7 – BUT IT MIGHT HAVE
BEEN 6 – OR MAYBE IT WAS 8
BEEN 6 – OR MAYBE IT WAS 8
The title of my story is, “7, But It Might Have Been 6 or Maybe It Was 8.”
I’m not sure.
And I’m not sure how Mark and then Luke came up with the number in his gospel that we heard this morning – that I, Mary, called Magdalene, had 7 demons in me. (1)
1 is enough.
Anyway, I did have these inner demons, devils, divisive voices, roaming around inside me. Not good. Not right. Not healthy. (2)
You’re looking at one blessed person – lucky that I was born around the same time as Jesus – lucky that I was from Magdala – not that far from the Lake of Galilee and Nazareth – graced that I just happened to be standing on the edge of a crowd – the day Jesus walked into my life. (3)
I could see from moment one – that he could see right through me.
I could hear my demons saying, “Don’t have anything to do with this Jesus!” (4)
He was different from anyone I had ever met – any person I ever experienced. (5)
Being a woman I was on the edge of the crowd. (6)
Being me I was always on the edge of self-destruction.
In a way, I was dead. (7)
I am grateful that Jesus rolled the stone away from my tomb. He brought me back to life. He anointed me with love and forgiveness – understanding and joy, peace and celebration. (8)
I laughed when the Pharisees and Scribes complained that Jesus hung around with sinners. Huh? They didn’t get it. That was why he came. I celebrated that Jesus hung around sinners. (9)
They didn’t know he wanted to hang around with them – because they too had their demons.
Evidently, some people neither listen to nor acknowledge Jesus nor their demons.
If they listened to Jesus – if they realized Jesus could help them with their demons and take away their sins, then they too could have experienced the Kingdom – Good News – Everyday Joy, new life.
Jesus let me – a woman – a sinner – someone who had 6, 7 or 8 – or more demons inside of her into his circle. I who was alone was allowed to become his disciple.
Note well, this was something new – Good News – Jesus, a Rabbi, a Man, a Teacher, was allowing women into his family.
And I wasn’t the only one. You heard today about Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and several other women. You’d like them. Great gals. (10)
As a result, we got to experience the Kingdom up close and personal. We got to hear many of Jesus’ stories. We got to see many of his healings. We got to see how various people accepted or could not accept his presence in their lives.
As a woman, men noticed me. As a woman, I noticed Jesus – and experienced the kind of love I didn’t know I was looking for all my life.
For example, Jesus taught me the power of forgiveness. I laughed at Peter when he got into the question of how many times should he forgive his brother. I always wondered if he was talking about Andrew or any brother or sister. He asked Jesus, “Was 7 times enough?” There’s that 7 again.
Jesus laughed – he didn’t worry about how many demons you had or sins you had. You could have 77 times 7 sins or hurts – and if they were keeping you from loving God or neighbor, Jesus wanted to take them away – not so you could then think you’re better than others – but that you could use that worry energy to helping one another energy. (11)
Too many people waste too much energy on their sins. They get stuck in their past mistakes – becoming self centered as a result – centering in on their mistakes – always hearing those past voices. They didn’t know Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of our world. They didn’t know Jesus didn’t come to destroy people – but to restore people. (12)
What they don’t know is that Jesus didn’t come to take away the memories of our sins. We all remember our sins – 7 juicy ones – or maybe 6 or maybe it was 8 dumb moves of our youth or our lives. Somewhere along the line, people came to think that Jesus came to take away our memories of sins. He didn’t come to take away memories. He loved memories – that we share bread and wine and forgiveness in memory of him – that we remember his great parables – that we remember to pray.
Enough. How do I want to be remembered? I was there under the cross at Calvary. I wanted to be there for him who was always there for me. (13)
How do I want to be remembered? I went there very early that first day of the week – to be at his grave and discovered Jesus was no longer in the tomb, so I ran back to tell Peter and the disciple Jesus loved that the tomb was empty. (14)
How do I went to be remembered? Back at the tomb, the beloved disciple was the first to believe, even though he didn’t see. I want to be remembered as the first to embrace, to cling to the Risen Lord Jesus. It was just one time. Okay, I wish it was 7 or 6 or 8 times – or 70 times 7 times – but that’s what eternity is for. Amen. (15)
And I’m not sure how Mark and then Luke came up with the number in his gospel that we heard this morning – that I, Mary, called Magdalene, had 7 demons in me. (1)
1 is enough.
Anyway, I did have these inner demons, devils, divisive voices, roaming around inside me. Not good. Not right. Not healthy. (2)
You’re looking at one blessed person – lucky that I was born around the same time as Jesus – lucky that I was from Magdala – not that far from the Lake of Galilee and Nazareth – graced that I just happened to be standing on the edge of a crowd – the day Jesus walked into my life. (3)
I could see from moment one – that he could see right through me.
I could hear my demons saying, “Don’t have anything to do with this Jesus!” (4)
He was different from anyone I had ever met – any person I ever experienced. (5)
Being a woman I was on the edge of the crowd. (6)
Being me I was always on the edge of self-destruction.
