Have you ever been asked, “If you could have a dinner party and invite one person from history—living or dead—who would it be?”
Mary Magdalene!
Hers is the one name that ALWAYS hijacks my mind before the questioner even has time to finish asking. Outside of Jesus, I think she is the single most fascinating human who ever walked this earth.
But, as soon as I think of my much anticipated guest, I realize I wouldn’t want to share her with a dinner party; I’m a quality time girl so I’d want hours and hours and hours alone with her. I have mounds of questions I’d want to ask this woman whose story I’ve read so many times in the Bible that I do already consider her my friend.
Here is a short excerpt from the long anticipated convo I imagine with Mary Mag (I always give my friends nicknames)...
VICKEY: I HAVE BEEN DREAMING OF THIS CONVERSATION EVER SINCE I FIRST HEARD ABOUT YOU! I’VE READ EVERYTHING THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN - YOU NO DOUBT KNOW THAT YOUR NAME IS MENTIONED IN THE GOSPELS EVEN MORE THAN MOST OF THE APOSTLES! YET, I STILL HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU ACTUALLY MEET JESUS AND HOW YOUR LIFE MOST SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGED AFTER THAT.
MM: Originally, he saved me from being possessed by demons—seriously, real demons! As to how my life changed after that, how did it not?! I mean, I went from being possessed by demons to traveling around with THE Son of God, His apostles, and a great group of women. I even saw and talked with Jesus after He rose from the dead. What I did and why I did it, who I gave my life to, what I saw and heard, who I become and who my friends were, what was important to me...literally everything about my life changed because I met and followed Jesus.
VICKEY: HOW DID YOU END UP ON HIS TRAVELING TEAM? WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
MM: I’d been through quite a bit of trauma when Jesus rescued me from demons. So much darkness and torment, but I’d never met anyone with the type of power Jesus had or who seemed so intent on using their power for good. It was magnetic, so I just started following Him and His apostles on their travels. It’s not like He said, “Hey, I’m going to travel around for a couple of years. Here’s a list of ways you can help.” It was much more organic than that and there were actually quite a few of us women who traveled with Him and His disciples. We saw and heard Him laugh, teach, train, pray, correct, heal, give grace and so much more. We didn’t know how long our traveling would last; we just knew we wanted to be part of His ministry.
VICKEY: WHAT DID YOU WOMEN ACTUALLY DO WHILE TRAVELING WITH THE GUYS? PLEASE TELL ME YOU WEREN’T JUST MAKING MEALS. COOKING ISN’T WHAT I DO BEST AND I WOULD HAVE DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE IN ON ALL THEIR GOOD CONVERSATIONS.
MM: The other women and I had some money and resources, so we just helped to support Him from our own private means, doing whatever we could. We really didn’t care so much about what we did, we just wanted to learn from Him and to be part of what He was doing. We wanted to make it easier for Jesus to meet with people and spread His message.
VICKEY: SO WHAT WAS JESUS REALLY LIKE? WAS HE OUTGOING OR SOMEWHAT REMOVED? MY YOUNGER FRIENDS WOULD WANT TO KNOW IF HE WAS MORE OF AN ENNEAGRAM 1 OR 2?
MM: You have to remember that although Jesus was God, He was also a man with human emotions. He loved kids and enjoyed having them around, definitely cried (like when His friend Lazarus died), was heartbroken over how people let sin rule their lives, and got reeeeally upset at hypocritical church leaders. Personality wise, you might consider Him a bit of an ambivert like you are—quick to both steal away for time alone and to spend time with people. He definitely didn’t just hang with serious church people! You’ve probably read about how He celebrated weddings and was often found at both relaxed and lively dinners in the homes of all sorts of people. And of course He hung out a lot with the apostle Peter, who was quite the character, so that relationship alone provided lots of entertainment for Him.
