Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Foreign Chuck Allen here. And welcome to another weekday podcast where we try to take a little bit of scripture each weekday and give you a little insight to help give you a little more peace and a little direction in your life. And thank you so much for joining me today. We're going to talk a little bit more about underdogs. We've been talking a lot about underdogs recently. And you know, one of the things, as I study more about the underdogs found in scripture, what I love about them is that they, they're everywhere in the scriptures. God seems to have this thing, this pattern of taking the least likely people and using them to change everything. And today let's talk about maybe the ultimate underdog, Mary Magdalene. Now, when you hear that name, what comes to mind? For centuries, people have made assumptions. They've created stories, they've painted pictures. They've literally and figuratively tried to assume and figure out who they think she was. But here's what we actually know from the scriptures. In Luke, chapter 8, verse 2, the Bible tells us that Jesus was accompanied by some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. And among them was Mary Magdalene, from who he had cast out seven demons. Seven demons. That is a lot of mental and emotional health. Are you with me? Think about that for a second. In that culture in that time, Mary Magdalene would have been, let's see what the word, the word I'm looking for is untouchable. She would be broken, cast aside the kind of person you cross the street to void. She's not just an underdog. She's not even in a game. She's not even on the sidelines. She's not even allowed in the stadium. But Jesus, he sees something radically different. He doesn't see a collection of problems. He doesn't see damaged goods. He sees possibility.
[00:01:52] He sees a human being worth healing, worth restoring, worth including.
[00:01:57] And here's where it gets super really awesome. Just beautiful. After Jesus heals her, does she disappear? Does she fade into the background like a good first century woman was supposed to do? Like where you have no standing anywhere? No, not at all.
[00:02:16] She becomes a part of Jesus inner circle. Luke tells us she was one of the women who were helping to support them out of their own means.
[00:02:28] She's not just following, she's investing. She's contributing. She's all in with Jesus.
[00:02:33] Now you fast forward to the crucifixion. Where are the disciples? Where are these guys who promised they'd never leave Jesus?
[00:02:41] Well, you can bet your life they scattered. They were hiding. They were afraid the same thing might happen to them. But Mary, Mary Magdalene, she's right there. She's at the cross, watching the one she gave her life to and watching the man who gave her her life give up his.
[00:02:59] Matthew 27:56 says among them were Mary Magdalene. Mary, the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of Zebedee sons. She's there when it matters most, y' all. And then. Oh, and then comes the moment that changes everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything.
[00:03:16] Sunday morning. John, chapter 20. Mary goes to the tomb while it's still dark. She's probably going to grieve because Jesus has died. To say goodbye, to do what broken hearts do.
[00:03:28] But the stone's gone. The tomb is empty. She runs to tell Peter and John. They come. They, they, they say, wait a minute, wait. What's the deal here?
[00:03:36] When they come, they see and they go home.
[00:03:39] In verse 10 it says, Then the disciples went back to where they were staying. There they go back to hiding again. But Mary in verse 11 says Mary stood outside the tomb crying.
[00:03:50] She stays. When everyone else just bails out and leaves, she stays. And that's when it happens. That's when the resurrected Jesus appears to her first. Not to Peter, not to John, not to any of the dudes who had become the official leaders of the early church, but to Mary, the former demoniac. The person with the mental health challenge. The woman who wasn't supposed to matter in a culture that treated women like they weren't even second class citizens, maybe even subhuman. Jesus says her name. He says, mary.
[00:04:23] And she recognizes him. She says, teacher Rabbani. And then here's the kicker. Jesus gives her the most important job in all of human history. In verse 17 he says, Go tell them. Go tell my brothers and let them know I'm back.
[00:04:40] The very first evangelist, the very first preacher of the resurrection, the apostle to the apostles is Mary Magdalene. Do you see what happened? The woman who had seven demons becomes the first person to proclaim that death doesn't get the last word. The underdog becomes the herald of hope. This is how God works, y' all. This is the upside down kingdom Jesus is talking about. The last will be first. The least becomes the greatest. The broken becomes the bearer of the most beautiful news in history.
[00:05:10] So maybe you're listening today and you feel like Mary before she met Jesus.
[00:05:15] Maybe you feel possessed by your own past, maybe your own haunts. Maybe you feel disqualified by your mistakes. Maybe you think God can never use someone like you. But here's what Mary's story teaches us. That God doesn't just love underdogs. God specializes in them. Your past doesn't disqualify you from your purpose, friend. Your pain doesn't disqualify you from your calling.
[00:05:41] Sometimes the very thing that broke you becomes the thing that makes you most qualified to carry hope to others.
[00:05:49] Whoo.
[00:05:50] A friend of mine the other day was telling me a story, and before he did, he said, man, I got a past.
[00:05:56] And I said, how cool is that that God wants to use your past for his glory and your good?
[00:06:03] That's it for today's weekday podcast. I'm Chuck Allen. Keep asking the questions, keep seeking the truth. And remember, in God's economy, the underdog's always a chance to change the world. We'll be back soon, and thanks again for listening in to the weekday podcast. Bye now.
