The Glenwood post., 1923-08-02
LESSON FOR AUGUST 5
MARY MAGOALENE

MARY MAeDALENE
LESSON TEXT-Luke s:1-3; John 9:
25; 20:11-1S.
GOLDEN TEXT-"our soul waiteth
for the Lord: He is our help and
shield."-Psalm 1921
REFERENCE MATERIAL-Mark1 Is:
4o-16:S; Luke 23:49-24:12
PRIMARY TOP1C-How Mary Mag
dalene Showed Her Love for Jesus.
JUNIOR TOPIC-How Mary Magda-
lene Showed Her Gratitude to Jesus.
INTERMEDIATE AND SENIOR TOP
1C-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 wom-
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 affliction usually ac-
compan!ed 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, as here stated, but
there is nothing in the gospels to indl-
cate that she had ever been a woman
of notoriously evil life" So wide
spread is this false impression that
many rescue homes for fallen women
are named unjustly, "Magdalene."
II. Mary Ministerine duke S:3).
She, with certain women who had
been saved from Satan's power, out of
heart of gratitude looked after the
comfort Of the Lord and His disciples.
These women must have been in easy
circumstances, as they were able to
buy food and other necessities and,
doubtless, lodging for Jesus and His
disciples. These women were the fore
| runners Of that large company of saved
women who have throughout the Chris
tian centuries been ministering to the
Lord through kindness to His minis
ters. How poor would be this world
without the ministry of godly women.
III. Marys Steadfastness (John 10:
25).
| After the men and disciples had for
saken the Lord group of faithful
women remained at the cross, among
whom was Mary Magdalene. Others
| fingered, prompted by natural affec-
tion, but she fingered out of grateful
love for salvation from Satans bond
| age.
~. Mary at the Empty Tomb (John
20:11-1O.
l. Mistaken Tears GLIB. She had
come to the tomb to weep and to pay
respect to the body of her Lord. She
was weeping over what she regarded
as Il tragic loss. In spite of her love
and faith, she was in state of con-
| fusion. If she had known what was
revealed to her short time afterward
she would not have thus wept She
was weeping because the tomb was
empty, when the real cause for weep
ing would have been the Lords body
In the tomb. How many times we
break our hearts over misunderstood
ing. The fact that living body had
! walked out Of the tomb instead of the
dead body In 1t should have occasioned
rejoicing. The empty tomb is the
| Christians ground for hope.
2. The Unrecognized Master wv. IA,
1O.
She was within sight of the living
Lord, yet mourning for Him. Let us
| look In the right direction and we shah
| have our sorrows turned into Joys The
reason she did not recognize the Lord
was that He did not appear us she
| thought He should. Many times our
preconceived notions prevent us from
seeing Jesus.
3. Restrained Familiarity wv. 16
| 17).
The full meaning of Jesus words
when he forbade Mary to touch Him
perhaps we cannot surely know The
difficulty doubtless inhered 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 at
tic A,I