A Life Worth Living

There's Something About Mary

It all began when I heard a Friday night sermon suggesting that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany (the one with the famous siblings called Martha and Lazarus) were actually the same person. Within a span of a month, be it during a sermon at church, a morning worship at work, or a book I happened to pick up, the message sent out was clear - the two Marys were the same.

Yet, I wasn't convinced. In fact, I became even more adamant that they were two different people who happened to share the same name. After all, the name Mary is an extremely common one, probably more so back in Jesus' time than now.

However, I had nothing to back my beliefs up, besides perhaps the non-scientifically, non-academically thing called gut instinct.

By the time I heard the fourth sermon, I was convinced I had to do something about Mary. To do something not as an attempt to demonstrate my extensive knowledge or intelligence, of which I know is an oxymoron when applied to me. Neither is this a means to prove that the preachers I've heard are flawed in any way. This is simply a quest to quell my own curiosity, as well as a gnawing feeling that perhaps God wanted me to find out the answer for myself.

Doing a quick word search through the Bible using the computer, it was not difficult to find the several Marys significant in Jesus' life. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was easily identifiable. Whenever she is mentioned, there is almost always a mother and son relationship mentioned. The Virgin Mary is frequently referred to either as the mother of Jesus (Luke 2:34), the mother of Jesus' brothers James and Joses (Mark 15:47, 16:1) or the wife of Joseph (Matthew 1:20). Sometimes, she is also "the other Mary" (Matthew 27:61), but there is almost never a chance that she could be confused with another Mary.

I would like to say that the same can also be said of Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany. Reading through the Gospels, Mary Magdalene is always identified by reference to her home village Magda, while Mary of Bethany seems to have been known always as one of the pair of sisters who were sufficiently identified by reference to each other.

I cannot claim to be an expert on ancient Palestinian geography, something that would certainly disappoint my ex-Religion lecturers, but I would assume that Magda and Bethany are two completely different locations. This gives rise to the reason why Mary Magdalene is associated with Magda, while Mary of Bethany is said to come from, well, Bethany (John 11:1). Had the two locations been the same, why are they constantly referred to by two different names? Unless Magda and Bethany are like how we would call Holland and the Netherlands today?

Yet, we are first introduced to Mary Magadelene by Luke, he immediately establishes she is "called Magdalene" (Luke 8:2). On the other hand, Luke introduces Mary of Bethany as Martha's sister (Luke 10:39). John first refers to the sister in a way that indicates that "Mary and her sister Martha" were already well known as such to his readers, whereas it was necesary to explain that Lazarus, whose name John never uses to identify either sister, was their brother (John 11:1-2; 12:2-3). If they were the same person, was there really a need to introduce them twice?

Why is it then that the two Marys are often thought to be the same person? Perhaps it does not help that in the early church, Mary of Bethany was frequently identified with Mary Magdalene - Gnostic literature certainly says the two women are identical (Gospel Women, Richard Bauckham, 2002).

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that both Marys seemed to be associated as women of poor repute?

After all, Mary of Bethany definitely poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair (John 11:2; 12:3). And in Luke's recording of the same account, she is said to have lived a sinful life in that town (Luke 7:37). There is an implication of course that the sinful life is that of being a prostitute and if Mary of Bethany is a prostitute, and if Mary Magdalene is a prostitute, then Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene must be the same person!

Do they have to be?

Firstly, it is not even firmly established in the Bible that Mary Magdalene is a prostitue. True, she has had seven devils cast out of her by Jesus (Mark 16:9), but this is no proof that she is a prostitute. I am not denying the fact that she is a prostitute, but there is also a possibility that she isn't.

Many have claimed that the lady Jesus saved from being stoned to death in John 8 for adultery was Mary Magdalene. Therefore, Mary Magdalene must be a prostitute. But looking through the account, there wasn't even a hint of a name mentioned. Are we simply assuming things?

My short little study has proven to me that the two Marys are unique individuals, completely unassociated with each other. It has also raised the question as to why we are so convinced Mary Magadalene is a prostitute. Yes, I believe the two Marys are not the same person, but I will certainly be more than happy to hear from soneone who believes they are, and the reasons why.