by Jill Eileen Smith
Dawn of Grace is my first-person fictional account of the life of Mary Magdalene. Most of us have heard of this famous or infamous biblical woman, but what we know of her can widely vary. Was she a prostitute? Married to Jesus? The sinful woman who anointed Jesus’ feet with her tears? These are only some of the speculations I’ve read about her.
Scripture tells us that Mary was possessed by seven demons and Jesus delivered her from them. It also tells us that Mary followed Jesus and helped to support Him from her means.
There are times when I will use historical references and incorporate them in a story; but in this case, the “history” gave me some of what I mentioned above, and held no weight in accuracy when compared to the Bible.
However, though the Bible gives us a miniature snapshot of her life, we are still left with a lot of questions. After Jesus cast out her demons, she was likely a witness to many of His other miracles. She followed the crowd to Golgotha when He was crucified, and stayed to watch where He was buried. She was the first to see Him alive after the resurrection and undoubtedly remained a loyal follower of Christ the rest of her life.
But I still needed to know:
What was it like to be possessed? What would she have felt before and after she was healed?
She supported Jesus out of her means. Where did she get those means? Was she wealthy? How did she obtain her wealth?
How old was she? Was she married? Divorced? Widowed?
She didn’t marry Jesus because Jesus never married, but did she ever marry anyone?
How did she interact with the other women who followed Jesus and what was her relationship to them other than their shared devotion to the Messiah?
The biggest question for me was the one about demon possession. I don’t know what that feels like, though I think we can all tell those who are truly evil. I also know some who struggle with mental issues or mental illness, which doesn’t mean they are oppressed or possessed by demons. But sometimes, I wonder how you tell the difference. So, I turned to someone who knew more than I did and had exorcism experience—author acquaintance, Bill Myers. I also watched the movie “Nefarious,” which gave me a good idea of how evil and controlling demons can be. It’s as creepy as it sounds!
I also wondered if she ever feared falling back into that same situation after she was healed. Did she have any close friends among Jesus’ disciples? What did it feel like to walk with Jesus all over Galilee and Judea? And as His death grew near, did she grasp what He was trying to get His disciples to understand about His coming death and resurrection? Did she return to the tomb three times that resurrection morning out of fear or a mixture of love, fear, and desperation?
If she feared losing Him, she was blessedly rewarded for her devotion when the resurrection changed everything for her and for all of His disciples. Hope sprang to life like it never had before, not even at her healing. I loved that most about her story. Whatever she felt before He died, she was transformed by grace once He called her name in the garden after the resurrection. I can completely relate and hope my readers can too.
About the Author
Jill Eileen Smith is the bestselling and award-winning author of the biblical fiction series The Wives of King David, Wives of the Patriarchs, and Daughters of the Promised Land, as well as many other biblical novels including her newest Dawn of Grace. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan. Learn more at www.jilleileensmith.com.
About the Book
Mary Magdalene walks in shadows—until one day she encounters a healer. One touch from Jesus and Mary is never the same. Now Mary's one mission in life is to serve the one who freed her. Even when the unthinkable happens, she cannot abandon Him as so many others did.
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