Mary understood what it was like to live in darkness. Her world before Jesus was filled with demons and turmoil. How many times had she hoped for peace, for joy, for a light at the end of the tunnel? Perhaps you can relate? She chose to believe Jesus when he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Think about that promise…..Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. That gives me incredible hope! I had a friend who recently returned from a trip to Las Vegas. She had many fun…

I heard a statement on The Chosen today that said, “What you were before meeting the Messiah doesn’t matter. All that matters now is I Am.” Throughout the day I have thought about that statement and tried to think of how I look at things on this side of grace. Do I believe the I Am statements of Christ? I imagine that as Mary followed and walked with Jesus, she was in constant awe of who He was and who He was changing her to be. Being a daily witness to lives changed must have reinforced what she was learning and experiencing. As Jesus shared who He was, the realization…

A large crowd followed and pressed around him and a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.  She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak,  because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” (Mark 5:24-28) This woman had a seemingly incurable condition causing her to bleed constantly which would have made her ritually unclean all the time and excluded her from most social contact. Being considered unclean would have been…

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group  and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.  In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” (John 8:2-5) Imagine the complete humiliation of being in this woman’s place. She stood alone in public, surrounded by angry accusers. They announced to everyone present the sin she had committed, with a pious attitude that they were upholding the…

Soon after calling the twelve to follow Him, Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. In addition to His apostles there were also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene. While scripture doesn’t specifically say which events Mary was present at, there is a possibility that she could have met the Samaritan woman at the well. After Jesus had told the Samaritan woman that He was the Messiah, she joyfully shared the news with her whole village and the people asked Him to stay and teach them…

The story of Mary Magdalene is one of my favorites. While it may seem short due to the few verses written specifically about her, the truth is that she was an eye witness to many stories that took place. She was there walking and talking with Jesus. She was there learning from His teachings. She was there seeing the healings and restoration of so many lives and she was there to receive and witness Christ’s endless compassion. Perhaps she was among the disciples that helped disperse the crowd after Jesus feed the 5000 with a few loaves and fish. Imagine how man people had questions. How many times do you…

When Mary was at the garden tomb Jesus asked her a question, “Who are you looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” Mary was looking for Jesus in the wrong place, among the dead. She was looking for what had become familiar to her and she desperately wanted things to be back to normal. Then Jesus spoke her name, “Mary,” and she turned to Him and cried out, “Teacher!” Her encounter with Jesus cleared her vision. When our lives are turned upside down by trials, challenges and troubles who do we look for?…