Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her. John 20:16-18 (ESV)

Devotion:

Read John 20:1-18

When Mary Magdalene first arrived at the tomb on that unforgettable morning, she was dismayed to find the stone rolled away from the entrance. She went running to Peter and John and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” The men found the tomb just as she had said, the burial cloths lying there, deflated and empty, and the body of Jesus missing. John’s Gospel tells us that Peter and John returned to their homes, seemingly bewildered while Mary stayed there weeping, aimless in her despair. That’s when everything changed. She looked into the tomb and she saw a sight she would never forget; two shining angels sitting where Jesus' body should have been. They spoke to her, and she spoke to them, but before she could process all of this, another man appeared behind her. She assumed he was the gardener. Why did he ask the same odd questions? “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Somewhere between sorrow and confusion, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” It was not until he said her name, “Mary,” that she recognized him. The sound of her own name in that dear voice must have transported her instantly into a new reality. “Rabboni!” she cried, maybe not fully understanding, but certainly believing that Jesus, her master, was alive!

The interchange that follows is the defining moment of the “Paschal mystery.” When Mary fell on Jesus’ feet, he resisted her embrace, “do not cling to me.” Every time I read these words, my heart breaks for Mary. She had been through so much, having witnessed the betrayal of her dear rabbi, followed by the mock trial and the horrific scourging, the long walk to Golgotha, and the brutal hours at the foot of the cross. Could she not be allowed to embrace her resurrected Lord? 

Scholars and commentators have mused over this strange scene, but author Ronald Rolheiser sees the Paschal mystery in play. It is the process of transformation that is available to all of us who are willing to die to our ideas and certainties, what we might experience as physical realities, and enter the mysterious new life of the resurrected Jesus. If we review our lives, most of us can name some painful losses along the way. Whether it comes in the form of death or disease, we endure broken dreams and disappointments, each of which is a genuine loss. Will we find resurrection and new life on the other side? Only if we refuse to cling to the life we knew before. If Mary was to receive her Lord and his resurrection, she would need to release the physical presence of Jesus of Nazareth. She could not cling to Jesus as she had known him. She had to let him go. Only then could she embrace her own calling. Empowered by the call of her master, she left the garden for a final time that day to tell the disciples that she had seen Jesus—alive! Jesus commissioned her to be the first preacher and proclaimer of the Good News of his resurrection. 

Hallelujah. He is Risen. 

Reflect and Respond

What are some deaths that you have endured? