Mary Magdalene is a female disciple of Jesus, who could even be one of those who led a large group of women who “followed and served” Jesus, and who for various possible reasons was reduced, manipulated and deformed into a prostitute , yes, “very sorry”.
The confusion arises because in chapter 7 of the Gospel of Luke it speaks of the sinful woman who had anointed Jesus with perfume at a banquet at the home of a Pharisee. The following two matches occur:
1. That this chapter 7 is followed by the narration that Luke tells us, in chapter 8, of the women who followed Jesus, highlighting Mary Magdalene.
2. That Mary of Bethany had also anointed Jesus, according to the Gospel of John in chapter 12.
From all this it follows that in a first phase Mary Magdalene became the sinner of Luke’s narration, and in a second phase, she is confused with Mary of Bethany.
Other women who at some point have been confused with Mary Magdalene are the Samaritan and the Adulteress. The case of the Adulteress is topical by Mel Gibson’s famous film, The Passion . Mel Gibson ignores, I don’t know if through ignorance my dear or not, all the knowledge of our time and uses the Magdalene as an Adulteress, or the Adulteress as Magdalene. Taking into account the millions of people the film reaches, Gibson assures us as many centuries of confusion.
Actually, the confusion was born around the 3rd century, but it was Gregory the Great (540-604), Pope who gave the name to Gregorian music, who to finish “fixing it” declared that Mary Magdalene, Mary of Betania and the sinful of Luke’s narrative were the same person. It was, exactly, in his homily on the Gospel of Luke, delivered to the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome, on September 14, 591. It read like this:
“ We think that the one Luke calls the sinner and that John calls Mary designates that Mary from whom, according to Mark, seven demons were expelled.”
What led you to such an interpretation? What we can point out is that from that moment the true figure of Mary Magdalene was eclipsed as a female follower, disciple and even leader.
Quique Fernández
Miracle Sound Radio
