Seven Gospel Clues that Mary Magdalene is Mary of Bethany
It has become sadly prevalent today to assume that Mary Magdalene was not Mary of Bethany. This is a great disservice to the whole Church since her witness to the Merciful Love of God has benefited countless souls throughout the centuries.
There are at least seven powerful Scriptural clues indicating that Mary of Bethany is indeed Mary Magdalene.
It is evident that Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus twice, the first time as indicated in Lk 7:36-50 and the second time as indicated in Jn 12:3-7; Mt 26:6-13; and Mk 14:3-9. That these were indeed two separate anointings is clearly stated by St. John in Jn 11:2. Once we realize that the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50 is Mary of Bethany we discover many Gospel facts about Mary of Bethany:
a. She was a notorious sinner known to many (Lk 7:39) and she had influential friends among the Jews (Jn 11:45);
b. She kissed Jesus’ feet many times (Lk 7:45);
c. She anointed both His feet in (Lk 7:46) and (Jn 12:3) and His head in (Mt 26:7) and (Mk 14:3);
d. Her generosity in anointing Jesus with ointment worth 300 denarii (Jn 12:5) is set in contrast to the thief, Judas Iscariot who right after Mary’s second anointing agreed to sell Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Jn 12:4-7) and (Mt 26:14-16);
e. Her many sins were forgiven by Jesus because she loved much (Lk 7:47-48);
f. She sat at his feet and listened to His word and Jesus told her sister Martha that Mary had chosen the best part that would not be taken away from her (Lk 10:38-42);
g. “Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary, and Lazarus” (Jn 11:5);
h. Martha and Mary called Jesus, “Master” (Jn 11:28);
i. People who knew Mary thought that when her brother Lazarus had died, she would go to the tomb to weep there (Jn 11:31).
j. Jesus defended her second anointing by saying in reference to the “pound of ointment, genuine nard of great value” (Jn 12:3), “Let her be—that she may keep it for the day of my burial” (Jn 12:7).
k. Jesus said of her (in regard to the second anointing): “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her” (Mt 26:13).
Now let’s consider these in reference to what we know of Mary Magdalene.
Clue One: Mary is first identified as Magdalene by St. Luke IMMEDIATELY after Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus for the first time. In fact he connects the two passages with the word “afterwards” and at the same time indicates that Jesus had cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:1-2). In Scripture the number “seven” indicates perfection; the implication is that Mary Magdalene had been perfectly possessed by Satan before Jesus set her free. Although people who are demonically possessed are not always culpable, Mary Magdalene is the only person in the Gospel exorcised by Jesus who is identified by name –and she is identified IMMEDIATELY after He forgives the notorious sinner Mary of Bethany for her many sins.
Clue Two: Mary of Bethany and Judas Iscariot are the only two people who kiss Jesus in the Gospels and they are deliberately set in contrast with one another by three of the evangelists (Jn 12:3-7), (Mt 26:6-16), and (Mk 14:3-10). Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus with a kiss; Mary Magdalene rushes to embrace the feet of the Resurrected Jesus (Mt 28:9) (Jn 20:17).
Clue Three: Mary Magdalene calls Jesus “’Rabboni!’ (that is to say, Master) (Jn 20:16) which is the same way that Martha identifies Jesus to her sister Mary, “The Master is here and calls you” (Jn 11:28).
Clue Four: Mary Magdalene witnessed the burial of Jesus (Mt 27:61) and she is identified as the first of the women who went to anoint Jesus with spices and ointments on Easter Sunday morning (Mk 16:1); (Lk 23:56- Lk 24:1). When Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus with “a pound of ointment, genuine nard of great value” (Jn 12:3), Jesus defended her by saying, “Let her be—that she may keep it for the day of my burial” (Jn 12:7).
Clue Five: Although when Gabriel appeared to Zachary St. Luke indicates that the angel was “standing at the right of the altar of incense” (Lk 1:11), and St. Mark indicates that the angel of the Resurrection was sitting “at the right” (Mk 16:5); only in St. John’s Gospel is it specified that the angels Mary Magdalene saw were “sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid” (Jn 20:12). Mary of Bethany is the only person indicated in the Gospel who anointed both the head and the feet of Jesus (Lk 7:46 and Jn 12: 3) and (Mt 26:7 and Mk 14:3).
Clue Six: There was a great pure mutual love between Jesus and Mary of Bethany (Lk 7:47) and (Jn 11:5). Mary Magdalene manifested this love by staying outside the tomb of Jesus weeping even after the Apostles Peter and John had left (Jn 20:10-11). People who knew Mary of Bethany thought that she would have gone to weep at the tomb of her brother Lazarus (Jn 11:31). Jesus was the only treasure of Mary of Bethany (Lk 10:38-42).
Clue Seven: Mary of Bethany was the sinful, repentant woman who twice anointed Jesus and was so well known that Jesus said of her, “Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her” (Mt 26:13). Mary Magdalene is twice mentioned in St. Matthew’s Gospel as being with “the other Mary” (Mt 27:61 and Mt 28:1) and “the other Mary” is very clearly identified as being “Mary the mother of James and Joseph” (Mt 26:56). Now if Mary Magdalene wasn’t Mary of Bethany it would make no sense to refer to Mary the mother of James and Joseph as “the other Mary.” Jesus never said of Mary the mother of James and Joseph that “wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her” (Mt 26:13). He did say that of Mary of Bethany who therefore seems to clearly be St. Mary Magdalene, the Apostle to the Apostles and the first witness of the Resurrection.
Sister Mary Rose Reddy, DMML
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene July 22, 2019
