The Resurrection
Content
Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the Mother of James: Women Who Witnesses the Resurrection
(Luke 24:8-12)
Then the women remembered his words, returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; they and the other women with them told these things to the apostles. But the apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; he bent down and saw the grave cloths but nothing else. Then he went back home amazed at what had happened.
I. World of the Text.
The above-quoted passage comes from the Gospel According to Luke, chapter 24, verses eight to twelve. It follows narrative that very early on the Sunday after the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James fail to find the body of Jesus, whom they believe dead. Shortly afterwards, they see two men in shining clothes who say that Jesus is not dead, and bid them remember what he has said in Galilee about the Son of Man being crucified. They relay the message to the disciples who dismiss this as women’s nonsense, except Peter who verifies and is amazed at the Resurrection. The genre of this particular pericope is a historical narrative. The tone and style of the story is straightforward and matter-of-factly, almost as if delivering a news report. While the Gospel According to Luke contains several poems, they are notably songs of praise and thanksgiving made by Mary the Mother of Jesus when she visits her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 2:46-55); Zechariah who prophecies the greatness of Jesus (Luke 2:68-80); and Simeon who gave thanks to God after realizing that the latter has kept the promise of seeing the “light… to the Gentiles and the bring*er+ of glory to… Israel (Luke 2:29-32).”
1|Page L-110447
The text is set in prose, without any poetic meters, rhymes, or other literary techniques found in the great poems, songs and proverbs of the Old Testament, which started as an oral tradition handed down from generation to generation before finally being committed into writing. This stipulates that the text, as well as the rest of the Gospels, is meant to tell the story of Jesus as it the writers have perceived, by the writers themselves. It also underlies the fact that the Gospels do not originate from oral traditions handed down from generation to generation, as are the great poetry and other narratives of the Old Testament. Keyword Counts. The word “women” is mentioned four times; “disciples” once and “apostles” thrice; and the words “nonsense,” “believe,” and “amazed” once, respectively. These words shed light on the thesis that the women, who first learn of the Resurrection, are just as important as the men (disciples/apostles) of the story; that the entire text subverts the men’s idea that “what the women said was nonsense, and did not believe them”; and that lastly, Peter finds that the women have been right all along about the Resurrection. The fact that women, who are marginalized at the time of Jesus and would continue to be for millennia, are the first witnesses to the Resurrection according to Luke, highlights the theme that Jesus does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, the men and the women, the adults and the children. Verily he says in Luke 18:16, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” While this line could be taken in a different framework (i.e., those who will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven are the innocent and pure of heart, like children), perspective now should be of equal access to salvation and equality of all before God’s eyes. Similarly, in Luke 2:8-20, the first witnesses of the Nativity are the shepherds to whom the Angel of the Lord appeared in the night while they were tending to their flock.
II. World Before the Text.
The above-quoted text comes from the Gospel of Luke, which, as discussed in class, is the Gospel whose audience is not just for the Palestinians, but also for the Gentiles. The Gospel of
2|Page L-110447
Luke “presents Jesus as both the promised Savior of Israel and as the Savior of all people … this Gospel is filled with a concern for people with all kinds of need . . . Throughout the Gospel, great emphasis is placed on prayer, the Holy Spirit, the role of women in the ministry of Jesus, and God’s forgiveness of sins.” (Introduction to the Gospel According to Luke, Philippine Bible Society) (Emphasis supplied.) It is important to learn that during Jesus’ time, women were considered inferior to men. Like their counterparts in the rest of the world at the time, Jewish women were always considered to be under the dominion of their fathers, husbands, or brothers. Death, which is an impurity, fell into the province of women. Tombs were visited and watched for three days by family members; it fell onto women to observe the proper rites of death, which includes a reexamination of the body three days after the burial to ensure that the person has not been buried alive by accident. And as Jesus does not have any relatives other than his Mother, his female followers take it unto themselves to follow the said Jewish post-burial tradition. (It is rather noteworthy that Mary the Mother of Jesus does not visit the tomb.) And since the tragedy has been too great for the Apostles, they have deemed it wise to send the women to do the checking of the body. (Introduction to the Gospel According to Luke, Philippine Bible Society; Robinson, 2010; Bond, et. al., 2011) Luke also writes in his Gospel that Jesus accepts women in his inner circle of followers: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others (Luke 8:1-3); this implies that apart from the twelve disciples, Jesus has a lot more women followers who are unnamed. These women also use their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples (Luke 8:3). A liberal construction of “all people” as written in Luke 7:35 to 8:50 would refer to men as well as women. It is also noteworthy that all four Gospels mention that women are present at the Crucifixion (John 19:25; Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40). Matthew 26:56 even states that “all the disciples left him and ran away.” This shows that women disciples are more pious, watching from a distance and weeping for Jesus, whereas the men disciples have fled, fearing prosecution. The very gist of these passages also imply that salvation, as well as the teachings of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, is not limited to any particular gender, as contrary to the Jewish tradition according to Rabbi Eliezer that teaching the Torah to women is tantamount to
3|Page L-110447
fornication (Swidler, 2005). Later on, however, Paul will not even mention in his letter to the Greeks at Corinth that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James are the first witnesses to the Resurrection, (1 Corinthians 15:4-6), but rather Peter. This reflects the Greek belief that the testimonies of women, who are naturally hysterical, are not reliable; the Greek word for uterus is hysteria. (Felman, 1993)
