Mary Magdalene and Easter Joy

On Easter Sunday, one of the readings came from Paul’s first letter to the Church at Corinth, chapter 15: 1-8. The Other reading came from Matthew 28: 1-10.

Paul writes:

Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, ⁴ and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶ Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters^[c] at one time, …  ⁸ Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles and am unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

 Matthew writes:

…Behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone, and sat upon it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow. ⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for he has risen…

In 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us that Cephas is the first to see the risen Christ. Even though Matthew’s Gospel places two women at the tomb, and John’s Gospel has the weeping Magdalene speak with Jesus the Teacher. Paul is the last one to see Christ.

What does it matter?

In the first chapter of Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth:

Paul writes:

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas; still another, “I follow Christ.”

¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?

This question: “Was Paul crucified for you?” is easily dismissed.

New believers and many others quickly conclude that Christ is male and that he is the crucified one. Paul, Apollos, and Cephas are simply teachers sent by Christ to preach and instruct people about the good news that Christ was raised from the dead.

The idea that three people were crucified as Jesus who with the third sunrise became perfectly united in mind and thought as the Risen Christ seems like a folk tale. It can’t possibly be the historic reality and legitimate theology.

The name Saul who later became Paul is not mentioned in the Gospels. However, the Gospels were written after the Letters of Paul. Paul is a Latin term that means “little” or humble. Tradition says Paul is a man. However, the Greek word for man does not mean male. A Greek man is a human being. So, think of Paul as being the human being who labored to give Jews and Gentiles the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Paul openly admits to being the worst sinner, the chief of the sinners! (1 Timothy 1:15) This is why the Easter reading of 1 Corinthians 15 read in juxtaposition with Matthew’s Gospel is so intriguing.

While I was growing up, Mary Magdalene was always billed as the worst sinner, the one who had seven devils seeking to possess her!

Now as a mature woman, at last I see Christ face to face. Others before me have seen what I had been unable to see until I met my Lord.  Who I tell you now is my sweetheart and the Rock of my salvation.

Until I met my jo, my sweetheart, Cephas was simply Peter. I was blinded by the light of Apollo. I could not see Martha as the Lady and his beloved Anna (Grace) who trusted and believed her Lord was the Son of God. My love and adoration of Apollo threatened their relationship. It worried Martha. Thankfully, Apollo had faith in me and she forgives me. I saw Apollos as the “Good Teacher” who was one with the Father. It had not occurred to me that I was the Vine, the Tree who was one with the Father who was the husbandman.  Nor had it occurred to me that Cephas was “Jo” “Cephas,” the sweetheart and husbandman, of the Mother of the Gospel.

With the popularity of the Da Vinci Code, people insisted that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married. In my Master’s thesis, I disagreed. http://www.lindavogtturner.ca/papers.html  I said they had an affair! I based my thesis on scriptural evidence and my own affair with an Alexander who in my mind and heart was the Greek Apollo and the Christ. Like many people, I saw only one male Jesus. Although, I saw Mary Magdalene as the female Jesus, I did not see another male Jesus.

To my surprise, with an untimely or coincidental occurrence, I met a black male singer. At this time, I was an adulteress, a divorcee and a widow. I was writing my master thesis “Mary Magdalene: Her image and relationship to Jesus. Putting myself in the role of Mary Magdalene, I supposed for a moment that Apollo was the Gardener. Contemplating the idea, I thought I should devote my life to environmental awareness and content myself with being a widow and a virgin for the rest of my life.

I met the Singer at a church called Northwood. My minister whose name was John announced that Northwood had started a Jazz Vespers in the Valley. Vespers is an evening service. I was busy the first Sunday, but when John announced the next Jazz Vespers service, I was eager to go because I recognized the Singer’s name. Moreover, I was fairly certain he was unattached.

In the months and years that followed, the Singer and I became more and more sure that we were meant to be together. During this time, the Song of Solomon awoke me to the idea that Jesus the Rabonni is the King the Woman lets go of. And, the Stag is the Singer who the Woman coming up from the wilderness leans on.

With the appearance of the Stag Singer, my heart, my ears, and eyes were open to the nuances of Scripture.  I saw Simon appear behind me and I saw him appear to my beloved Greek Teacher and his beloved (Luke 24:34) and then he finally appeared to me more completely as (Luke 24:51) as Simon the Cyrene, the Son of Man who carried the Cross of Jesus.

You know the stories. The Son of Man came eating and drinking with drunkards and gluttons (Matthew 11:19). He was a friend of tax collectors and sinners! He was a Cyrenaic. He thought people should be full of joy and take the time to enjoy themselves.

I heard an old tune on You Tube today https://youtu.be/nKH_SxODIjg It’s an oldie but a goodie!  Here comes Peter Cottontail.

Open your eyes and ears!

The Rock moves. People watching see for themselves. He is alive! He shakes. He rolls.  He hippity hops and makes a joyful sound for his Easter children.

The Rock is our Easter Daddy. He died on Friday when he denied being “one of them” or admitting he knew who Jesus was. People spotting him coming in from the countryside, lean the Cross on Him. Mark’s Gospel says this man’s name is Simon the Cyrene, the Father of Alexander and the red-haired one, the fiery spirited sinner (Mark 15:21).

Christ was crucified, divided.  Then in a loud voice, Jesus cried out. “Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit.” With these words, Jesus’ earthly life ends.

With Easter, Jesus comes back to life again. Humankind is reborn in the image and eternal likeness of God. Humankind need not fear death. Death has lost its sting! Jesus is not an apparition, or a disembodied spirit.  Eternal life is not an empty promise!

Jesus is alive and was raised from the dead to let the whole world know heaven is on earth! Heaven is in homes and places where human hearts forgive one another, souls soar, faces shine like the sun, people dance, sing, and embrace one another with love and kisses—spreading joy to all creation.