Mary Magdalene. Vigil at the Cross and Tomb

Transcription

1 Mary Magdalene Vigil at the Cross and Tomb

2 Psalm 22 :1-5, 29 and 30 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?* and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer;* by night as well, but I find no rest. Yet you are the Holy One,* enthroned upon the praises of Israel. Our forefathers put their trust in you;* they trusted and you delivered them. They cried out to you and were delivered;* they trusted in You and were not put to shame. My soul shall live for him; my descendants shall serve him;* they shall be known as the Lord s forever. They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn,* the saving deeds he has done. (pages 610 and 612 BCP)

3 From the time of the anointing to the crucifixion, there is no mention of a woman by name. We have statements that disciples helped to set up the last meal he had with them. Because some of his followers were women, we can assume they were part of this process, but none of the Gospels say that directly. No women are mentioned as going to Gethsemane, or being at the various trials The only ones mentioned are servant-girls and John states that Peter was let in by a woman gate-keeper. Luke states that women were in the crowd as Jesus was being led to his crucifixion, beating their breasts and wailing for him, whom Jesus calls daughters of Jerusalem.

4 While we can assume that Mary Magdalene is one of the women who had come with him from Galilee (Luke 23:49), it is not stated. So when do we next hear about Mary Magdalene? Mark writes: There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. Matthew writes: Many women were also there looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. John writes: Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

5 It is here that scholarship gets most interesting. The Gospel of Luke seems to minimize any leadership roles of women and has the least mention of Mary Magdalene of any of the Gospels. Instead, Luke promotes Peter as the 1 st and most important disciple and apostle. The Gospel of John (in contrast) begins to minimize Peter s influence, and raises that of women and especially that of Mary Magdalene. For John, it is clearly Mary Magdalene who is the 1 st apostle. John stands much more in line with Mark and Matthew. We will get back to this more strongly next time, but let s take a look at how Luke and the others treat the crucifixion and tomb.

6 Here are the texts relating to women and Mary Magdalene at the cross and tomb as found in Luke s Gospel - NRSV Luke 23: And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things. Luke 23: Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the Sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and ointments. Note: There is no mention of who the women are, and there is mention of all his acquaintances. Does this mean Luke reports that the male disciples are there? The word he uses is translated not as disciples, but acquaintances. The male disciples (who are stated to have run away) may not be there, but those who are, including the women, are not seen as disciples.

7 In fact, if we go back to chapter 8 just following the anointing story, we discover that the women who were with him are put after a statement of the twelve, and are said to have provided for them out of their resources. (Luke 8:1-3) By mentioning the twelve and that the providing was for them not him [Jesus] as specified in the other Gospels, we begin to see that Luke consistently minimizes the status and role of women, and particularly begins to minimize Mary Magdalene. Many of them are seen as infirm, and having been cured of evil spirits, but she is specifically named. Women become background supporters, not disciples. Having the women, and acquaintances, stand away from the crucifixion scene (Mark, Matthew, Luke) is a visual indicator that they have little influence or power. Matthew mitigates this some when Mary is at the tomb.

8 Here are the texts relating to women and Mary Magdalene at the cross and tomb as found in John, Mark and Mathew s Gospels - NRSV John 19: 25 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother s sister, Mary the wife of Clopus, and Mary Magdalene. Mark 15:40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These used to follow him and provide for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem Mark 15:47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid. Matthew 27: 55,56 Many women were also there looking on from a distance, they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Matthew 27: 59b-61 He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there sitting, opposite the tomb.

9 What does this tell us? John puts the women at the foot of the cross, bringing them up close and personal. They are clearly much more a part of the action. When the Gospels speak of those around being near or from a distance, it is likely they are both true. Imagine Mary Magdalene being the migdal, the strong tower, comforting, consoling and holding the others But know also that she had her own moments of personal pain, where she also held Jesus. While the others move the story to Mary knowing where Jesus body is laid, John leaves her pain aching in our hearts... as Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus remove and prepare the body. It is Matthew who completes the imagery.

10 So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which had been hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite* the tomb. There are a couple of important things to realize here. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary seem to be holding vigil at the tomb. There is no mention of when they left. The word translated *opposite, in this rendering, actually means against. To be against something certainly can mean to oppose or be opposite another, but it can also (and just as likely) mean to lean against. So, we now have an image of Mary Magdalene leaning against the rolled stone in deep mourning and vigil a very personal, intimate and possibly heartbreaking image.

11 What is it that John and Matthew want us to understand in their crucifixion and entombment narratives? John wants us to feel the closeness and personal connection of Mary Magdalene, and the others, with Jesus so he pulls everything close in. Part of what he moves us toward is an understanding that we are meant to have this same relationship with Jesus; one that has almost a lover s intimacy. Similarly, in Matthew we leave Mary Magdalene leaning against, or sitting in vigil across from, the rolled stone of the tomb. Matthew wants us to envision the intense and deep courage it took for Mary, unaccompanied by a man, to remain out after nightfall, and to do so at Passover when thousands were in Jerusalem, and Roman nerves might be running high.

12 In both cases we are meant to recognize that it is the women, and Mary Magdalene in particular, that walk through the whole experience with Jesus. Even when he cries out that his Father God has left him, she is there, holding him in the love of her heart in vigil like a light for him in the dark. In the ruin of heartbreak you can find the diamond of a passion that can resurrect the dead - Rumi

13 Although both Luke and John seem to have knowledge of the Mark and Matthew gospels, or at least their source material, both also seem to use other sources, and come out with very different perspectives. Luke s early placement of the anointing removes the context of Mary Magdalene seeing clearly and honoring the possibility of Jesus death, moving it to an action of deep forgiveness which he sees as the purpose of Jesus life. It does not matter as much to Luke who was present at the cross, as his interest is the universality of Jesus death. John and the others state several women by name, including Mary Magdalene, to bring home the personal, intimate nature of Jesus death for each of us. Mary Magdalene puts into action the caring aspect of the Holy Spirit. Luke clearly takes a larger scale look, while John and Matthew draw us into a much more immediate perspective.

14 Is there any way we could more strongly emphasize this disciple s process of holding Jesus in our hearts during our Lenten observances? Who else do we need to hold in our hearts? What brokenness do we acknowledge and walk through? Where do we need to hold vigil in ours lives?

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