Day11:  Giving the News

Art:  A woman with such news! This scene is what got Magdalene her respected title, Apostle to the Apostles. An Apostle is a teller of the good news, of the gospel (gospel is a word that literally means good news). Look at the body language of the apostles.  Are they huddled together in fear, questioning this woman whom Yeshua loved? Mary appears confident. This could also be the scene in the book of Acts where the disciples convene in the upper room to choose a twelfth disciple to replace Judas.  Magdalene’s name is not mentioned in Acts, but it is said, “some women” were there.  This could also be Magdalene teaching the disciples as described in several gnostic gospels.  Magdalene is often asked,”The saviour loved you more than us, teach us what he taught you.”

Devotional:  Only one of these men, the youngest (shown in red like Magdala), was at the cross as Yeshua died. The other ten went into hiding.  The women went out to tend to Yeshua’s body, despite the danger of being associated with a convicted and executed criminal.  

[Katia inserts:  We shouldn’t be too harsh and think the male disciples were cowards.  Remember that most of them later showed they were the complete opposite of cowards, dying horrible deaths while teaching in faraway lands. Once they realized he really had risen, no power on earth could keep their mouths shut.  One or more of the twelve getting arrested and killed alongside Yeshua would not have helped complete the work, would have done nothing to spread the healing ministry or to get out Yeshua’s radical,liberating teachings.  Yeshua allowed himself to be arrested and executed in order to save his family, friends, and vast numbers of students and followers from a Roman massacre — the common way of dealing with dissidents. Joseph of Arimethea helped with the body of Yeshua, too.  But since he was a politician and an old man, he was not in danger of arrest like the apostles were.  Still, it was a thoroughly sexist world, a man’s world, and women’s testimonies were not even considered in most courts.  So the questionsthat follow should be considered with that sexism in mind.  Hopefully since Yeshua had taught them for three years, most of the male students were not sexists, just perhaps occasionally stuck in a sexist mindset.]

Did Mary fear telling these men what had happened?  Did she wonder if she would be believed or not?  How did she feel when they doubted her?  After all, Yeshua raised her brother from the dead; how could resurrection be impossible?

Easy Lab Report Form

 Contemplation Lab Main Page
1   2  3   4  5  6  7  8   9  10  11  12  13  14  15

Words in italics are TraceyDeb’s, Katia is regular print.