And we all…are being transformed
into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who
is the Spirit.~2 Corinthians 3:18
There’s an important concept in evaluating antiques and
antiquities known as “Provenance.” What
exactly is provenance? Provenance is the
concept by which items, even those that may ordinarily be considered seemingly
worthless, become a valuable treasure through association with history or a
famous person. The item gains luster or
value, over and above its inherent value, because of this association. Collectors want to know if an item was ever
touched by a great man or woman or used in an important historical
context.
Michael Flanagan, a
Baltimore dealer of antique American furniture and one of the appraisers on the
popular ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, has this
to say about the concept of Provenance:
"Provenance is important because objects
are almost never singular, Provenance separates the special, almost sacred
objects of the past from the ordinary ones." He describes provenance as an object's "itinerary through time."
For instance, pens and
inkwells from the 1860’s may be readily found, but the exact one used by
Abraham Lincoln to sign the Emancipation Proclamation is on display in the Massachusetts
Historical Society. It is of inestimable
value.
The Bible has a similar concept.
God has created all of us. We can
live our lives in a very ordinary, non-descript manner. That is our own personal choice. OR we can align ourselves and our lives with
Christ and gain His luster.
When a potter makes
jars out of clay, doesn't he have a right to use the same lump of clay to make
one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into?
~Romans 9:21 (New
Living Translation)
9=Holy Spirit
21=Judgment
I think Mary Magdalene is a prime example of someone who started
out very ordinary but ended up with great provenance due to her association
with Christ.
Was she the Woman caught in the act of adultery? While the Bible
does not specifically clarify this, many theologians
believe she may have been Mary Magdalene.
Mary may have also been the woman depicted in the Bible who anointed
Jesus with precious perfume oils.
When the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to
himself, "If this man were a prophet, He would know who is touching Him
and what kind of woman she is--that she is a sinner."
~Luke
7:39
He knew. She was a
“crackpot”, an earthen jug, discarded by society. Possibly she was the woman caught in
adultery. Other theories postulate that
Mary was the daughter of the Gentile woman who only asked Jesus for “the crumbs
under the table” like a dog. Like a dog…content
to be at the feet of the Master. Jesus
had mercy on her and cast a demon out of her daughter.
She loved much because she was forgiven much. Scripture tells us that Mary Magdalene ultimately
had seven demons cast out of her. I
think this number was also highly significant.
The Catholic Church spells out the Seven Deadly Sins. In order to be a follower of Christ, we need
to have these sins removed from us. Her
face down posture at Jesus’ feet is reminiscent of repentance prostration.
She became the “Apostle to the Apostles.” The very first person to witness Jesus’
resurrection and then commissioned by the Lord Himself to go and spread the
Good News. What an INCREDIBLE HONOR!
Yet when she went to embrace Jesus, He said “Don’t cling to
me”. It’s similar to the word “cleave”
or in a modern translation “Don’t touch me.”
"Don't cling to me," Jesus
said, "for I haven't yet ascended to the Father. But go find my brothers
and tell them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to My God and your
God.'"
~John 20:17
This Bible story always bothered me. Why did Jesus tell Mary Magdalene not to
touch Him yet in the very next scene we see Thomas sticking his hands and
fingers all over Jesus?
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your
finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop
doubting and believe."
~John 20:27
Obviously, something deeper, much deeper is going on here.
Mary Magdalene is a shadow-picture of the True & Faithful
Church (always depicted as a woman in Bible revelatory knowledge). She literally followed Jesus to the Grave
(Cross and Tomb) and BACK (Resurrection).
She remained like a loyal dog even when everyone else, including the
disciples, scattered like lost sheep.
She was clearly a favored, close companion of Christ.
No…I’m not going off into some wacky DaVinci code apostasy or
blasphemy claiming she was married to Jesus.
Yet…the Devil always has a seed of Truth when he spreads his blasphemous
lies. I believe that Mary Magdalene was a
flesh and blood REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRIDE OF CHRIST….THE ONE TRUE CHURCH….THE
REMNANT… As such, she was symbolically BETROTHED
to Jesus.
As the first flesh and blood representative of the Bride of
Christ, Jesus had very good reason for saying “Don’t cling to Me yet”. Because it was not yet time for the Marriage
Supper of the Lamb. He had not ascended
yet, and like any good Jewish husband, He needed to go and prepare a place for
His Bride according to Jewish wedding customs.
Thomas, on the other hand (pun intended), was a doubter. Doubters poke their hands or PIERCE Christ’s
Body (heart). This too describes the
Church…the unbelieving Church. Jesus
admonished Thomas that he had lost out on an important blessing due to his
unbelief:
Then Jesus told him,
"Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have
not seen and yet have believed."
~John 20:29
The “wedding night” is coming soon. Soon Mary (the Bride of Christ) will get her
fondest desire…to join with Christ in an ecstatic union. Some will be like Mary Magdalene the Bride
(those invited to join in this ecstatic union) and some will be guests (heavenly
witnesses to this ecstatic union) and others will be locked out of the party
(weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth).
“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when
you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God,
but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south,
and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God
~Luke 13:28-29
Interestingly, the relic bones of Mary Magdalene are believed to
reside in a small Benedictine Chapel in the South of France. They are treasured possessions of the
Catholic Church. The location you may
ask? The region known as Provence. It
is comprised of the same Latin Root as...
Provenance.
_________________________
Though ye have lien among the pots, yet shall ye be as
the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with yellow gold.
~Psalm 68:13
~Posted by permission of Pastor Jeffrey N. Daly
Pastor Jeffrey N. Daly is the author of Repentance—God’s Strategy to Bless a Nation and Zeal to Repent!—A Key to Personal and National Restoration
–Both are available for FREE at The National Day of Repentance website: www.dayofrepentance.org
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