âI believe [Mary Magdaleneâs] simple, graceful impact is to remind us of the power of following JesusâŚâ (Graceful Influence, Lori Roeleveld, p. 131).
âWhat do you mean you donât believe?â The tone in my voice surprised me, and I took a deep breath. âI’m sorry. Let me rephrase. What happened? I mean, why the change?â
The young woman across the table was no stranger. In fact, sheâs a loved oneâsomeone who invited Jesus into her heart as a girl, was baptized in our farm’s pond, journaled her favorite Bible passages and prayers.
âIâm just not sure anymore. After all the hypocrisy Iâve witnessed at church, the ways I see Christians passing judgement, many of those in leadership who shake a finger on Sunday but live secret lives of sin the remaining six days of the week, doing the very things they tell others not to do. Yeah, I donât think religionâs for me.â
No longer a believer?
My heart hurt with this confession. But, I understood. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard similar.
Still, I wanted to shout, Religion’s not what it’s about. What matters most is relationship.
Because we know–People fail us, but Jesus never will.
So instead, I prayedâPlease, Jesus, show this young woman evidences of Your love in unique and surprising ways, using unique and surprising people.
And Iâm still praying, will continue until my petitionâs answered.
Perhaps this is familiar to you tooâa similar plea made for a family member. A friend.
After all, we know themâthose folks who once professed to believe in Jesus, but, at some point, for some reason, turned away.
Itâs heartbreaking, is it not?
And the closer, more loved by us this person is, the harder. We worry, lose sleep, and question how this ever happened.
Truth is, the Bible offers a warning. Even some of Jesusâs disciples did an about-faceâ
At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him (John 6:66 NLT).
Maybe it’s…
- Disillusionment.
- Fear of  persecution.
- Oneâs inability to rectify how, if thereâs a loving God, bad things happen.
Summed up, many fall away from their faith because of lifeâs challenges. Rather than press in to their Savior, trusting Him to see them through, they, like Peter, deny Him.
But there is a particular story. It’s all about a steadfast relationship with Jesus, discovered in a unique and surprising person.
Her name is Mary Magdalene, and her testimony possesses lasting impact for those who lean in and learn, witnessing her–
- Devotion.
- Tenacity.
- Her genuine, grace-filled faith.
This woman, prior to being healed from demon possession, was best suited for an insane asylum, but she became a passionate discipleâone who not only persevered despite the possibility of persecution but, according to Johnâs Gospel, was a mourner-turned-missionary.
Her Past
We donât know much about Mary Magdalene prior to her meeting Jesus–just that she was from the coastal city of Magdala and was possessed by seven demons.
The first verses of Luke 8 tell us Jesus healed her. Afterward, she, along with several other women, had a special relationship with Jesus. With the twelve, they followed Him on His journeys.
Her Passion
After being set free, Mary Magdalene was passionate about her Savior. We know this because, not only was she His devoted follower throughout His three years of public ministry, she was one of the women who observed His crucifixion (John 19:25), something that took great tenacity.
She was also present at the tomb. In fact, according to Johnâs account, she was the first woman at the Garden Tombâthe first to discover Jesus had risen, though she didnât know this immediately (John 20:11-18).
Her Pursuit
After hearing Jesus call her name, Mary Magdaleneâs eyes were opened (John 20:16a). She then realized the man was more than a gardener.
He was the risen Messiah (20:16b)!
Being the first to witness the resurrected Jesus, she became in that moment not only the first Christian, but, until others, too, heard and believed, the only Christian.
More, with Jesusâs commission, Mary Magdalene was the first evangelist. Obeying her Master’s words, her pursuit was to spread the Good News, telling the disciples what He said–
I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God (John 20:18).
Again, this unique and surprising person, having been given a specific task, became the first Christian missionary.
And one can learn from her message–her grace-filled faith–even all these years later, then use it as an evangelistic tool in the sharing of the Good News.
Her Eternal Impact
Telling Mary Magdalene’s story to our wayward family members and friends might seem silly. Perhaps we wonder–
Is hers any more impactful than another’s? But the power in this womanâs tale is the fact that itâs included at all.
In truth, women werenât highly regarding in ancient times. Their words mattered little. Their stories didnât hold strength when compared with their male counterpartsâ.
ButâŚ
The Holy Spirit’s prompting of the disciple whom Jesus loved to write about her in this mannerâsharing how Mary Magdalene, a female, was the focus of Jesusâs attention right after Heâd risen from the graveâis a testament to this account’s validity.
No man in his right mind would ever use a womanâs story, unless the testimony was true.
Therefore, Mary Magdaleneâs wordsâthat which she shared with the eleven remaining male disciples of Jesusâstill possess power, all these centuries later.
Indeed…
- For us.
- For those whoâve turned away.
Her Powerful Proclamation?
I have seen the Lord (John 20:18)!
In Lori Roeleveldâs new release Graceful InfluenceâMaking a Lasting Impact through Lessons from Women of the Bible (Our Daily Bread Publishing, 2024), we read–
âEven when [following Jesus] becomes challenging, following Him not only makes our lives worthwhile, but it encourages others to not turn [away]. Daily, like her, we choose to followâ (p. 131).
As we, like Mary Magdalene, walk with Jesus with devotion, tenacity, and genuine, grace-filled faith, others will watch.
Witnessing the reality of the risen Savior in our livesâwith Jesus as our passion and pursuitâtheyâll hear our powerful proclamation too, even when no words are spoken.
Yes, we have seen the Lord!
Questions to Ponder:
- With whom might you share Mary Magdalene’s story? Â
- How does her testimony encourage and inspire you?
- What other unique and surprising stories might help bring your wayward loved one home?Â
Father, You love our wayward ones so much more than we ever could. Help us persevere in prayer and give us opportunities to share truth. Help us remember to speak the gospel all the time–with both our words and actions. May it be so!
(All passages taken from the NLT; images from Pixabay)
Amen. May we always speak the gospel with our words and actions.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read, Diana. Godâs Word is always alive and fresh. I just love learning new things! Mary Magdaleneâs message was particularly poignant this year as I had read her story on Easter morning, and then our pastor spoke about this very thing at church. My friend, Lori Roeleveldâs new book has a chapter dedicated to her. Seemed the perfect opportunity to delve deeper into her beautiful, devoted life.
We need to tell others of the grace, love, and mercy of Christ to counteract those ” Christian leaders” who are turning it into a religion of hate and partisanship. God is love. Others should know we belong to Christ by our love. Let’s love others!
Praying for the young friend of yours.
Yes, so true, Steve!
Thank you for prayers. Sadly, she represents too many.
Sadly I’ve had too many of these conversations lately. Thankful for Mary Magdalene’s example. Thanks for sharing this.