Imagine that you are filling out an opinion poll. One entry says; "the world’s most famous woman is________________". You might write Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, or Oprah Winfrey.

If Jesus Christ filled out the same questionnaire, he would write Mary Magdalene.

And as far as Jesus was concerned, Mary had the stuff of celebrity. He did not choose her because of her ability, achievement or beauty, but because of her love. Can you imagine spending about $20,000 on a gift of perfume for someone you loved? Richard Burton for Elizabeth Taylor maybe, or Ted Turner for Jane Fonda, but gifts like theirs are given out of an overflowing monetary pot. Mary did "what she could"-all she could, giving at a sacrifice, giving out of pure love. It was so like the gift God gave in His Son Jesus that Jesus Himself to pointed to her act as a reflection of His cross. "Tell the world about what she did," was his message. (See Matthew 26:13). He knew her act of love was worthy of global notice.

Mary received from the lips of Christ more praise than any of the twelve disciples ever heard. Surprising, considering her past life as a prostitute. What’s more, her closet held another ugly skeleton, the same skeleton Oprah Winfrey’s once held. Mary Magdalene, Oprah and countless others, were victims of sexual abuse.

Abuse victims are often haunted by a sense of despair. Their emotional, social and physical development can be hindered or even halted by these hurtful and disruptive experiences. They are not the person they could be. Victims become "damaged goods." The purpose of this article is to get across the fact that the damage, which is real, can be healed.

Abuse, whether sexual, physical, emotional, mental or verbal involves power. All abuse is the misuse of power—using power in a ways that hurt other people. When anyone uses his or her power destructively, you have abuse. Most rape and abuse victims are under 18 years of age (US Dept of Justice Bureau of Justice Stats Jn 22, 1994). The young members of the human family are weaker physically, socially and emotionally. Tragically, most sex crimes against children are committed by a relative or personal acquaintance (ibid). That was apparently the case with Mary Magdalene.

She grew up in the little town of Bethany-just outside of Jerusalem, the hub of religious activity for her Jewish people. She was sister to Martha and Lazarus (see John chapter 11). Mary’s parents are never mentioned, so perhaps there was a tragedy that left these three siblings bereaved. Whatever the circumstances, they formed a close-knit family. There was a period of time, perhaps years, when Mary was separated from her brother and sister, but after all three became disciples of Christ, they lived as a family again in Bethany.

Simon hosted a feast to celebrate the ministry of Christ, who had healed him from leprosy. It seems that the feast was a family affair, with Martha serving and Lazarus present (John 12:1 and 2). Simon, the host, was offended by the presence of this one he thought to be a nuisance, but tolerated her because she was a family member.

As Mary anointed the feet and head of Jesus, Simon was offended. This proud Pharisee could not bear the display of what he thought was cheap affection lavished his V.I.P. guest. Simon’s heart boiled with contempt, and the Searcher of hearts read it all. Jesus rebuked him in a parable, revealing that He knew that Simon was the one who propelled Mary into her debauched lifestyle.

In the parable there were two debtors, one who owed ten times as much as the other. As Jesus spoke candidly to Simon, the bigoted religionist realized that Christ was pointing to him as the greatest debtor, and Mary as the lesser. Today the seduction of vulnerable ones by religious leaders has been given names such as "authority rape" and "religious sexual abuse." A lawyer who represented several women who claimed that they had been abused by their priests described part of the problem this way, "The God factor clouds the perception of the victim. In the victim’s mind, that person is God." (Newsweek "When Pastor Turns Seducer" Aug. 28, 1989) Perhaps in the absence of a father figure Simon took on a paternal role with Mary. Familial and religious authority combined to give her almost no recourse but to submit, even when she knew his abuse was wrong. (See Luke 7:36-50)

Because of Simon, Mary regressed from a wholesome Jewish girl to a harlot. She was abused as a young woman by a religious leader who was probably a relative and maybe even a mentor. He was powerful, she relatively powerless. She craved approval and feared rejection (all of us do) and he used those facts to hammer upon her will until it caved in.

Mary had been violated by someone she trusted, nut she thought no one would believe her story in Bethany. She ran as far as she could get from prying eyes, ending up in Magdala, the town that became her namesake. They spoke Hebrew there, and she could function, hopefully piecing together what remained of her life.

But there was no life to piece together, because she was not living in the present, but the past. One commentator says that for sexual abuse victims, "Physically leaving. . . is relatively easy, but the emotional and psychological departure can take months or even years." (Eric Merrill Budd Recovery from Religious Abuse) Singer/songwriter Tori Amos, herself a rape victim, says of her own experience, "I was still a victim in my own mind from an experience that had happened a long time ago: I was torturing myself." (Letter from Tori A, Rainn web page)

Mary relived the horror of her abuse. With every replay of the tragedy, the knot of anger within tightened. Bitter, hurt and without support, her nervous system shattered. She became a walking, breathing haunt for "seven devils" who held her with the strong chains of lust and anger (see Mark 16:9). The sight of her sent chills through sensible people who observed her clouding the streets of the city. If the passers-by did not leer, they ogled in shock. What they did not realize was that they would have been the same, if only their lives were marked with the same invasion.

