ABSTRACT
The fifteenth-century Alsfelder Passionsspiel ends the first of its three-day cycle with the poignant scene from Luke’s gospel (7:36–50) where Mary Magdalene repents her sins to Christ at the home of Simon the Pharisee (Symon phariseus). 1 Between moments of dramatic action portraying her washing and anointing Christ’s feet, Mary Magdalene passionately laments the very sins of arrogance (hoffart, 2751), avarice (gyrikeyt, 2753), vanity (ytelkeyt, 2754), and lechery (unkeusch, 2755) which had given her such pleasure earlier in the day (1770–1937). At last she purges herself of her worldly riches and proclaims to her audience: “change your ways…. what you have seen in me must happen to all of you!” 2 It is a remarkable statement because it not only culminates Mary Magdalene’s transformation from sinner to penitent, but also marks her ascent to the pulpit. She takes on a new role as preacher.
