Freed to Testify
A Biblical Biography of Mary Magdalene
Gripped for Glory Series-Volume II
By Donna J. Farris
Copyright 2011 Donna J. Farris
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to those who have been delivered from demon possession by the power of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ. May they boldly share their stories and lead many to the saving knowledge of the one who came to set the captives free.
Table of Contents
Chapter 2 - Complete Corruption
Chapter 3 - The Deliverer Has Come
Chapter 4 - Traveling With the Master
Chapter 5 - It Was Not Supposed to End This Way
Questions for Personal Reflection
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Mary Magdalene is one of the most celebrated disciples of the entire New Testament. In a culture where women were considered ignorant, second-class citizens, and wholly unreliable as legal witnesses, it is somewhat puzzling God would grant such prominence to a woman like Mary of Magdala. Yet she emerges from the pages of scripture as one of the most beautiful and faithful characters of the entire Bible. Scripture mentions her by name fourteen times, eight of which list her even before Mary, the mother of Jesus. In fact, Mary Magdalene appears in the canonical gospels more than any other female disciple. No other woman is portrayed with more devotion to Jesus and with good reason.
Mary spent much of her early life as a prisoner of Satan. Physically possessed and controlled by seven demons, she was mercilessly tormented day and night. But the time came when those same evil spirits of darkness encountered the One who had come into the world to destroy the works of their master. And by the power of the Incarnate Living God, they were driven out of Mary forever. Freed from hell's bondage, Mary made a decision many others had already made. Forsaking all, she would serve her Deliverer until the day she died.
During the following three years of Jesus earthly ministry Mary never left His side. In every scriptural mention she is portrayed as a close friend of Christ and a leader among His female disciples. Surrounding the events of the resurrection of Jesus, all four gospels place Mary Magdalene as the most prominent character. For her extreme devotion, Mary was given the most honorable and joyful commission of all time: "Go quickly and tell the disciples He has risen!"
For her faithful obedience, Mary of Magdala gained a position of notoriety throughout the first century church as the first person to have seen the risen Lord. Hers is indeed a life worth exploring.
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Scholars have given the name "Mary" at least seventy different interpretations. The name is related to the Old Testament name "Miriam" or "Mara", which is the name Naomi used to describe her afflictions in the book of Ruth. It is also related to the name "Marah", which was the place the Israelites found bitter water in their wilderness journeys. The original and pervading sense of these root forms is one of "bitterness", derived from the notion of "trouble, sorrow, disobedience, and rebellion." In this sense, the name alone implies Mary was a woman intimately acquainted with affliction.
Mary Magdalene makes her first scriptural appearance in Luke 8:1-3. Her surname is a derivative of the Greek form of "Migdol," or "Watchtower." Christian historian Jerome sees the meaning of this town and her name as denoting the steadfastness and strength of Mary's faith. Others, using the more common meaning of "gadal" (to "be great"), believe her name is a prophetic reference to her spiritual greatness, as having ministered to the Lord and been the first witness of the resurrection. Both views speak to the amazing depth of love and devotion of this female disciple.
Whatever spiritual significance her surname bears, it is clear the gospel writers repeatedly included the name, "Magdalene" to ensure her distinction from the many other similarly-named gospel women. The same reasoning can be seen in the scriptural identification of Mary of Bethany, Judas Iscariot (the Apostle from Kerioth), and references to Simon the Canaanite to distinguish him from Simon Peter.
Mary's surname, "Magdala," or "Magdalene" as she is more commonly referred to, also reveals interesting insights into her ancestral lineage. Magadan, frequently known as "Magdala," was the name of a small thriving populous town in Galilee on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee. The exact location of the town of Magdala has never been satisfactorily confirmed. It is believed to have been situated between Capernaum, which was about five miles to the north, and the town of Tiberias, located roughly three miles south of Magdala. The tribe of Dan shared its northern border, with Zebulun to the west and the tribe of Issachar to south.
