_Mary Magdalene: The First Evangelist!”

“Mary Magdalene: The First Evangelist!”(Jn.20:11-18).
I wouldn’t mind if the PCC were to have a female Moderator. I would very much love to see a female Pope and for women to be priestesses of the Catholic Church. Infact, women should hold high offices within the body of Christ.
Firstly, the body of Christ is predominantly populated by women.
Unfortunately the Lord Jesus Christ himself was not gender sensitive when he selected the Twelve. He was influenced by the Jewish patriarchalism of his time.
The voice of women should be heard in Church not just because the Church is populated by women, but because while the trusted Twelve were in hiding like scared dogs with tails between their legs, it was a woman or women who first discovered the open and empty tomb and first saw the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.
African feminist theologians like their counterparts across the globe have written quite much about patriarchalism and male chauvinistic tendencies in New Testament times and its spillover in Africa in particular where homebred patriarchalism and male chauvinism justifies its perpetuation by stating forcefully that the New Testament recommends it.
Our venerable Mama, Mercy Amba Oduyoye says women tolerate the insensitivities of fathers, uncles, brothers, husbands and sons because when your hand is in somebody’s mouth you do not hit the person on the head.
Today we are playing an already old cassette that we should give women a chance in the Church of Christ, because in him there is neither male nor female.
If we agree that the Church actually startef with the testimony of the risen Lord, it was a woman (according to our text) who first saw the open and empty tomb. She was the one who first saw the risen Lord and she was the first to speak with the Risen Lord.
When we think of the woman biblically we shouldn’t dwell on who gave Adam the fruit, rather, we should think of her as she who first saw the risen Lord Jesus Christ, and was the first to tell others about the resurrection.
Mary Magdalene was the first evangelist to announce the risen Lord to the others. She went to the disciples with the news, “I have seen the Lord!”
It is true – as it happened to Mary Magdalene – that when we first see the risen Lord we may not recognize him, even when he talks to us. But when the scale falls off our eyes and we recognize him, we must become evangelists of the good news.
Prayer of the day and week: Holy Spirit open my eyes to see and recognize the Risen Lord Jesus Christ when I see him. Amen!
Welcome to a new working day and week! Have a blessed day and week! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.