Peace064 – Who is the Mary who poured oil on Jesus’ head? Where did the pouring happen?

Question

In Matthew 26:6-13, it narrates of Jesus dining with Simon the leper in Bethany, Judaea. A woman came and poured on Jesus’ head a very precious ointment. Was this woman Mary Magdalene?

In Mark 14:3-9, it narrates of the same event as in Matthew 26:6-13.

However in John 12:1-8, it narrates of the same event at the same time but in the house of Lazarus. Was it Mary, the sister of Lazarus, that is referred to in the event?

According to the Holy Spirit we talk to, there was no Bible before. The descendants of the apostles dug into the notes of the apostles and pieced together the notes to form the stories. It seems that this account in John should agree with the account in Matthew and in Mark. And the Mary mentioned here is most likely Mary Magdalene and not Lazarus’ sister.

Another thing is that this event may be the same event in Luke 7:36-50 in Galilee early in the ministry of Jesus wherein Jesus dined with Simon and a sinful woman poured oil to wash Jesus’ feet.

Your view, please.

These were gathered during our session with the Holy Spirit on 2005 April 17. Direct from the horse's mouth, so to speak, the following facts are revealed based on the responses of the Father, who the listeners
believe to be the spirit of Jesus:
1. Mary Magdalene was very beautiful.
2. Mary Magdalene seduced men not necessarily for their money but for her own sexual desire or sexual pleasure.
3. The work of Mary Magdalene was to seduce men.
4. Mary Magdalene tried to seduce Jesus.
5. Jesus was not seduced by Mary Magdalene.
6. There was no (sexual) relationship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus.
7. Mary Magdalene repented of her deeds.
8. Jesus, in order to avoid the seduction of Mary Magdalene, told her what He wanted to do in this world that she believed.
9. Mary Magdalene was a zealous follower of Jesus.
10. Jesus preached the observance of Sabbath on Sunday to His followers.
11. The book (and now the movie) The Da Vinci Code is defaming Jesus.

The Holy Spirit revealed that Mary Magdalene was a very beautiful woman. She was not a prostitute but more of a nymphomaniac. She was the penitent woman who poured oil on the feet of Jesus. She was touched by what Jesus told her about her personality that she repented of her sins and became an ardent believer. Her believing Jesus may have some similarity with the Samaritan woman who Jesus told her who she was and who became a believer.

Mary Magdalene has been remembered in memory of her action and holiness as Jesus prophesied but not Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus.

Answer 1

The fact is, we don't know for sure.

In the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great fused together the figures of (a) Mary Magdalene, (b) the penitent woman in Luke 7, and (c) Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, saying that before her conversion, Mary had been a prostitute or adulteress. This has always been a disputed identification, however, and so remains an "oral tradition" of sorts that has never been binding on the faithful - i.e. Catholics do not have to believe Pope Gregory's interpretation of the passages.

Other Catholic Fathers from St. Ambrose to St. Thomas Aquinas have been undecided on the issue, and in the Eastern Church, the three "Mary's" are seen as separate and distinct figures.

The question of who Mary Magdalene (and the other women mentioned) was has never been pushed underground as Dan Brown claimed in his book, but rather the Church has welcome study and discussion on the subject since the earliest times.

Whatever the answer, the sinful yet penitent woman is a powerful and enduring image that has meaning for all Christians who are themselves sinners and in need of the mercy of Christ.

Since the Church knows for a fact that Mary Magdalene was a real person (she is mentioned 12 times in Scripture) and since her penitence was so deep and complete, and her latter days so filled with holiness, she was canonized by the Church and her feast day is celebrated on July 22.

Answer 2

It is unknown and assumptions are made in the oral tradition of Christianity and in doctrines made by the Church centuries after certain Gospels were chosen as the "authentic" ones. Oftentimes this Mary is associated with Mary Magdalene, who the Church sort of vilified and claimed was a prostitute. This in part may be because in early Christianity, 2 main sects of Christianity emerged --a Pauline lineage and a Magdalinean lineage. The Magdalinean lineage was suppressed, censored, vilified, and mostly lost to history until fairly recently and then only mostly known among academics.

Although there is speculation that Mary Magdalene and Christ was married or partners in some way, this is all speculative. There is no actual historical/archeological evidence for the Gospel stories or the characters as presented therein although the characters might relate to real historical people whose lives were turned into legends--but this is a whole other topic of discussion.

In Biblical days, most women were named Mary, Marion, or some variation of Mary that was translated as "Mary."

Answer 3

Some think that Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, are the same as Mare Magdalen. I am currently reading a book on this subject, maybe you would be interested in it too, The Woman With the Alabaster Jar by Margaret Starbird.