Aside from being so powerful, wise, and self sacrificing, Jesus was incredibly forgiving and observant. Best listener I’ve ever met. Like, when He looked into your eyes, you felt He was reading your soul without you even saying a word. That was both comforting and unnerving. He knew when you were sad or afraid or being judgemental, even when you thought you were hiding your thoughts and feelings. He was purposeful and obviously had a God-size plan, but He really genuinely loved people and being with them. He never seemed too hurried to answer someone’s question or deal with their problems. Jesus always made you feel valued.
VICKEY: THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE NATURE OF YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS AND IF IT WAS ROMANTIC OR SEXUAL. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT?
MM: Not particularly. I find it ridiculous. He wasn’t just a man; He was and is GOD, people!
VICKEY: OK, ENOUGH SAID. CAN I ASK ABOUT THE CRUCIFIXION? I CANNOT BEGIN TO IMAGINE HOW AWFUL THAT WAS. ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS THAT MANY OF JESUS’ CLOSEST FOLLOWERS HAD SCATTERED, 3 OF THE GOSPEL WRITERS MAKE A POINT OF MENTIONING THAT YOU WERE THERE WITH SOME OTHER WOMEN. WHY (AND HOW) DID YOU STAY THROUGH IT?
MM: It was way beyond awful. But, He had rescued me from demons, so there was no way I was going to leave Him while He faced the pain of such a gruesome death. Praise God, that cross was not the end of Him! And the fact that death could not hold Him—that He actually rose from the dead— miraculously makes true hope, healing, and eternal life with Him available for us all!
VICKEY: AND SCRIPTURE SAYS YOU GOT TO BE FIRST TO HEAR AND SHARE THAT MESSAGE! SERIOUSLY GIRL...YOU WERE DEMON POSSESSED, WALKED AND TALKED WITH JESUS, WITNESSED THE CRUCIFIXION, SAW AND HEARD FROM ANGELS THAT HE WAS ALIVE, THEN JESUS HIMSELF APPEARED TO YOU AFTER HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND ASKED YOU TO TELL THE APOSTLES THAT HE WAS ALIVE??? THAT IS ONE INCREDIBLE LIFE! WHY DO YOU THINK JESUS FIRST APPEARED TO YOU AFTER HE CONQUERED DEATH ON THAT FIRST EASTER RESURRECTION DAY?
MM: Well, He had to appear to someone and there I was at His graveside crying my heart out over His missing body.
VICKEY: COULD IT BE THAT SIMPLE? YOU DID STAY TO SEE WHAT TOMB THEY LAID HIS BODY IN AND WERE FIRST THERE AFTER THE SABBATH (SO EARLY THAT THE SKY WAS STILL DARK) TO PREPARE HIS BODY. YOU WERE AVAILABLE, BUT I IMAGINE IT WAS ALSO BECAUSE HE KNEW YOU WOULD FAITHFULLY SHARE HIS SECRET AND WOULD MAKE THOSE APOSTLES LISTEN. AND I DON’T KNOW IF GENDER PLAYED ANY ROLE IN HIS CHOICE, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT HAS VERIFIED TO WOMEN EVER SINCE THAT HE VALUES AND HAS A PLACE FOR US. I’M SO VERY GLAD HE CHOSE YOU.
MM: Yes, but the truth is that He has chosen each and every one of us as believers to share His story. You, me, each of our Christ-following sisters—we are all the women of Easter. Along with our believing brothers, He has chosen each of us to share the message He originally shared with me: He is alive!
Concerns of the coronavirus may keep you from going to church on Easter Sunday, but neither it or anything else can keep you from experiencing and sharing the life-changing message of Easter. HOPE is alive and it is found in Jesus. He still changes everything!
Meet the Author!
Bible teacher, author, inspirational speaker and disciple-maker, Vickey Banks is passionate about helping women connect the dots between God’s Word and their everyday lives. She loves serving as Women’s Ministry Director at Council Road, celebrating her people, playing with her puppy and getting lost in a good story.