III. The World Behind the Text.
As discussed in class, the Gospel According to Luke targets not only the Palestinians, but also the Gentiles. This is synonymous and analogous in the equality of treatment between rich and poor, men and women, and adults and children as discussed before in this paper. The discrepancies in the various Gospels regarding the first witnesses and who they actually witness in the empty tomb are provided this table, copied from Felix Just, SJ, PhD (1998). Note, however, that all of them mention that the women are the first witnesses, not Peter according to Paul’s letter to the Greeks at Corinth. Gospel Passage Messengers Mark 16:1-8 a young man dressed in a white robe Recipients Message
"Do not be alarmed; you are looking for "Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Salome" Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you."
Matt 28:1-8
an angel of the Lord; his
"Mary Magdalene and the other Mary"
"Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He
4|Page L-110447
appearance was like lightning, and his clothes white as snow
is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." "Greetings!" ... "Do not be afraid; go
Matt 28:9-10 Luke 24:1-11
Jesus himself two men in dazzling clothes
(the same two women) and tell my brothers to go to Galilee;
there they will see me."
"Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and the other women with them"
"Why do you look for the living among dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again."
John 20:11-13 two angels in white
Mary Magdalene alone "Woman, why are you weeping?"
"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" "Mary!"
John 20:14-18
Jesus himself
Mary Magdalene, again alone
"Do not hold onto me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
There is no known reason for the discrepancies in the four official accounts of Jesus’ Resurrection. However, this is immaterial; the facts in the narratives point out to a similar end:
5|Page L-110447
that Jesus indeed has been resurrected, and the first witnesses are the women. The empty tomb is meant to symbolize hope—and a redemption of sorts for the female followers of Jesus, who because of the events in Genesis and general patriarchal mores of the times have been considered inferior to men.
IV. Eisegesis
The Resurrection is first witnessed by women. According to Luke, they are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. These women are part of the female discipleship of Jesus, which are very much glossed over compared to the narratives found throughout the Gospels and even the New Testament about the male disciples of Jesus. Thus, for me, this is one of the times when Jesus chooses to exalt the inferior classes over the dominant ones. For millennia, women have been considered inferior to men. This is evident in almost all cultures, including that of the Jews in Jesus’ time. Jesus, however, does not discriminate; his example ought to be followed. In contemporary times, however, when women have arguably, more or less, gained equal footing with men in various sectors of society, the relevance of the women being the first witnesses must not be diminished. Christian men and women alike, as should the rich and poor, adults and children, follow and adapt the teachings and life of Christ in their lives. For one who does not altogether subscribe to the Catholic faith, this story’s lesson is not wholly diminished. Notwithstanding the discrepancies on who-of-the-women-really-got-towitness-the-Resurrection, this provides a very special insight on a great thinker and leader’s views on the equality of gender, age, social class and even race. This story, as well as the rest of the Good Book, is a reminder that God does not discriminate on basis of gender, social class, age, etc. It is rather unfortunate that it would take two thousand years after the birth of Christ that women’s equality with men would be recognized. Nonetheless, it is the faith in the Eternal, the Infinite, God—and the morality of acts and thoughts—that guides and is what truly matters at the end of the day. Faith, and the morality of thoughts and acts, ought to go hand in hand with human progress.