In a way, I was dead. (7)
I am grateful that Jesus rolled the stone away from my tomb. He brought me back to life. He anointed me with love and forgiveness – understanding and joy, peace and celebration. (8)
I laughed when the Pharisees and Scribes complained that Jesus hung around with sinners. Huh? They didn’t get it. That was why he came. I celebrated that Jesus hung around sinners. (9)
They didn’t know he wanted to hang around with them – because they too had their demons.
Evidently, some people neither listen to nor acknowledge Jesus nor their demons.
If they listened to Jesus – if they realized Jesus could help them with their demons and take away their sins, then they too could have experienced the Kingdom – Good News – Everyday Joy, new life.
Jesus let me – a woman – a sinner – someone who had 6, 7 or 8 – or more demons inside of her into his circle. I who was alone was allowed to become his disciple.
Note well, this was something new – Good News – Jesus, a Rabbi, a Man, a Teacher, was allowing women into his family.
And I wasn’t the only one. You heard today about Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and several other women. You’d like them. Great gals. (10)
As a result, we got to experience the Kingdom up close and personal. We got to hear many of Jesus’ stories. We got to see many of his healings. We got to see how various people accepted or could not accept his presence in their lives.
As a woman, men noticed me. As a woman, I noticed Jesus – and experienced the kind of love I didn’t know I was looking for all my life.
For example, Jesus taught me the power of forgiveness. I laughed at Peter when he got into the question of how many times should he forgive his brother. I always wondered if he was talking about Andrew or any brother or sister. He asked Jesus, “Was 7 times enough?” There’s that 7 again.
Jesus laughed – he didn’t worry about how many demons you had or sins you had. You could have 77 times 7 sins or hurts – and if they were keeping you from loving God or neighbor, Jesus wanted to take them away – not so you could then think you’re better than others – but that you could use that worry energy to helping one another energy. (11)
Too many people waste too much energy on their sins. They get stuck in their past mistakes – becoming self centered as a result – centering in on their mistakes – always hearing those past voices. They didn’t know Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of our world. They didn’t know Jesus didn’t come to destroy people – but to restore people. (12)
What they don’t know is that Jesus didn’t come to take away the memories of our sins. We all remember our sins – 7 juicy ones – or maybe 6 or maybe it was 8 dumb moves of our youth or our lives. Somewhere along the line, people came to think that Jesus came to take away our memories of sins. He didn’t come to take away memories. He loved memories – that we share bread and wine and forgiveness in memory of him – that we remember his great parables – that we remember to pray.
Enough. How do I want to be remembered? I was there under the cross at Calvary. I wanted to be there for him who was always there for me. (13)
How do I want to be remembered? I went there very early that first day of the week – to be at his grave and discovered Jesus was no longer in the tomb, so I ran back to tell Peter and the disciple Jesus loved that the tomb was empty. (14)
How do I went to be remembered? Back at the tomb, the beloved disciple was the first to believe, even though he didn’t see. I want to be remembered as the first to embrace, to cling to the Risen Lord Jesus. It was just one time. Okay, I wish it was 7 or 6 or 8 times – or 70 times 7 times – but that’s what eternity is for. Amen. (15)
NOTES
(1) Luke 8:1-3; Mark 16:9
(2) Matthew 12:43-45
(3) Matthew 15:39
(4) Cf. Mark 1: 32-34; Mark 1: 23-28; Matthew 7: 21-27
(5) Cf. John 5-42 – Different woman, but I’m using the story for nuancing.
(6) Mark 27-30; Mark 3:31 – nuances.
(7) Matthew 23:27
(8) John 19: 38-18
(9) Luke 15: 1-2; Matthew 9: 10-13
(10) Luke 8:1-3
(11) Matthew 18:21-22
(12) John 1:29; Luke 4: 18-19
(13) Mark 15: 40; Matthew 27:55-56; Luke 23:49; John 19:25
(14) John 20:1-2; Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12
(15) John 20: 11-18
(2) Matthew 12:43-45
(3) Matthew 15:39
(4) Cf. Mark 1: 32-34; Mark 1: 23-28; Matthew 7: 21-27
(5) Cf. John 5-42 – Different woman, but I’m using the story for nuancing.
(6) Mark 27-30; Mark 3:31 – nuances.
(7) Matthew 23:27
(8) John 19: 38-18
(9) Luke 15: 1-2; Matthew 9: 10-13
(10) Luke 8:1-3
(11) Matthew 18:21-22
(12) John 1:29; Luke 4: 18-19
(13) Mark 15: 40; Matthew 27:55-56; Luke 23:49; John 19:25
(14) John 20:1-2; Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12
(15) John 20: 11-18
[Painting on top: "The Repenting Magdalene" by Georges de La Tour, late 1630's.]
(This was a story I made up for a weekday Mass - Sept. 18, 2009, 24 Friday in Ordinary Time)
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