Bitter Magdalene

3.9.2011

Mark 16:9 9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. NIV

The name Mary must have been popular in those days; Mary, the mother of the Lord; Mary, the sister of Martha; Mary, the mother of James; Mary, the mother of Joses. The name Mary is a derivative of the Hebrew word, marah, which was a place where the waters were bitter (See Exodus 15). Marah means bitter.

In my understanding, the Mary’s of Scripture represent the overall bitterness of the Jewish people who came to be because the Lord chose them and pledged Himself to be the Answer to all of their problems; He was to be their God and Savior. They just couldn’t handle it. Not all of them and not always, but most of them, and to this day. The other side of the coin is the Jews are hated even to this day as a result of their relationship with this God who promised to be theirs.

So, when we read that early on the first day of the week (Sunday), Jesus appeared first to Mary (Bitter) Magdalene, we might understand that she is representative of all of those in life who’ve suffered and lived bitterly, and are looking for relief and reversal of all that has made them so. According to Mark, Jesus drove seven demons out of Mary (Bitter) Magdalene. The girl had some serious issues. Bitterness can do weird things to people. Bitterness is that deadly cancerous heart-frustration over the impotence to right a wrong. Mary’s demon possession might’ve been because of just that.

I might ask what has Jesus driven out of us? But the better question is has Jesus helped us with our own Marah – the relentlessly maddening things of our lives over which we’ve had no choice or control? That, I think, is the picture of Bitter Magdalene; and what really happened to this obscure and mysterious character in the Bible.

Father in Heaven,
You are the One who turns bitter water into sweet. You are the only One who rebuilds helplessly and hopelessly broken lives. I think You are still working on me and Lord, I rejoice because You are. Help me to remember the marah in people and represent the One who brings light into the dark, and life out of death. Thank You that You helped Mary, and that You’re still in the business of helping us today – in Christ, amen.