The region belonged to the tribe of Naphtali meaning, "my wrestling." In light of Mary's future supernatural struggles, this meaning is indeed provocative. Naphtali was the second son of Bilhah, Rachel's maid, and was the brother of Dan. Little is known of the personal history of the tribe of Naphtali. It is said of this tribe that they dwelt among the Canaanites (see Judges 1:33) which resulted in their cultural and religious corruption. Due to rampant idolatry and immorality, they were the first tribe to be captured and deported by the Assyrians under Tiglath-pileser (see 2 Kings 15:29). But though the history of the tribe seems to end there, years later under the title of "Galilee," the region became in every way far more important than it had ever been before.
Of Mary's parents, no scriptural details whatsoever are given. It is safe to assume her father, at least, was from the tribe of Naphtali. It is also possible her mother was of Canaanite descent. Although conjecture, such an interracial marriage would have been common place given the history of this region.
Some biblical scholars identify Mary Magdalene as, "the woman who was a sinner" and anointed Jesus, either in an unnamed city during his Galilean ministry, or at Bethany before His last entry into Jerusalem. However, there is no reliable evidence to connect Mary Magdalene with either anointing.
The Jewish Talmud affirms that Magdala had an unsavory reputation and because of the harlotry practiced there, the city was destroyed. From this tradition, and from the fact that Luke's first reference to Mary Magdalene follows the story of the sinful woman, the idea developed that Luke's Mary was a prostitute.
According to Roman Catholic tradition, Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany were one and the same persons. However eastern Orthodox and Protestant traditions strongly disagree. It is important to note that whenever the Mary of Bethany is listed, her place of birth is intentionally included. As previously stated, the reason for such inclusions was designed to keep separate similarly-named gospel characters.
Further slandering Mary's name, the Catholic Church continued its insistence on her unsavory reputation when in 1324 a.d. the church established the first Magdalen House for the rescue of fallen women in Naples, Italy. Although still popular, these characterizations are absolutely groundless. There is not a shred of internal or external textural evidence whatsoever, from apostolic writings or those of the early Christian fathers of the faith, to support these vicious assumptions.
Even modern day Hollywood writers have maligned her reputation by suggesting an illicit relationship existed between Mary and Jesus Christ. Such speculations are nothing more than the perverted imaginations of irreligious authors and greedy movie producers. Unfortunately however groundless, such fabrications prove to be a lucrative box office attraction.
Those who continue to identify Mary with prostitution do her a great injustice. Mary may have been tormented and considered neurotic by some, but there is no evidence she lived a life devoted to immorality for profit. Willful, habitual sin and prostitution are two entirely different issues. Demonic possession did not affect her morals only her mind. Given the lack of solid evidence to the contrary, there is little doubt Mary Magdalene was pure, albeit deeply afflicted and mentally tormented prior to meeting the Lord Jesus.
Theories regarding Mary's occupation also include those who interpret derivatives of her name to conclude she was a hairdresser by profession. This is yet another highly imaginative speculation.
A more plausible hypothesis is that since Magdala was a busy community known for their decorative dye works, Mary was associated with one of the primitive textile factories of the area. Either through family ties or her own skilled efforts, Mary could have easily acquired a sizeable income from such an industry. This would have put her in a financially secure position from which to significantly support the gospel efforts out of her personal assets later in life.
How and when she acquired the knowledge and business skills to effectively manage and sustain her personal estate is not known. Scriptures do not shed any light on her ability to read or write any language. When scriptures are silent, inevitably the doors open for a host of theories and speculations. But Mary was obviously an intelligent woman and learned fiscal responsibility from someone at some point in her life.
It is entirely plausible that her whole family was involved in the textile business. Whether those involved included only her parents, or consisted of several siblings and a large extended family is hard to say. But if it was a "family affair," it could explain how Mary gained the experience and skills necessary to amass and sustain personal wealth. It also gives credence to the theory that Mary became demon possessed as an adult woman rather than some time in her early childhood years.
