chapter

Mary in the Garden

01KFXVAZHYYY4Z0828YAE5DG55

Properties

description: # Mary in the Garden ## Overview "Mary in the Garden" is a chapter from a religious or devotional text, extracted from source file `01KFXVA454RTKCJEQJMP0QKNKY`. It spans lines 1202 to 1310 of the original document and covers pages 182 to 193 in the printed edition. The chapter explores the biblical story of Mary Magdalene at the tomb of Jesus following His resurrection, drawing theological and emotional insights from the Gospel of John (20:11–17). It is structured into five textual chunks and includes embedded images and page references. ## Context This chapter is part of the [More Classics](arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS) collection, which curates works from the Western literary and religious canon. The text reflects a late 19th- or early 20th-century devotional style, referencing figures such as Dr. Rudolph Stier and poet William Cullen Bryant, and engaging with historical and literary interpretations of biblical events. The writing combines scriptural exegesis with reflections on faith, history, and human nature, situating Mary Magdalene’s experience within broader spiritual themes. ## Contents The chapter contrasts Eve’s expulsion from Eden with Mary Magdalene’s presence at Christ’s empty tomb, framing both as pivotal moments in salvation history. It examines Mary’s identity, noting the uncertainty around her background and the tradition that she was a great sinner from whom Jesus cast seven demons. The narrative centers on her grief, devotion, and ultimate joy at being the first witness to the risen Christ. Key passages include her mistaken identification of Jesus as the gardener and His tender call, “Mary,” leading to her recognition and address of Him as “Rabboni.” The text emphasizes transformation—from sin to holiness, death to life—and affirms the spiritual over the material, concluding with a meditation on the abiding presence of the risen Lord. Two images are referenced: one titled “MARY IN THE CARDEN OF GETHSEMANE” (likely a typo for "Garden") and another unidentified illustration.
description_generated_at: 2026-01-26T19:10:55.617Z
description_model: Qwen/Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
description_title: Mary in the Garden
end_line: 1310
extracted_at: 2026-01-26T19:08:53.937Z
extracted_by: structure-extraction-lambda
source_file: 01KFXVA454RTKCJEQJMP0QKNKY
start_line: 1202
text: 841 # MARY IN THE GARDEN 842 843 ![img-0.jpeg](arke:01KFXV988ZZ68Y7SQD7WTK27XP) 844 845 ONG ago, very long ago, as the old story runs, a woman went out of a garden with a broken heart. Because of sin she lost her Eden. She looked with pleasure and longing upon what the King had forbidden. Awaking from a dream, she saw herself as she had never seen herself before. The sating of her desire had opened her eyes. She did not even then fully know all the ills that her vain coveting had brought upon her and upon those who were to come after her. Or if she knew, it was quite too late to mend matters. With bitter tears she bowed before the gate her sin had closed. She had forever forfeited the peace and bliss of Eden. 846 847 “Must I thus leave thee, l’aradise?” 848 849 An evil spirit had allured, deceived, and 850 851 10  852 168 853 854 possessed her. On herself, her husband, and the generations to follow, a shadow had fallen. It was the shadow of a great cloud, with its blackness of darkness. And the darkness was weighted with wrath. The gate was closed and bolted. And the closed gate was guarded by cherubim with flaming swords. 855 856 The passing years have numbered centuries, and again we see a woman bowing low before the gate of a grave in a garden. The gate is open. The guard has fled. This time the cherubim, with flashing eyes and glorious raiment, are within. The woman may enter if she will, but the One she seeks is not beyond the portal with the waiting angels. In truth, He is nearer than she knows; and while she weeps, He waits. The surprise and joy which attend faithful love make an old story in this world, and a charming story it is. 857 858 When man knows in part, he is eager to know in full. He is sure to make effort  859 169 860 861 to know. His mind works from the known towards the unknown by varied processes. He reasons. He traces analogies. He imagines. He adds surmises to his certainties. And after a while one is puzzled to know how much of his story is dream-stuff, and how much the substance out of which true history is made. 862 863 But thus it has always been. Homer's poems are to such a degree the product of his own fertile and splendid fancy, and of the myths which he found afloat in the air of the old world he lived in, that people forgot how much reality had place in the works of his genius. When Schliemann began to unearth the facts of marble, bronze, and gold long buried in Greece and Asia Minor, everybody was surprised to find so much in the Iliad and the Odyssey that may be called history. 864 865 Sir Walter Scott has put his own dream power into the ancient times of which he wrote. One who reads him needs a well-schooled critic and interpreter at hand to distinguish between the historical facts  866 170 867 868 and the creations of fancy which the “Wizard of the North” has so bewitchingly blended. 869 870 Who Mary Magdalene was we do not certainly know. There were several Marys who belonged to the New Testament times. There was the Mary of Bethlehem, mother of Jesus; and Mary of Bethany, whose brother Lazarus we know; and Mary, the mother of James the Less and Joses; and Mary Magdalene, whose name has gone into history and painting and poetry. And her “name is written in heaven.” We do not know whether the word “Magdalene” is from the name of the place of her birth and residence, or a title descriptive of her appearance or personal character. When I looked from a sail-boat on the Sea of Galilee to the ruined little village El-Mejdel on its western shore, it was pleasant to connect with it the name of this Mary of the Gospels, Mary of Mejdel, who loved her Lord for a good reason, and loved Him with all her heart.  