By 'others', don't you mean yourself?
How could you not include Cliffy?
What are you on? Do you actually know dudes who get their balls in a knot about something that may or may not have happened 2000 years ago?
Others are stressing about the relation between Mary and Jesus.
By others I mean dudes holding in their heart the desire to take any woman they find attractive translated into an issue they hold against Jesus for Him being a normally nice guy towards woman, such that the women hung out with Him instead of them.
Mary M. had a relationship with Jesus because when He came into their lives He did some changes that affected their lives. For Mary M. it was casting out 7 devils, for Joanna it was sparing her from being stoned to death for adultery, for Susanna it was the the event in the previous chapter.
Lu:8:2:
And certain women,
which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities,
Mary called Magdalene,
out of whom went seven devils,
Lu:8:3:
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward,
and Susanna,
and many others,
which ministered unto him of their substance.
The Mary that Jesus loved was the Mary that was one of the two disciples of John the Baptist that are mentioned in the beginning of the Gospel of John. How many other people had the power to make Jesus feel quilt?
M't:28:1:
In the end of the sabbath,
as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week,
came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Joh:11:32:
Then when Mary was come where Jesus was,
and saw him,
she fell down at his feet,
saying unto him,
Lord,
if thou hadst been here,
my brother had not died.
Joh:11:33:
When Jesus therefore
saw her weeping,
and the Jews also weeping which came with her,
he groaned in the spirit,
and was troubled,
For all the Agatha Christi fans that have read the Bible not too many have even made it this far is solving if Jesus was in love. He even 'proposed' while on the cross when He told/asked the beloved Disciple to take care of His mother. If a mystery that has many answers can't be solved then how do people expect to solve the more difficult ones?
The Bible only says there was one Mary that Jesus loved, adding in more or doing other mental tricks to change that is just wishful thinking and it flies in light of what the Bible actually says. If you can't see that using methods such as that will twist the results further down the road then maybe not solving the beloved Disciple 'riddle' is a sign that mankind isn't as smart as we claim ti be, full stop.
Joh:11:5:
Now Jesus loved Martha,
and her sister, and Lazarus.
and they do not even slightly hint at any degree of intimacy.
That's not entirely true. Hugs at greetings and departing may have been a common thing before that day but it does not outrank the relationship the beloved disciple had with Jesus.
Joh:20:17:
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.
Joh:21:20:
Then Peter,
turning about,
seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following;
which also leaned on his breast at supper,
and said,
Lord,
which is he that betrayeth thee?
Joh:20:4:
So they ran both together:
and the other disciple did outrun Peter,
and came first to the sepulchre.
A woman would be able to outrun a best friend in a situation such as this verse comes from. It is a single solitary woman that is being referenced in the last verse, she will be the one resurrected after the two witnesses are.
Joh:20:4:
So they ran both together:
and the other disciple did outrun Peter,
Re:19:7:
Let us be glad and rejoice,
and give honour to him:
for the marriage of the Lamb is come,
and his wife hath made herself ready.
and came first to the sepulchre.