Regarding Mary's marital status, once again the gospel records are silent. Attempts to piece together with accuracy any sort of composite picture as to the state of her personal affairs is theoretical at best. Nevertheless, either she was or she was not married and human curiosity, being what it is, opens the door for interesting conjecture.
If, as some believe, Mary became possessed as a child, it would have been impossible to keep her bizarre exploits a "family secret" for long. All Magdala would have heard of "that crazy girl down the street." Mary would have been the laughing stock of community, taunted and teased not only by her indwelling demons but by callous community members as well.
If this were the case, Mary's father would have had a difficult time finding any man willing to marry such a daughter. And given her irrational, unpredictable behaviors, it would have been impossible for Mary to receive sufficient education to maintain her livelihood. Such conjecture seems doubtful as it does not adequately explain where and when Mary's financial skills were acquired.
Perhaps in the beginning, before all seven demons took possession, Mary experienced brief periods of coherent thought and emotional stability. If so, perhaps enticed by a large dowry, Mary's father was able to convince some poor, desperate man to marry his daughter and then had the union consummated as soon as possible. But when the tormentors inside Mary's body reared their ugly heads in full strength, being unable to control his new bride, this unfortunate husband was subsequently driven away, either by shame or fear for his life. However, this scenario also seems to stretch the facts beyond reasonable limitations.
All things considered, it would seem Mary was not possessed as a child but at some point later in life. Therefore, being an otherwise normal young woman, at puberty Mary would have been given in marriage as was the custom of her day. She may have enjoyed a semi-normal marital relationship for a period of time, yet remained childless. Such a barren state would result in public scorn and unbearable pain for any Hebrew woman of her time. And being legal grounds for divorce, it is possible her husband seized his opportunity to end what had become an increasingly tumultuous marriage.
Further speculation follows the idea that Mary was widowed and thereby gained a certain degree of independence for a time. Then, before she was able to remarry, was unable to resist the increasing torments of Satan, therefore remained single.
If either marriage scenario were true, the resulting grief, shame, sense of isolation and loneliness could have easily caused deep wounds in Mary's heart, creating a fertile field in which the deceptive lies of the devil could thrive. Under those conditions, it would not be long before un-forgiveness, anger, and bitterness would take firm root inside her heart. Depression and despair would further prepare Mary's soul for demon possession, being some of the common mechanisms used by Satan to gain entry into a human heart.
But given Mary's complete surrender to the ministry efforts after her deliverance, it would appear she had no concern whatsoever regarding the care of either a husband or children. If either existed, Mary would have certainly turned her restored mental and emotional stability to the care and nurture of her immediate family, especially following potentially years of interpersonal turmoil and neglect. However, there is not the slightest hint of such events in scripture. And just because it appears Mary had substantial wealth following her deliverance does not necessarily prove she was ever married. But if she was, all details of such a union have long since been lost along with so many other pieces of Mary's "pre-deliverance" life.
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Chapter 2 - Complete Corruption
The bible gives no hint whatsoever as to how or when Mary Magdalene became demon possessed. Scriptures are also silent as to how long she may have suffered such torment prior to meeting Jesus. The only two gospel writers to provide any specific, albeit brief, details relating to her affliction are Mark and Luke. In recording her interactions with the gospel story, both Apostles included the fact that seven demons had taken control of Mary's body and Jesus subsequently cast them out. Not much information from which to build a personal profile, yet obviously enough to fuel the fires of human imagination down through the ages.
Countless fictional books and movies have been written around the theme of demon possession. Satanic forces enslaving human souls; creepy creatures from the grave wrecking havoc on planet earth; and supernatural forces of light, goodness and truth engaged in epic battles against the sinister powers of darkness, evil and lies are the substance of nightmares and blockbuster movies.
