When we first meet Mary Magdalene she is already witnessing to Jesus. Not only so. She is a substantial witness. For she is a member of a band of women supporting the Master out of their own means as they accompany him throughout Galilee (Luke 8:1-3) -- in itself no small testimony.

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Unfortunately, for 16 centuries Mary has stood unjustly in the shadow of slander. A fourth-century scholar thought he saw a link between Luke's account of a sinful woman seeking Jesus' forgiveness (Luke 7:36-50) and the Evangelist's introduction of Mary's role in the Master's ministry with only two verses of scripture intervening. (Luke 8:1-2) Others around him quickly accepted his conclusion; and, as a result, it took root -- so deeply, in fact, that the church of the middle ages went so far as to stage my…