6|Page L-110447
(Luke 24:8-12)
Then the women remembered his words, returned from the tomb, and told all these things to the eleven disciples and all the rest. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; they and the other women with them told these things to the apostles. But the apostles thought that what the women said was nonsense, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; he bent down and saw the grave cloths but nothing else. Then he went back home amazed at what had happened.
I. World of the Text.
The above-quoted passage comes from the Gospel According to Luke, chapter 24, verses eight to twelve. It follows narrative that very early on the Sunday after the Crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James fail to find the body of Jesus, whom they believe dead. Shortly afterwards, they see two men in shining clothes who say that Jesus is not dead, and bid them remember what he has said in Galilee about the Son of Man being crucified. They relay the message to the disciples who dismiss this as women’s nonsense, except Peter who verifies and is amazed at the Resurrection. The genre of this particular pericope is a historical narrative. The tone and style of the story is straightforward and matter-of-factly, almost as if delivering a news report. While the Gospel According to Luke contains several poems, they are notably songs of praise and thanksgiving made by Mary the Mother of Jesus when she visits her cousin Elizabeth (Luke 2:46-55); Zechariah who prophecies the greatness of Jesus (Luke 2:68-80); and Simeon who gave thanks to God after realizing that the latter has kept the promise of seeing the “light… to the Gentiles and the bring*er+ of glory to… Israel (Luke 2:29-32).”
1|Page L-110447
The text is set in prose, without any poetic meters, rhymes, or other literary techniques found in the great poems, songs and proverbs of the Old Testament, which started as an oral tradition handed down from generation to generation before finally being committed into writing. This stipulates that the text, as well as the rest of the Gospels, is meant to tell the story of Jesus as it the writers have perceived, by the writers themselves. It also underlies the fact that the Gospels do not originate from oral traditions handed down from generation to generation, as are the great poetry and other narratives of the Old Testament. Keyword Counts. The word “women” is mentioned four times; “disciples” once and “apostles” thrice; and the words “nonsense,” “believe,” and “amazed” once, respectively. These words shed light on the thesis that the women, who first learn of the Resurrection, are just as important as the men (disciples/apostles) of the story; that the entire text subverts the men’s idea that “what the women said was nonsense, and did not believe them”; and that lastly, Peter finds that the women have been right all along about the Resurrection. The fact that women, who are marginalized at the time of Jesus and would continue to be for millennia, are the first witnesses to the Resurrection according to Luke, highlights the theme that Jesus does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, the men and the women, the adults and the children. Verily he says in Luke 18:16, “Let the children come to me and do not stop them, because the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” While this line could be taken in a different framework (i.e., those who will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven are the innocent and pure of heart, like children), perspective now should be of equal access to salvation and equality of all before God’s eyes. Similarly, in Luke 2:8-20, the first witnesses of the Nativity are the shepherds to whom the Angel of the Lord appeared in the night while they were tending to their flock.
II. World Before the Text.
The above-quoted text comes from the Gospel of Luke, which, as discussed in class, is the Gospel whose audience is not just for the Palestinians, but also for the Gentiles. The Gospel of
2|Page L-110447
Luke “presents Jesus as both the promised Savior of Israel and as the Savior of all people … this Gospel is filled with a concern for people with all kinds of need . . . Throughout the Gospel, great emphasis is placed on prayer, the Holy Spirit, the role of women in the ministry of Jesus, and God’s forgiveness of sins.” (Introduction to the Gospel According to Luke, Philippine Bible Society) (Emphasis supplied.) It is important to learn that during Jesus’ time, women were considered inferior to men. Like their counterparts in the rest of the world at the time, Jewish women were always considered to be under the dominion of their fathers, husbands, or brothers. Death, which is an impurity, fell into the province of women. Tombs were visited and watched for three days by family members; it fell onto women to observe the proper rites of death, which includes a reexamination of the body three days after the burial to ensure that the person has not been buried alive by accident. And as Jesus does not have any relatives other than his Mother, his female followers take it unto themselves to follow the said Jewish post-burial tradition. (It is rather noteworthy that Mary the Mother of Jesus does not visit the tomb.) And since the tragedy has been too great for the Apostles, they have deemed it wise to send the women to do the checking of the body. (Introduction to the Gospel According to Luke, Philippine Bible Society; Robinson, 2010; Bond, et. al., 2011) Luke also writes in his Gospel that Jesus accepts women in his inner circle of followers: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others (Luke 8:1-3); this implies that apart from the twelve disciples, Jesus has a lot more women followers who are unnamed. These women also use their own resources to help Jesus and his disciples (Luke 8:3). A liberal construction of “all people” as written in Luke 7:35 to 8:50 would refer to men as well as women. It is also noteworthy that all four Gospels mention that women are present at the Crucifixion (John 19:25; Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40). Matthew 26:56 even states that “all the disciples left him and ran away.” This shows that women disciples are more pious, watching from a distance and weeping for Jesus, whereas the men disciples have fled, fearing prosecution. The very gist of these passages also imply that salvation, as well as the teachings of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, is not limited to any particular gender, as contrary to the Jewish tradition according to Rabbi Eliezer that teaching the Torah to women is tantamount to
3|Page L-110447
fornication (Swidler, 2005). Later on, however, Paul will not even mention in his letter to the Greeks at Corinth that Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James are the first witnesses to the Resurrection, (1 Corinthians 15:4-6), but rather Peter. This reflects the Greek belief that the testimonies of women, who are naturally hysterical, are not reliable; the Greek word for uterus is hysteria. (Felman, 1993)
