Characters: Mary Magdalene Primary Scriptures: Luke 8 Story Summary: Some healings and miracles of Jesus Location: Galilee Time: Circa 30 AD Over the centuries, many people have observed that Jesus was one of the first world leaders concerned with women’s rights. When it came to women, Jesus wasn’t as concerned with the day-to-day societal norms as he was with their worth. In many ancient societies, including the time when Jesus was born, women were considered property, with worth far below that of men—the Roman Empire even codified this in their laws. It was only during the following decades that women started receiving more legal rights. Jesus cared for women as much as men. He healed them, he talked to them, he taught them, he loved them, and in doing so, he made it clear that God loves women as much as he loves men. That is one reason why so many women followed Jesus and cared for his needs and the needs of the apostles, as well as rose to positions of leadership in the early Church. One of the things that is challenging about the Gospel stories is that there are so many women named Mary, and it is not always clear which one is which. The mother of Jesus is named Mary. The sister of Martha and Lazarus is named Mary. A woman who was healed of seven demons is named Mary and sometimes referred to as Mary Magdalene. The mother of John Mark is named Mary. There is a woman married to Clopas named Mary, who was the mother of James and Joseph. And even that information is not perfectly clear and undisputed. This episode is narrated by Mary Magdalene. Many people associate things with Mary Magdalene that are not necessarily verified in the Bible. Perhaps this episode will clear up some misunderstandings. With the Parable of the Sower, Luke shows Jesus starting to teach in parables, which is essentially a short story with spiritual meaning. One of the interesting things about the Parable of the Sower is that Jesus explained the meaning of the parable to his close disciples. The Gospel writers did not record that happening very often. According to Luke, the story of the demoniac living in the country of the Gerasenes is a true story, not a parable. The end of that story is very intriguing, in that the healed man wanted to follow Jesus, but was instead commanded to return home and tell people what God had done for him. What did the former demoniac do? He went through the whole city telling people—and therefore showing them—what Jesus had done! Eyewitness Bible Series