So where does one look to find the truth about demons? The Word of God provides the only reliable answers. The Bible says demons are fallen angels, created beings that joined Satan in his revolt against God in heaven at some point before the creative events of Genesis Chapter One. Demons are indeed powerful spiritual creatures, but created creatures nonetheless. As such, they are in no way equal with their Creator.
In Luke 8:3, the word "demon" or "devil" is translated "daimonion," meaning "evil spirits, or the messengers and ministers of the devil." Elsewhere demons are further described as, "a simple essence, and possessed of the power of knowing, desiring, deciding, and acting." They are personal, intelligent beings possessing all the attributes of personality. Demons can talk, make requests, and act in fear, as well as reason and attempt to persuade.
Demons are unclean, vicious, hateful creatures; disembodied spirits having no physical, corporeal form whatsoever. Jude 6 states they are angels "who did not keep their own domain but abandoned their proper abode." Thus scripture makes clear the idea that even though demons belong to the spirit world, they roam the earth seeking to indwell human beings for the furtherance of Satan's kingdom.
Such concepts may seem absurd to those unfamiliar with biblical truths. But Jesus Christ, God Incarnate, specifically addressed the subject of hell and the devil more than almost any other single topic. In fact, the existence of demonic forces, their purposes on earth and the effects of human possession are mentioned throughout the entire Old and New Testaments.
How Mary Magdalene came to be possessed is on the one hand a mystery, yet on the other hand very familiar. The method of gaining physical control of human beings has been the same since the fall of humanity. Seductive lies, lustful enticements, and unrelenting attacks on the character of God and His Word are some of the primary weapons Satan uses to capture minds, corrupt hearts, and eventually control the bodies of men and women. And the Adversary of God is very patient. He does not care how long it takes to capture human souls, as long as he ultimately succeeds.
Even though Mary Magdalene was of Jewish heritage, there is no indication she or her parents were faithful to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Mary is not recorded as quoting any Old Testament verses and shows little functional understanding of Jewish religious practices, either before or after meeting Christ. If she was truly ignorant or naïve regarding much of the Hebrew writings, she would have been defenseless against the Father of Lies.
As earlier stated, the tribe of Naphtali, being the brother of Dan, was known to have been strongly influenced by the idolatry and pagan practices of neighboring Canaanite nations. Godless Hebrew kings throughout Israel's history built altars and erected images of false gods on virtually every high place in the country beginning with the reign of King Solomon. Years later, conquering Assyrians settling in these same areas also established places of worship for a myriad of ancient gods. So without a doubt, Mary grew up surrounded by a host of demonic strongholds.
Mary may have daily passed by altars of Chemosh, the abominable god of Moab. Carved images of the Ammonite god Milcom, or molded images of Ashtoreth the fertility goddess of the Sidonians could have been just a short distance from Magdala under a lush tree on any one of several neighboring hill tops. Mary may have stumbled upon the location of "hidden" sacred pillars and statues to the god Baal, as secret cultic ceremonies continued in the regions of Naphtali up to the time of Jesus ministry. And shrines bearing the image of any number of Greek or Roman deities may have been visible from Mary's own back yard.
Although God repeatedly warned the Hebrews of the ramifications of any involvement with the occult, such practices were very much alive and well in first century Israel. Sorcerers, magicians, soothsayers and witches openly engaged in their dark satanic rituals, offering their "services" for a price. It is entirely possible the identity and location of the business establishments of these "Servants of Satan" were a "not-so-secret" secret.
In addition to sorcery, participation in any one of such idolatrous practices as bowing down before molten images of half beast-half human creatures; burning incense at golden shrines to honor the dead; offering sacrifices on carved stone altars to any one of a host of demigods; or worshipping nature or celestial objects would have made possible the demon possession of Mary Magdalene. Knowing the spiritual dangers, the omniscient God of Israel explicitly commanded His people to avoid such abominable practices. But history reveals the continual disobedience of the Jews.