871 171 872 873 We usually assume that Mary Magdalene was a great sinner. She was a descendant of the woman who was turned out of the garden in the beginning. And she, the first woman, the mother of all women, was a sinner. But we do not know as to Mary Magdalene what kind of a sinner or how great a sinner she was. Probably she sinned in more than one way, and certainly she needed the saving grace of the Lord Jesus. It is by some supposed that she was the woman in Simon’s house of whom Luke tells us, and to whom the poet refers: 874 875 > “She sat and wept, and with her untressed hair 876 > Still wiped the feet she was so blessed to touch.” 877 878 And whether she was this same woman or not, it is certain that Jesus had helped and comforted her, and had 879 880 > “wiped off the soiling of despair 881 > From her sweet soul because she loved so much.” 882 883 We learn that seven devils were cast out of her. If one devil possessed her, cer-  884 172 885 886 tainly she needed the help of Heaven. If seven demons made her body and soul a place of sojourn and action, verily her case was desperate. And if her own moral weakness or base desires made her a congenial place and companion for such guests, the theory which puts her among great sinners is not out of the way. It is a bad thing to let down the bars of self-control, and to let into one’s soul the vagrant brutes—wolves and foxes and swine and other demons. But out of Mary Magdalene the Master, Son of another Mary, cast seven devils. Do you wonder at her love for Him? The poet Bryant makes the Lord say to her: 887 888 “The greatest of thy follies is forgiven.” 889 890 No wonder that she stood watching when He hung on the cross; now “beholding afar off;” now “by the cross.” No wonder that she followed the body to the grave, and “beheld the tomb and how He was laid.” She did not expect Him to appear again. It was the last farewell. She  891 ![img-0.jpeg](arke:01KFXV9B0P2M0GMCJ470XFKY71) 892 MARY IN THE CARDEN OF GETHSEMANE  893 .  894 175 895 896 came early on Sunday morning to the tomb—"very early in the morning" "as it began to dawn"—starting on her melancholy mission "when it was yet dark." She came to weep there. She came to assist in anointing and embalming His body, if ever that stone could be rolled away. 897 898 Just where this grave and garden were no one knows. Here the archaeologists confuse us. And they are themselves confused. There are swarms of fancies, but no one knows. And it is well. Christianity pure and simple does not care for "things" and "places" and "times" and "seasons." As Dr. Rudolph Stier says: "Any superstitious value for these is a mere infirmity of faith." All we care to know is that as we stand on Olivet and look northward and westward, somewhere within our field of vision "the Lord lay." And from this Olivet, a little to the east of us, He ascended to the heavens. "He is not here, He is risen." He is "at the right hand of God in the glory of the  899 176 900 901 Father.” “And wheresoever two or three are met together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” We know where He is, why should we care to know where His grave was. 902 903 Mary Magdalene was earliest of all on Sunday morning at the tomb of her Lord. And she was first of all to see Him. We have in the Gospels the full story: The empty grave; the haste to make report to Peter and John; their haste to see for themselves; the sight of grave-clothes and folded napkin; the departure of the two, and the second arrival of Mary Magdalene. She stood without at the sepulchre weeping. No, Mary, you cannot see the dear dead face, nor can you wrap anew with spices and sprinkle with perfumes the precious body of your beloved Friend. Then comes the rush of memories. Then the settling down upon her spirit of that rayless night of despair. What if the seven demons come again? And what of that vague hope of a new kingdom that once or twice touched her  904 177 905 906 soul? But all is over. Weep on, poor woman! Nay, give one more look through blinding tears “at the place where the Lord lay.” 907 908 “And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, and seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. 909 910 “And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 911 912 “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou? 913 914 “She, supposing Him to be the gardener, saith unto Him, Sir, if thou hast borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away. 915 916 “Jesus saith unto her, Mary. 917 918 “She turned herself, and saith unto Him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.  919 178 920 921 “Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God.”—St. John, xx. 11–17. 922 923 Above the earthly is the heavenly. The love of the best friends who abide in the body is only a shadow of the blessed love of the saints and of the Saviour in the heavens. Thus the Lord turned the thoughts of Mary and of His disciples to God the Father, His God and Father, and ours as well. 924 925 To Mary, what a surprise, a mystery, and a speechless joy was in all this! From the bondage of evil spirits to the freedom of angels and of saints; from the dead friend to the living Lord; from tears of bereavement at the gate of the grave to tears of blessedness and joy at the sight of her risen Lord; from sin to holiness; from death to life!
title: Mary in the Garden

Relationships

containsChunk 1chunk
containsChunk 2chunk
containsChunk 3chunk
containsChunk 4chunk
containsChunk 5chunk

Metadata

Version: 3
Created: 1/26/2026
Updated: 1/26/2026
Edited by: Description Service