Posted on Wednesday, July 15, 2009
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THE FEAST OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE

15 July Anno + Domini 2009 (Observed)

"I Have Seen the Lord”

John 20:1-2, 10-18

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

There is a certain mystique surrounding St. Mary Magdalene.  Who was this mysterious woman?  Opinions vary from pious speculation which identifies her as the sinful woman forgiven by Jesus in Luke 7, or the woman caught in adultery in John 8, or as the same Mary of Bethany who was Lazarus' sister to the ridiculous, absurd, and outright false claims being recently promoted that she was "The Holy Grail” and wife of Jesus and mother of His child.  It is best for us to avoid the pious speculation and the ridiculous claims, of course, and to stick with what we know.        

And, what we know is that St. Mary Magdalene was a sinner saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  What we know is that she was from Magdala, a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, which is why she is referred to as Mary Magdalene, that is, Mary of Magdala.  What we know is that she was healed by Jesus of seven demons.  With what those demons were afflicting her we can't say.  What we know is that she faithfully followed Jesus throughout His earthly ministry, as did many other women.  What we know is that she was an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Jesus and that she was the first to see Him resurrected from the grave.  What we know is that she believed in Jesus as her Lord and Savior, and that she responded faithfully to His charge to go and tell the disciples that He is risen, which is why the early church fathers called her "the apostle to the apostles,” for "apostle” means "sent out one,” and Jesus sent her out to proclaim the Good News to those men whom He would send out to do the same. 

And, for all that we know about St. Mary Magdalene, it is good, right, and proper for us to take time this day to remember and honor this blessed saint, just as it is good, right, and proper for us to remember and honor all the saints who have gone before us.  We do so not for their own sakes, but as examples of those in whom the saving work of Jesus Christ has been made manifest to the glory of His holy name and to the praise of His grace and mercy. 

Such is certainly the case with St. Mary Magdalene.  We can't help but see the saving work of Christ made manifest in her life.  Exorcised of seven demons, forgiven of all her sins, she committed the rest of her life to serving her Lord.  She left everything and followed Him all the way to the cross where He shed His Holy and Innocent Blood for her, and for every sinner who has ever lived.  She mourned her Lord and Savior's death, but sought to honor Him by heading to the tomb first thing Sunday morning to anoint His body.  After the others left, she remained at the tomb, weeping for her Lord, and when the Resurrected Lord revealed Himself to her and sent her to tell the disciples that He is risen, she faithfully complied.  She rushed off and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!,” the glorious exclamation she would faithfully proclaim throughout her life from that point on.  Oh yes, it is right to honor St. Mary Magdalene, for the saving work of Christ was most definitely made manifest in her.     

So it is with us.  We, like St. Mary Magdalene, are sinners saved solely by the grace of God through faith in His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.  We, like St. Mary Magdalene, were once dead in sin and children of the devil.  But, our Lord rescued us from our plight.  He cast Satan out of us, washed our sins away, and brought us into His kingdom through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.  And, like St. Mary Magdalene, we follow our Savior by faith to the cross where He shed His Blood for us.  We follow Him where He bids us go - to His House where the fruits of His cross are delivered to us in the Divine Service.  Here, as we gather together around His altar, the saving work of Christ is made manifest in us, for we take into our bodies His very Body and Blood for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening and preservation of our faith.  Here, our tears are wiped clean.  Here, our weeping ends and our rejoicing begins, for here we are made certain that sin, death, and the devil have no claim on us, and that eternal life in Paradise is ours.

And, like St. Mary Magdalene, who saw the Lord and was sent out by Him to share that news with His disciples, so it is with us.  Here, in His Holy House, the Lord has revealed Himself to us and we have seen Him.  That is why we sing the Nunc Dimittis after receiving the Holy Supper, for there in the bread and wine, we, like Simeon, have seen and cradled the salvation of the world, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  And, having seen Him, we, like St. Mary Magdalene, leave Christ's side here and go into the world with the Good News that Christ has triumphed over death; that He is alive and ready to make you His precious child through water and Word in Baptism; that He is ready to nourish you with His Body and Blood in the Supper; that He is ready to forgive your sins in Absolution; that He is ready to nurture you through careful study of His Word with other brethren in Christ; that God desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.  Our common task with St. Mary Magdalene is to say, "I have seen the Lord!”

God be praised for the saving work of Christ made manifest in St. Mary Magdalene and, now, in us!  God give us the strength to follow her example and commit our lives to His service, that we may go out into the world at His bidding to proclaim this day and always, "I have seen the Lord!”  In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name.  Amen.          

Now the peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting.  Amen.