Tuesday, May 23, 2006
MARY MAGDALENE
Vv. 2b-3b. Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3. and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna
We see the attention that Luke gives three women by purposefully identifying them by name; Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna.
Before we look into who Mary Magdalene is, we look to Doctor Luke and see that his diagnosis of her is that she is from whom seven demons had gone out. Luke is the doctor and he is familiar with the seven demons and symptoms by his personal observation or reliable sources. It would be pure conjecture to go beyond what he has written if we were to further define these demons or venture to say in what method or manner they had gone out.
An air of mystery surrounds this woman called Mary of Magdala or Mary the Magdalene. Most of this is unjust as we will see. First we must understand that Mary was a common name given to many women just as it is today. The reason she is called the Magdalene is to distinguish her from the other women named Mary. Calvin says, “Luke adds the surname Magdalene to distinguish her from the sister of Martha, and other persons of the name Mary, who are mentioned in other passages (John 11:1; 19:25).”
Magdala means a tower or fortress and the town that bore this name was located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee about midway. The Talmud records that the city of Magdala had a reputation for prostitution. However, this could be true of any city because wherever there is a market a supplier will be found.
We find some who equate the sinneress in Luke’s previous passages to Mary Magdalene but this also is farfetched given the attention that Luke gives to the details of his gospel. The sinneress goes unnamed but we have a definitive Mary Magdalene.
We see the attention that Luke gives three women by purposefully identifying them by name; Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna.
Before we look into who Mary Magdalene is, we look to Doctor Luke and see that his diagnosis of her is that she is from whom seven demons had gone out. Luke is the doctor and he is familiar with the seven demons and symptoms by his personal observation or reliable sources. It would be pure conjecture to go beyond what he has written if we were to further define these demons or venture to say in what method or manner they had gone out.
An air of mystery surrounds this woman called Mary of Magdala or Mary the Magdalene. Most of this is unjust as we will see. First we must understand that Mary was a common name given to many women just as it is today. The reason she is called the Magdalene is to distinguish her from the other women named Mary. Calvin says, “Luke adds the surname Magdalene to distinguish her from the sister of Martha, and other persons of the name Mary, who are mentioned in other passages (John 11:1; 19:25).”
Magdala means a tower or fortress and the town that bore this name was located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee about midway. The Talmud records that the city of Magdala had a reputation for prostitution. However, this could be true of any city because wherever there is a market a supplier will be found.
We find some who equate the sinneress in Luke’s previous passages to Mary Magdalene but this also is farfetched given the attention that Luke gives to the details of his gospel. The sinneress goes unnamed but we have a definitive Mary Magdalene.
# posted by Castusfumus : 3:34 PM
