The Penn's Grove record., 1923-08-03
LESSON FOR AUGUST 5
MARY ~MAGDALENE

LESSON TEXT-Luke 8:1-3; John 9:
%; 20:11-18.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Our soul waiteth
for the Lord: He is our help and
shield."-Psalm 1921.
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Mark Is:
4O-16:s; Luke 23e49-24:12.
PRIMARY TOPIC-How Mary Mag
dalene Showed Her Love for Jesus.
JUNIOR TOPIC-How Mary Magda-
lene Showed Her Gratitude to Jesus
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
IC-A Woman's Grateful Service.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Mary Magdalene, Saved and Serving.
!. Mary Saved duke 81, p.
While Jesus and His disciples were
preaching throughout the villages of
Galilee, Mary and certain other woln-
en- heard the good news Of salvation
and were saved. Evil spirits were cast
out of them. Mary had been possessed
with seven, demons. The number seven
indicates the completeness of her af-
Fiction. Bodily affltctiOn usually ac-
companied demon possession. Doctor
Erdman says: 1T Is a cruel error to
confuse Mary Magdalene with the sin
full woman Of whom Luke has just
been writing. Mary had suffered from
demon possession, rs here stated, but
there is nothing in the gospels to indi-
cate that she had ever been a m
Of VIGOROUSLY evil life" SO wide
spread is this false impression that
many rescue homes for fallen women
are named unjustly, "Mak1alene."
II. Mary MInistering (Ifuke S:3).
She, with certain women who had
been saved from Satan's power, out of
a heart Of gratitude looked after the
comfort OF the Lord and His disciples.
These women mist nave been in easy
circumstances, as they We're able to
buy food and othel necessities and,
doubtless, lodging for Jesus and His
disciples. These women were the fore
n of that large company OF saved
women who have throughout the Chris
tian centuries been m~inistering to tine
Lord through kindness to His minis
ters. How poor would be this world
without the ministry of godly women.
~. Mary's Steadfastness John 10:
25).
After the MEN and disciples had for
saken the Lord a group of faithful
women remained at the cross, among
whom "a Mary Magdalene. Others
fingered, prompted by natural affec-
ton, but she fingered out of grateful
love for salvation from Satan's bond
age.
~. Mary at the Empty Tomb (John
20 :11-1s).
1. Mistaken Tears G1-1S). She had
come to the tomb to weep and to pay
respect to the body OF her Lord. She
vas weeping over what she regarded
as a tragic loss. In spite Of her love
and faith, she was in a state Of con-
fusion. If she had known what was
revealed to. her a short.tfme afterward.
she would not have thus wept. She
was weeping because the tomb was
empty, when the real cause for weep
ing would have beeH the Lords body
In the tomb. How many times we
break our hearts over. misunderstood
ing. The fact that q living body had
walked out of the tomb instead of the
dead body init should have o~ccasioned
rejoicing. The empty tomb is the
Christians ground for hope.
.. The -UnrecOgnized Master wv. IA.
10y.
She was within sight OF the living
Lord, yet mourning for Him. Let us
look in the right direction and we shall
have our sorrow turned into joys. The
reason she did not recognize the Lord
was that He did not appear as she
thought He should. Many times u
preconceived notions prevent us from
seeing. Jesus.
3. Restrained Familiarity wv. 1G,
~.
The full meanin~ Of Jesus words
when be forbade Mary to touch Him
perhaps we cannot surely know. The
difficulty doubtless inferred in Mary's
misunderstanding. She seemed to think
that the same relations instituted be-
fore the resurrection could be re-
sumed. He showed her that He was
ascending into glory and that He
should henceforth receive divine wor-
ship.
4. Mary Telling the Good News of
the Resurrection wv. II, 1S).
The need of telling the good news
to the poor respondent disciples was
so urgent that there was no time for
familiarity. What joy there must have
been in the hearts of the disciples al
this good news.
Riches.