Mary & The Seven Demons

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew eleven twenty eight. Loving Father, we thank you for inviting us to find rest in you. We confess that we often carry heavy burdens, worries, fears, and struggles that weigh us down. Lord, we bring them to you, knowing you are our refuge and strength. Teach us to trust in your promise of rest and to lean on you when we are weary. Renew our spirits and fill us with your peace that surpasses all understanding. Strengthen us to release our burdens at your feet and embrace your comforting presence. Empower us to be a source of rest and encouragement for others. Reflecting your love and grace. In Jesus name, we pray Amen. Thank you for praying with me to day. This is the Jesus Podcast, Gospel inspired stories told with a cinematic touch and heartfelt reflection. Remain here for another story on Jesus and Demons, and as always, make sure to follow this podcast and share it with a friend. Mary was curled up in the corner of the room like a pile of rags Her frantic breathing was coarse and grating. She clawed at her ears, hoping it would dull the voices in her mind, but the voices only called out louder strife. You must, but you can do nothing to rid yourself of us. Mary knew that the demon was right. She had wrestled with the Seven spirits for months, weakening her body and mind. Mary glanced around the room, straining her eyes that had sunken heavily into her skull. The room was littered with flickering lanterns that cast menacing shadows on the wall, projecting the same darkness that paraded itself within her. Her gaunt cheeks trembled under the extreme duress. 00:02:17 Speaker 2: Get out, get out. 00:02:20 Speaker 1: Every so often, Mary could control parts of herself, but only long enough to beg for what she knew would never come. 00:02:29 Speaker 2: If you won't leave, then kill me, please. 00:02:33 Speaker 1: The demons cackled. They found pleasure in Mary's panic, stricken torment. To them, the poor woman was merely a husk for them to use. She was a prisoner in her own body, a puppet to these pawns of Satan. They quickly overpowered Mary's will, forcing her to bludgeon her head against the wall. Mary cried out in agony as blood trickled down from her forehead. Oh how far Mary had fallen. She grew up in the opulence of Magdalen, skipping in the grand halls of a prominent household. But now since her spiral, she had made choices she would have never imagined making. Moments like these were her darkest, and she was alone with her tormentors. The demons cackled even wilder as Mary grasped at her hair, tears mixing with the blood and dust covering her face. The pain was becoming too much for her. Her eyes spiraled in and now to focus, the voices conspired within her, driving her deeper into her insanity. Mary's spine cracked as she threw her head back, letting out an ear splitting wail. In an instant, her vision went pitch black. She slowly lost consciousness. She felt her demonic captors drive her body out the door. 00:04:11 Speaker 3: Did you know that Jesus sees your deepest hurts? The pain that has been ignored by others is seen by Jesus. He knows you and wants to restore you from the inside out. Welcome to the Jesus Podcast for the first couple weeks of October, we're exploring stories about demons, Jesus, and redemption. If you haven't yet followed this podcast, be sure you do that way you never miss an episode. To day, we're diving into a story that's often misunderstood, much like a book judged by its cover without reading the pages. Let's talk about Mary Magdalene as introduced in Luke chapter eight, verse two, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases Mary called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had come up out. In today's story, we took a lot of poetic license, but the biblical foundation is solid. Stay here afterwards so we can unpack the character of Mary in greater detail. Now, if you've heard whispers or watched certain Hollywood films, you might think Mary was a woman of ill repute or even secretly married to Jesus. Spoiler alert. That's fiction, not scripture. It's time we set the record straight and tell Mary's true story. 