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Day 138 Source: Bible

Mary Magdalene

At Jesus’ Feet, Part 1

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“But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42).

Across the United States is an increasing demand for exorcists. While many scoff at demon possession, Scripture tells us that it is indeed very real. The Bible speaks of several women who were involved in the ministry of Jesus, but none so prominent as Mary Magdalene. We know little of Mary before she met Jesus, but we can presume that her life was most likely one of deep suffering. Mark 16:9 tells us that Jesus “cast seven demons” out of her. In the Bible seven is the number that represents completion. What must it have been like to have been totally, perfectly in the throes of the prince of darkness? While we have no account of how the seven demons tortured Mary, Scripture does give us other accounts of demon-possessed people. We are told several times of a young boy whose demon repeatedly tried to kill him, “for he often [fell] into the fire and often into the water” (Matthew 17:15) in fits of epilepsy (Mark 9:18). In the case of the demoniac of the Gadarenes, he was known as a terror who ranged among graves, “crying out and cutting himself with stones” (5:5). Self-mutilating, violently disturbed, sickeningly tormented—these were the kinds of characteristics associated with demon-possessed people. But Jesus was able to heal them. When He had exorcised their demons, these people became as new. In Luke’s account of the demoniac of the Gadarenes, it states that after the Messiah had called the demons out of him, the man was “sitting at the feet of Jesus” (Luke 8:35). He was calm, peaceful, and he wanted to be with Jesus. Similarly, Luke tells us that after being healed, Mary “also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word” (10:39). This was her response to His saving her from her demons. She loved and revered Him more than anything or anyone else in her life. She became His faithful disciple. Here, she is depicted in contrast to her sister, Martha, who was irritated at Mary for not helping to host their guests. But Mary had realized what was important in life. She had firmly made the decision to seek Jesus first and the prize of a life lived eternally with Him.

Reflect: Have you been wrestling with your own demons? Have you tried to fight them off by yourself? Remember that Jesus is the answer, the cure, and the way everlasting. Dig Deeper: Psalm 27:4; James 2:19, 20; 1 John 4:4

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