Word and Fire Ministries

There are two women in the New Testament who are regularly mis-judged by Christians.

The first is the Samaritan woman with whom Jesus talked at the well. Many Christians assume that she had been divorced five times, but Jesus did not say that. He said only that she had had five husbands. It is just as possible that she had been widowed five times. In fact, given the culture of the day, and particularly the fact that many women married men who were considerably older than themselves, that is probably a more likely scenario. It also could explain why “the one you are with now is not your husband.” I can just imagine the conversation from the man she was with: “Live with me. I will care for you and provide for you. But every man that has been married to you has died. I don’t want to take that chance.”

Jesus’ words to this lady were not a condemnation, but an offer of understanding and acceptance.

The second mis-judged woman is Mary Magdalene, whom many consider to have been a prostitute. There is absolutely nothing in the Bible to suggest this was the case. The only New Testament reference to Mary’s past is that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (Mar 16:9, Lk 8:2) but there is no indication of what these demons might have been.

The problem arises because people identify Mary with the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke 26-36, but there is no reason to see this woman as Mary.

This confusion can be avoided when we understand that there were two incidents in which a woman anointed Jesus. Let’s compare them:

The first, recorded in Luke, occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry; the second, recorded in Mk 14:3-9, Matt 26:6-13 and John 12:1-8, occurred right at the end of his ministry.

The woman in the first was an unnamed sinner (probably a prostitute); the woman in the second was Mary of Bethany (NOT Mary Magalene), sister of Martha and Lazarus, who was a disciple and a woman of standing in her community.

The first took place in the home of a Pharisee, who had undoubtedly invited Jesus in the hope of trapping Him in something He said. In this home Jesus was accorded no honour, not even the common courtesies that were expected to be given to any guest. The second took place in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper (who had obviously been healed, otherwise he would not have been able to live in the town and have guests at his home) and seems to have been a celebration of Jesus raising Lazarus and possibly healing Simon. In this home Jesus was accorded great honour. (Yes, both hosts were named Simon. But when you know that at one point in the book of Acts Simon Peter was staying in the home of Simon the Tanner, they you realise what a common name Simon was.)

In the first instance, Jesus was rebuked for allowing a sinful woman to touch Him. In the second instance, Mary was rebuked for “wasting” the ointment she poured on Jesus.

In the first instance, the woman was responding in faith and love to the forgiveness she had found in Jesus. In the second, Mary was responding in grief because she understood what Jesus had been telling them about His upcoming death (when none of the male disciples seem to have “got it”.)

These are obviously two separate incidents, and Mary Magdalene is not involved in either. (If you think it unlikely that there would be two similar incidents in Jesus’ life, consider this: two incidents of Jesus feeding thousands with a few loaves and fish are recorded just a chapter apart in Matthew. There were also two incidents of a miraculous catch of fish, one at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and one at the end.)

Please stop maligning Mary Magdalene and the Samaritan woman. Neither of them deserves the reputation that the church has given them.