4. From what affliction did Christ cure Mary, according to St. Luke's gospel?
From Quiz Mary Magdalene
Answer:
Demonic possession
Luke 8:2 mentions Jesus preaching throughout Jerusalem, accompanied by the Twelve as well as "...certain women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, who is called the Magdalene, from whom seven devils had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna and many others, who used to provide for them out of their means."
Some have argued that the fact that Mary was afflicted with "seven devils" is indicative of a previously sinful and degraded life. Others have alleged that the "seven devils" were embodiments of the "Seven Deadly Sins". Still others have speculated that Mary, as a young woman, may have been sold out as a "bond slave" to pay off her family's debts (with women in these cases, providing sexual favors was often part of the deal) and that her "demonic possession" was a form of mental illness brought on by the trauma of this experience.
Of these theories, the last has, at least, some historical and psychological merit; much of what was called "demonic possession" in Biblical times would today probably be recognized as either mental illness or, perhaps, epilepsy or Tourette's syndrome and the ordeal of being a "bond slave" could well have triggered mental illness. However there is no scriptural basis whatsoever to suppose that Mary was ever a bond slave or a prostitute, and it seems reasonable to suppose that the authors of the Gospels would have mentioned this had it been true. As for the first idea, demonic possession was, in Biblical times, considered a punishment from God either for one's own sins or the sins of one's fathers however, once again, the Gospel authors present no evidence on this point. As for the second theory, the concept of the "Seven Deadly Sins" (as opposed to the sins themselves) is not found in the Scriptures; it emerged during the patristic period and gained popularity in the Middle Ages. The best explanation is that Mary, quite simply, was either actually possessed by demons or suffered from a variety of mental, emotional, behavioral, and/or psychological disorders , whose nature may have appeared to suggest demonic possession to people of that time.