February, my birth month, and the month of love is almost over. I have been posting about the love shown by women of the Bible and today I want to focus on the unselfish love of Mary Magdalene.

I couldn’t let the month end without writing about this well-known woman of the Bible, one who has been so misrepresented and so misjudged. In fact, of all the Marys mentioned in the Bible, Mary Magdalene is the only one who is given a last name. It’s as if the authors wanted us to know exactly which Mary they were writing about. And as if that weren’t enough, she also has the handle, “out of whom went seven devils” (Luke 8: 2).

But after Jesus healed her, Mary Magdalene became one of his most devoted followers. On the day of His crucifixion, she, along with His mother and other women, stood at the foot of the cross, sorrowful and unable to do anything. Since it is the Sabbath, they cannot embalm the body, but bright and early the following day, Mary Magdalene and another Mary return to the tomb where Jesus had been buried.

Here she exemplifies one quality of love according to 1 Corinthians 13: it is not self-seeking. She has nothing to gain by going to the tomb to perform this last rite on her Savior. It is her last act of love, and she gives it without reservation.

But even though Mary Magdalene expects to gain nothing, God has already prepared the greatest reward anyone could ever hope to have. The tomb is empty, Jesus is risen as He said He would, but where is He? She sees a man standing before her, and He calls her name. It is Jesus. How does she know it is Jesus? Because He calls her Mary, not Mary Magdalene, not the one out of whom went seven devils, but simply Mary. She is the first to see the risen Lord.

Want to learn more about this fascinating woman of the Bible? Please go to Women For All Seasons at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TM6TWX4