tomb {12} and saw two angels in white, seated
where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. {13} They
asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?" "They have taken my Lord
away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him."
{14} At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did
not realize that it was Jesus. {15} "Woman,"
he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you
are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said,
"Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I
will get him." {16} Jesus said to her, "Mary."
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!"
(which means Teacher). {17} Jesus said, "Do
not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my
brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God
and your God.'" {18} Mary Magdalene went to the disciples
with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had
said these things to her.
A Preliminary Aside
We are told that Mary Magdalene is the one
from whom Jesus cast out seven demons. This poses a problem for modern readers
of the Bible, for it is the commonplace of our culture that demons do not
exist. But one must remember:
(John
8:44 NIV) You belong to your father, the devil, and
you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the
beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he
lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Satan desires us to believe that demons do
not exist; therefore the Bible must be false. Of course, it’s OK to believe
in “New Age forces”; “native spirits” and any number of other such things.
(The introduction to The Screwtape Letters is excellent on the
subject). Satan wants materialists -- who believe in magic.
The demons, on the other hand, have a
different opinion of things:
(James
2:19 NIV) You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe
that--and shudder.
They are under no illusions. Their view of
Jesus is quite orthodox:
(Mark
1:23-27 NIV) Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil
spirit cried out, {24} "What do you want with us, Jesus of
Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of
God!" {25} "Be quiet!" said
Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!"
{26} The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a
shriek. {27} The people were all so amazed that they asked each other,
"What is this? A new teaching--and with authority! He even gives orders to
evil spirits and they obey him."
They know him to be the Christ -- and tremble.
With materialists, Satan lies about their existence. With those who cannot be
so convinced, he uses power:
(Mark
5:2-13 NIV) When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came
from the tombs to meet him. {3} This man lived in the tombs, and no one
could bind him any more, not even with a chain. {4} For he had often
been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on
his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. {5} Night and day
among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
{6} When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in
front of him. {7} He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you
want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't
torture me!" {8} For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!" {9} Then
Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" "My
name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." {10} And
he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. {11} A
large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. {12} The demons
begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them."
{13} He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into
the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank
into the lake and were drowned.
Such were the kinds of spirits which
afflicted Mary Magdalene.[1]
The Effect of Deliverance
If we are to understand the effect that
deliverance from such a thing had on Mary, we must see it in an allegorical
light. Her deliverance from demons is like our deliverance from sin. Her
deliverance was a strong one, and here a famous principle comes in to play:
(Luke
7:47 NIV) Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have
been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves
little."
Mary has been set free from the demons.
Christ has set us free from our sins. But what does that phrase, “set free
from our sins,” mean?
·
It
can mean that we don’t have to save face any more. We can say, “yes, I’m a
sinner. I was wrong. Forgive me.” We can say it knowing that our Lord
commands forgiveness for the repentant -- and freely gives it. No longer need
we let our pride trap us into continuing sin.
·
More
than that: it means we have help in overcoming those sins. We are not alone
in our struggle. Indeed, we have the mightiest of allies!
·
It
also means -- for those for whom the word “duty” has not lost its meaning --
that joy replaces fear as a motive.
{Class discussion!}
Mary Magdalene’s response to freedom
Mary Magdalene shows us what Jesus meant:
(John
8:31-36 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my
disciples. {32} Then you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free." {33} They answered
him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone.
How can you say that we shall be set free?" {34} Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to
sin. {35} Now a slave has no permanent
place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. {36} So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
She has been set free; Christ has placed no
demands on her but has simply removed her shackles. How does she react?
·
It
is fairly obvious that she is grateful. She was no doubt thankful. The
greatness of this woman is measured, however, by actions, not words.
·
She
goes beyond gratitude to devotion. We see this in two ways:
·
First,
there is her financial support.
(Luke 8:1-3 NIV) After this, Jesus traveled
about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the
kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, {2} and also some women who
had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom
seven demons had come out; {3} Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of
Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to
support them out of their own means.
·
Next,
we see in this passage that she, and the other women, followed Jesus about. Mary
stuck close by Him -- indeed, as close as she could possibly have done. She is
mentioned seldom in the New Testament, but we see her listed as being
·
at
the Cross (Matthew 27:56)
·
at
the burial (Matthew 27:61), and
·
the
first to see Him after the Resurrection (John 20)
This is her secret: devotion. Mary is
devoted to her Lord. This caused me to begin to query the relationship between
devotion and Lordship.
Devotion and Lordship -- the Principles
Many of us “wish” we were more devoted to
Christ. By examining Mary Magdalene’s life, we can see three principles of
devotion by which she lived - and which serve as example for us.
The Pearl of Great Price
(Mat
13:45-46 NIV) "Again, the kingdom of heaven is
like a merchant looking for fine pearls. {46} When he found one of great value, he went away and sold
everything he had and bought it.
Mary did not just wish Jesus well; she
committed her entire life to Him. She followed Him around. She helped support
Him. By her every action, she placed Him first -- to the point that nothing
got in the way.
Faith, not Sight
(2
Cor 5:7 NIV) We live by faith, not by sight.
Even when hope was gone, Mary went to the
tomb. She was completely and utterly hopeless -- but still devoted. How many
of us are devoted to our Lord when we can see how He might rescue us from
today’s mess -- but despair when our own minds can’t see the path?
Freedom in Devotion
There are three forms of “I have to:”
·
“I
have to” because someone puts a gun to my head.
·
“I
have to” because it’s my sad duty to do so. I don’t like it, but I’ll do it.
·
“I
have to” because it’s the joy of my life.
“It” is rarely the true joy of life;
“something” doesn’t last as a source of joy. The right “someone” does. That’s
what Mary has found.
The Rewards of Devotion
We often think of devotion as being
unrewarded selflessness. Our Lord understands our feeble minds much better
than that (He made them, remember?)
If we seek the Pearl,...
(Mark
10:28-31 NIV) Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow
you!" {29} "I tell you the
truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has
left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for
me and the gospel {30} will fail to
receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters,
mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to
come, eternal life. {31} But many who are
first will be last, and the last first."
Are we willing to leave everything, to seek
the Pearl, and take Jesus at His word?
If we walk by faith.....
(Heb
11:6 NIV) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who
comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who
earnestly seek him.
Note the underlined passage. Faith is
explicitly declared to be rewarded! But there is a greater reward.
If we are freely devoted....
(John
1:12-13 NIV) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God-- {13} children born not of
natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
If He becomes the joy of our life, we become
the children of God, both now and in the age to come. Not just His servants;
not just His friends; His children. Now, if we (being sinners) take such good
care of our earthly children, what will he do as our Heavenly Father?