But Mary saw no such contempt in the face of Jesus as He looked at her for the first time. Instead she found tender sympathy and something almost foreign to women in those days— respect.

We don’t know the exact circumstances of their first meeting. It was probably in the early days of His public ministry, for He began in the city of Capernaum of Galilee less than ten miles from Magdala. As she observed Jesus healing and preaching, Mary remarked that this was no ordinary man. Soon the clutter began to clear from her brain. She recalled the Messianic prophecies she had learned as a child. Conviction grew that this was the One for whom she had waited so long. Falling headlong upon His mercy, she found sweet forgiveness. What a happy ending!

But this was not an ending, not yet. Remember, there were seven devils, a past lifetime of pain left to deal with. Mary had resorted to prostitution because it seemed to give her back some of the power that Simon had taken from her. Author and therapist Cathy Taylor says, "I have known many prostitutes. . . most of them, 99.9 percent, were abused." She identifies prostitution as "a way to take back some of the power—at least demand money for what was previously stolen." (Personal interview) Mary’s unresolved anger sucked her back again and again into the vortex of addiction. She was demon possessed.

Somewhere in her relationship with Christ, though, the last devil was cast out, and I believe it was the demon of bitterness. He is an ugly fellow, a hard, gnarled "root," according to the Bible (See Hebrews 12:15). If that root grows, it has power to cause mass destruction. That anger had to be resolved once and for all, or Mary would only perpetuate the cycle that Simon had begun. The Phoenix, Arizona based CASA (Center Against Sexual Abuse) lists one of the chief indicators of an abused child as "self-destructive behavior; suicide attempts, eating disorders, self-mutilation, and drug and alcohol abuse" (http://www.syspac.com/~casa/indicato.htm). Abuse shatters self-respect. Unless a sense of personal value is regained, the abused will continue in a self-destructive pattern. This was a life and death issue for Mary.

As you come to grips with the outrage of abuse that has occurred in your own life, you will need to process your emotions. Go somewhere that you are safe to express the hurt, fear and anger that have been buried so long. You need to vent long repressed emotion as a first step toward healing, the way you would lance a boil to let the pus drain out. Human support is important. A well-directed support group or a qualified counselor can be tremendous helps. Don’t feel that seeking professional help is a denial of faith, for the Bible speaks favorably of counselors (Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 24:6). Reach out to friends that you can trust, and avoid people you know are unsafe, at least until you are feeling better.

By all means, tell God exactly how you feel. Tell Him about your anger—He will not strike you dead with a lightening bolt. Avoid formal, stiff prayers. Go to a beach, a deep woods or a mountain, anywhere you can be unafraid of being overheard. Release your deepest pain. When you leave your sanctuary, believe that God has heard you. When you have a few quiet moments, consider the following healing thoughts:

1. Jesus knows what it is to be abused. In reverence painters leave out the detail that He was naked as He hung on the cross. We don’t know all that He suffered, but we know that it was everything we have suffered, and more. Try reading: Psalms 22, Hebrews 2.

2. Jesus forgives us freely. He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" Luke 23:34. Neither have we known what we were doing at times. The cross of Christ gives pardon as a free gift to each member of the human race. Try reading: Psalm 103:1-4, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21.

3. He forgave our abusers as well, even though He condemns their destructive behavior. They may never accept His forgiveness and allow it to change their inmost hearts, but He gave it freely just as He gave it to you. You may choose to confront them. If they don’t change, you may want to avoid them for the rest of your life. This is your perfect right. Remember though, that bitterness doesn’t hurt them, it hurts you, and you have already suffered enough. Leave your abusers with the Lord. Try reading: Romans 3:23-26, Luke 23:34.

4. Jesus loves you unconditionally. All human relationships may fail you—like Mary, you may be without an earthly friend, but God will always love you. He seeks after you like a shepherd after a one lost lamb-even when you aren’t seeking Him. He is the hound of heaven who follows you all your life with His mercies. Slow down long enough to accept them. Try reading: John 3:16, Matthew 18:12-14.

Once Mary accepted these life-giving realities, she was able at last to leave the past behind. In her gratitude for what Christ had done, she spent a year’s wages on the most expensive perfume money could buy, thinking she would anoint His body for the burial. The anticipation was too much, though, and she could not contain her love. Like sweet ointment it flowed over Him, head to foot. She didn’t realize it, but her extravagant gift was like a picture of the cross of Christ. Only days later He would hang naked before the world, His blood flowing in superabundance for every sin, His unselfish love a "sweet-smelling sacrifice" Ephesians 5:2.

Just as there would be mockers around the cross, taunts fell upon Mary’s ears. Simon himself had the audacity to think contemptuously of her, though he did not utter his thoughts. Still, Mary felt no need to "put him in his place." Like you will, she worshiped her Lord with singleness of heart. Like you will, she left Simon behind.