“Mary Magdalene was a prostitute before she followed Jesus.”

Scripture never says this. Luke introduces her as a woman out of whom went seven devils, one of several women who ministered to Christ of their substance. The prostitute identification came centuries later.

Luke tells us plainly who Mary Magdalene was. She is listed among certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, called Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, and she is named alongside Joanna and Susanna as one of the women who ministered unto Him of their substance. That is the whole of the biblical record about her past. The confusion arose because an unnamed woman who was a sinner anoints Jesus at the end of Luke chapter seven, and readers over the centuries merged the two accounts. A sixth century sermon cemented the identification in Western tradition, and it has been repeated in art and film ever since. The correction matters because the truth about her is remarkable enough on its own. She was delivered from seven devils, she funded the ministry of Christ, she stood at the cross, and she was the first person to see Him alive from the dead.

One word, every week.

Scripture, reflection, and one thing to carry with you.