00:05:32 Speaker 1: Jesus and a few of his followers were on their way back to the camp. They had spent the day on the shores of Copernaum, where hundreds of curious people had come to hear Jesus teach. Weary from the day's work, they slowly chased the sun as it dipped below the horizon. The winds carried the sounds of grasshoppers and swaying reeds. The faint smell of a fire drifted in the air with grumbling stumach bucks. They quickened their pace and returned just as darkness set in. 00:06:06 Speaker 2: Ah, finally time to rest. 00:06:09 Speaker 3: And it was And it was nice of Matthew to run ahead and begin preparing dinner. 00:06:14 Speaker 2: And you can say that again. But where's Matthew? 00:06:18 Speaker 1: The group looked around the camp, but saw no sign of Matthew. A pot of broth boiled over into a bed of coals, emanating an autumn glow. They called out to Matthew, but got no reply. They heard a branch snap in the shadows of the tree. Peter swung round and squinted into the dark. A dark figure scampered through the brush, keeping its body low like an animal on the hunt. It moved with surprising ease through the darkness, hardly making a sound as it circled them. 00:06:52 Speaker 2: What is it a bear? No? No, it was much too small for a bear and two swifts. 00:07:00 Speaker 1: Peter swallowed and quietly pulled his back from his shoulders. He pulled a short dagger from the pack and cautiously crept toward the tree line, but he nearly stumbled over something in the darkness before he could make it. 00:07:13 Speaker 2: Whoof, hey, it's Matthew, Quick help him up. 00:07:19 Speaker 1: Matthew lay face down in the dirt, completely unconscious. Philip and Nathaniel propped him up against a fallen log, Andrew ran over with a flask and poured water into his hand. He gently splashed it on Matthew's face. The disciples struggled to open his eyes. He rubbed at a gash on his forehead and winced in pain. 00:07:41 Speaker 2: Matthew, are you all right? What happened? 00:07:45 Speaker 4: I I don't know. 00:07:47 Speaker 2: I was just finishing up the food when I. 00:07:49 Speaker 1: Heard Matthew froze in terror. A loud shriek pierced the night, followed by shrill laughter that rattled the disciple's bones. 00:08:00 Speaker 2: When I heard that, whatever it was, it struck me from behind. That's the last thing I remember. 00:08:07 Speaker 1: Matthew looked like he was about to faint again as the blood rushed from his face. He looked like a ghost in the glow of the embers. The laughter drew closer. The disciples were stuck to their spots in terror. The surrounding trees caused the noise to bounce in every direction. The confused group pressed their backs together, forming a circle to protect themselves on all sides. Just then the creature broke through the tree line. All of the disciples turned to face it. What they saw surprised all of them. It wasn't the beast of the field that had given their heart such affright. It was a woman, disheveled and foaming at the mouth. Peter cautiously took a step forward. 00:08:54 Speaker 2: Hello, are you all right? 00:08:58 Speaker 1: The woman's neck bent sideways as she leaned in. The look on her face contorted into a sour snarl. Peter jerked back, and the woman let out another cackle. The dead silence of the night allowed the chilling sound to ring out unhindered. Ha ha, We're more than all right, But I can't say the same for your friend. Matthew shivered as the demon possessed woman looked his way. Though she was of much smaller stature than he was, Matthew couldn't help but feel terrified in her presence? 00:09:34 Speaker 2: What have you to do with us? Be on your way, beyond my way, But I'm just getting studied. 00:09:44 Speaker 3: Yah. 00:09:45 Speaker 1: The demon lunged forward toward Peter, stretching out in an animalistic sprint. The disciples shouted in fear. Peter didn't want to harm the woman, but couldn't let her attack either. He stuck out his blade, but had no intention of using it on her. John stood ready at Peter's side. He crouched low and tracked the woman's movement around the camp, but the demon seemed unfazed by their numbers. The woman's lips curled, soaking in their terror with delight. It was as if the demon was enjoying the chaos. She let out a bark and ran towards the group once more. It was at this moment that Jesus pressed through the disciples. They had been so distracted by their instinct to protect themselves they had nearly forgotten he was with them. She skidded to a halt, as though an invisible rope had coiled itself around her neck from behind. Ah, you, what have you done with us, Jesus of Nazareth. You've done enough Jesus's voice was calm but stern. Unlike the disciples, he stood with unwavering confidence. 00:11:02 Speaker 2: Before the demon. 