The Three Visits of Mary Magdalene, 2

Matthew’s narration, on the other hand, encounters the myrrhbearers already prepared for the encounter, though the angel reassures them: “Be not afraid. Go and see the place where the Lord lay.” In Mark’s Gospel, we read of the other myrrhbearing women that they “said nothing to anyone because they were afraid.” Matthew, however, relates of the two Marys that they ran “with fear and joy to announce to His disciples” that He had risen. For Mary Magdalene, this was the second encounter, and the other Mary, who knew about it from her, receives the news again from the Saviour Himself, being already prepared for it. From whence is this evident?

The answer to this is our fourth proof that the two women had gone to see the tomb already knowing about the Resurrection. This answer will also tell us why the Lord did not allow Mary Magdalene to touch Him the first time, but shortly after allowed both Marys to embrace His feet.

In the Pentecostarion, on the feast of the Myrrhbearing Women, we read in the ninth stichera that Mary Magdalene, “...is sent away without touching Christ....” What does it mean? Mary, who had earlier wept over her beloved Teacher, seeing Him buried, is now seized with an overwhelming joy. Without comprehending His divinity or thinking about the meaning of His mysterious resurrection, she forgets herself and wishes to embrace Him as one dear to her whom she thought to be dead and gone, but is now seen alive. She gives herself over to enthusiastic joy, without comprehension.

Moreover, something is not yet complete, for He must “ascend” to the Father. Later, the Lord behaves differently to the two Marys. This time, the two women are fully aware that the Lord is appearing to the faithful as the Victor over death and hades, as one ascending to the Father in the eternal kingdom, and with all authority, sending the Apostles to preach the victorious struggle with the world. Now, both women, encountering him and hearing Him greeting, “Rejoice,” no longer think in a worldly manner, but reverence Him as the living Son of God. Thus, He does not prevent their reverent adoration as they “embrace His feet and worship Him” (Matt 28:9).

Very well, we have seen the accord between the Gospels of Matthew and John, but how will we reconcile the narrative of the other two Evangelists? At what point will we place the arrival of Mary of Magdala with spices and ointments, at the tomb, in the company of the other women mentioned in Mark and Luke?

The main point of our reply is that Mary Magdalene did not accompany the other women to the Lord’s tomb with the spices, but the other women came after Mary had been there, and perhaps after the two Marys had seen the Lord at His second appearance, but they did not yet know about the resurrection. These other women arrived completely unprepared for the revelation of the resurrection, and there is no need to conclude that Mary Magdalene was with them; indeed, the Evangelists leave open the possibility of the opposite conclusion. Both the other Evangelists divide the narrative into three events:

1. The purchase of the myrrh and spices (Mark) and the storing of them for later use (Luke);

2. The arrival at the tomb and conversation with an angel (Mark) or angels (Luke); and

3. The announcement to the apostles.

Let us begin with this last event. It is not necessary to conclude from Mark’s narration that the women did not ever inform the apostles of the appearance of the angel. Mark only notes that they could not do so immediately, and that the apostles heard the news from Mary Magdalene, to whom the Lord had “appeared first” (Mark 16:9).

You see, Mark singles her out from the group of other myrrhbearers and, consequently, separates the informing of the apostles from the bringing of the spices and myrrh. Mark does not speak of her as participating in the bringing of the spices to the tomb, but only of her participation in the purchase of them (16:1) - which took place on Saturday evening, after the end of the Sabbath restrictions, that is, after the sixth hour.