| Tuesday, May 23, 2006 |
| Blah, Blah, DaVinci Code, Blah, Blah |
OK, so yesterday the obligatory DaVinci Code discussion came up at work. It started how all other "religious" discussions begin at work: Joe, what do you think about...?
Specifically, the topic was about Mary Magdalene -- who she was and who does Dan Brown, the author of The DaVinci Code, say she was.
Believe it or not, I wasn't prepared. Was Jesus married? I know that one. Is the man identified as John in the Last Supper really Mary? I know that one, too. What are the Gnostic Gospels? I know that one. But, who was Mary Magdalene? Wasn't Mary the prostitute whom Jesus cast out demons? And didn't she anoint Jesus' feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair? Sounds about right, doesn't it? But it's all wrong.
I told them I'd do my research and get back to them.
Get this: Mary wasn't a prostitute. Not a big shocker, I know. But, many people have confused Mary Magdalene with the woman caught in adultery but saved by Jesus' "cast the first stone" dialogue (Mark 8). Mary was a woman of independent means that helped finance Jesus' ministry.
Yes, Mary Magdalene was cured of seven demons (Luke 8) -- though we're not told who cast them out.
And, lastly, Mary Magdalene didn't anoint Jesus' feet -- or at least we never told of it. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, an unnamed, sinful woman with an alabaster jar anoints Jesus. In the book of John, while Jesus is dining at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Mary anoints Jesus' feet with ointment and wipes them with her hair. In all accounts, the act draws criticism from "some" (Mark), from Jesus' "disciples" (Matthew), from Simon (Luke), or from Judas Iscariot (John).
Luke tells the story of that sinful woman immediately before he introduces Mary Magdalene. It didn't take much for the two to fuse together. Fortunately, if you read Luke 8, it's as if we're meeting Mary Magdalene for the first time.
After I've read all about Mary Magdalene, I have the picture of an older woman who could've easily been Jesus' mother's age. It's possible that she was the widow of a wealthy Jew. She could have been like the spunky older woman at church that seems to be there rain or shine. That's just my speculation.
I've heard it said that war is God's way of teaching us geography. Maybe exposure to misinformation is God's way of teaching me to dig for Truth? |
posted by Joe Napalm @ 9:37 PM   |
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| 1 Comments: |
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Hey man, check out the morning and evening services this past Sunday on our churches media page, Dr. Roberts did an awesome job in debunking the Da Vinci Code. It will give you all the answers you need, I also have the outlined notes if you need those too.
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Hey man, check out the morning and evening services this past Sunday on our churches media page, Dr. Roberts did an awesome job in debunking the Da Vinci Code. It will give you all the answers you need, I also have the outlined notes if you need those too.