Mistaken Identity - Mary Magdalene

John 20:1-18

You’ve heard the stories. Mary Magdalene was the only female disciple, the former prostitute who repented of her sins and had a romantic crush on Jesus. Some go so far as to say that Jesus married her. The problem is, these stories are fiction. Sometimes they’re compelling, entertaining fiction, but there’s little historical fact here.

Mary’s shameful past involved demon possession, not prostitution. She was listed with several affluent women who sometimes traveled with the disciples and paid for their provisions (Luke 8:2-3). She was not the “sinful woman” who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume. The Gospels have no mention of a romantic relationship with Jesus.

The fictionalizing about Mary has been going on for centuries, well before The Da Vinci Code. Storytellers have long tried to make her the bride at Cana or the woman caught in adultery. A second-century document dubiously claims to be the “Gospel of Mary,” suggesting that she was a better disciple than all the others.

These stories may be clever constructions, and some writers have good intentions. Who can argue with the theme of a fallen woman repenting of her sins? But that’s not the real Mary Magdalene. There’s enough to learn from her without fudging the facts. We need to let Mary be Mary.

Maybe you have a similar problem. People see you as more of a saint or sinner than you really are. They expect you to play a role—corporate star, supermom, community leader, church pillar—but it all seems like a case of mistaken identity. Does anyone know the true you?

Jesus does.

The Gospel of John gives us a great moment of recognition by the empty tomb. Mary Magdalene is there, in her true role as a faithful disciple of Jesus. She is surely heartbroken over his death and now wondering what happened to his body. Mistaking Jesus for the gardener, she asks for some info. He looks at her, seeing who she really is, and calls her by name. “Mary.”

That’s all she needs to hear. She knows it’s Jesus. “Teacher,” she responds.

She is known, and she is loved . . . and so are we.

She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

John 20:14-15