III. The World Behind the Text.
As discussed in class, the Gospel According to Luke targets not only the Palestinians, but also the Gentiles. This is synonymous and analogous in the equality of treatment between rich and poor, men and women, and adults and children as discussed before in this paper. The discrepancies in the various Gospels regarding the first witnesses and who they actually witness in the empty tomb are provided this table, copied from Felix Just, SJ, PhD (1998). Note, however, that all of them mention that the women are the first witnesses, not Peter according to Paul’s letter to the Greeks at Corinth. Gospel Passage Messengers Mark 16:1-8 a young man dressed in a white robe Recipients Message
"Do not be alarmed; you are looking for "Mary Magdalene, Mary mother of James, Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Salome" Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you."
Matt 28:1-8
an angel of the Lord; his
"Mary Magdalene and the other Mary"
"Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He
4|Page L-110447
appearance was like lightning, and his clothes white as snow
is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." "Greetings!" ... "Do not be afraid; go
Matt 28:9-10 Luke 24:1-11
Jesus himself two men in dazzling clothes
(the same two women) and tell my brothers to go to Galilee;
there they will see me."
"Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary mother of James, and the other women with them"
"Why do you look for the living among dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again."
John 20:11-13 two angels in white
Mary Magdalene alone "Woman, why are you weeping?"
"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" "Mary!"
John 20:14-18
Jesus himself
Mary Magdalene, again alone
"Do not hold onto me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."
There is no known reason for the discrepancies in the four official accounts of Jesus’ Resurrection. However, this is immaterial; the facts in the narratives point out to a similar end:
5|Page L-110447
that Jesus indeed has been resurrected, and the first witnesses are the women. The empty tomb is meant to symbolize hope—and a redemption of sorts for the female followers of Jesus, who because of the events in Genesis and general patriarchal mores of the times have been considered inferior to men.
IV. Eisegesis
The Resurrection is first witnessed by women. According to Luke, they are Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. These women are part of the female discipleship of Jesus, which are very much glossed over compared to the narratives found throughout the Gospels and even the New Testament about the male disciples of Jesus. Thus, for me, this is one of the times when Jesus chooses to exalt the inferior classes over the dominant ones. For millennia, women have been considered inferior to men. This is evident in almost all cultures, including that of the Jews in Jesus’ time. Jesus, however, does not discriminate; his example ought to be followed. In contemporary times, however, when women have arguably, more or less, gained equal footing with men in various sectors of society, the relevance of the women being the first witnesses must not be diminished. Christian men and women alike, as should the rich and poor, adults and children, follow and adapt the teachings and life of Christ in their lives. For one who does not altogether subscribe to the Catholic faith, this story’s lesson is not wholly diminished. Notwithstanding the discrepancies on who-of-the-women-really-got-towitness-the-Resurrection, this provides a very special insight on a great thinker and leader’s views on the equality of gender, age, social class and even race. This story, as well as the rest of the Good Book, is a reminder that God does not discriminate on basis of gender, social class, age, etc. It is rather unfortunate that it would take two thousand years after the birth of Christ that women’s equality with men would be recognized. Nonetheless, it is the faith in the Eternal, the Infinite, God—and the morality of acts and thoughts—that guides and is what truly matters at the end of the day. Faith, and the morality of thoughts and acts, ought to go hand in hand with human progress.
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