00:11:04 Speaker 1: The demons paused for a moment to consider their options. They knew Jesus had the power to cast them out, so they resorted to bargaining. 00:11:14 Speaker 2: If you spare us, we shall leave you and your friends alone. 00:11:19 Speaker 4: You're in no place to bargain here, I said, you've done enough. 00:11:25 Speaker 1: Be gone at Jesus command. The woman's body twisted, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. She let out a yell that ripped through the camp. From her lips came a mighty wind that swept around the camp once before bolting into the dark abyss above. The woman slumped to the ground in a heap of torn garments and blood soaked hair. All was silent and still, save for the low hum of the forest at night. Jesus approached gently and knelt down to the whimpering woman. Her head was buried in the dirt. She was too ashamed and afraid to lift her head. 00:12:08 Speaker 4: Mary. 00:12:09 Speaker 1: The sound of her name spoken by Jesus was like a soothing lullaby to her weary and tormented soul. She lifted her bloodshot eyes they met his. His warm smile and comforting tone was a healing ball. 00:12:26 Speaker 2: It's all right, my child, You're safe now. 00:12:30 Speaker 1: Mary looked at the faces that surrounded her. As she turned towards Jesus, she paused. His eyes were like nothing she had ever seen before. They shone with a brilliance that mirrored the morning sun, signaling a new day. She immediately felt incredible peace washing over her entire beam. You you saved me when no one else could. 00:12:58 Speaker 4: Yes, and it seems not a moment too soon, But please sleep and rest. I'm sure you're exhausted. 00:13:07 Speaker 2: You have a lot ahead of you. 00:13:09 Speaker 1: Mary's face was puzzled. What had this stranger meant. Mary's life had been ripped from her by the demons. There was nothing left to go back to. 00:13:19 Speaker 2: I can assure you I don't have much of a life to go back to. Everything dear to me has been stripped away. 00:13:25 Speaker 4: Ah, I know, Mary, Which is the perfect start to a life of following me. Listen to my words and obey my commands, and I can promise you a life more blessed than you could have ever dreamed of. 00:13:41 Speaker 1: Mary hadn't dreamed of what life could be for quite some time, even before the demons had possessed her, she had hit rock bottom. But something in this man's voice assured her that his words were trustworthy. She quickly fell as her mind finally allowed her the dream of an abundant life once again. 00:14:16 Speaker 3: Imagine being tormented day and night, not by just one, but by seven demons. Mary's life before Jesus was a relentless storm, a nightmare from which she could not wake. But then she met Jesus and everything changed. He didn't just offer her a temporary fix, he completely liberated her. She went from being bound by darkness to walking in the light. What's remarkable is what Mary does after her deliverance. She doesn't fade into the background or return to business as usual. Instead, she becomes one of Jesus's most devoted followers. She supports his ministry not just with words, but with her resources. Mary was there at the foot of the cross when others had scattered. She was among the first to witness the empty tomb, becoming a herald of the resurrection. In a time when women's testimonies were often discounted. Jesus chose Mary to be a key witness. He elevated her status, breaking societal norms and showing us that in God's kingdom, everyone has a vital role. So what can we learn from Mary Magdalene. First, we learn that deliverance leads to devotion. When Jesus sets us free, it's not a footnote, it's the headline. Our response should be a life fully devoted to him. Second, your past doesn't define you. Mary's identity wasn't that demon possessed woman, but that of a cherished follower of Christ. Likewise, our past mistakes don't dictate our future in God's eyes. Lastly, active participation matters. Mary didn't just receive a blessing, she became a blessing. She supported Jesus's ministry and played a crucial part in the early Church. Let's also take a moment to reflect on the demons we might face today, be it fear, addiction, or unforgiveness. Mary's story assures us that Jesus has the power to overcome them all. Mary Magdalene's life is a powerful reminder that Jesus specializes in turning messes into messages. He transformed her turmoil into testimony, and he can do the same for you and for me,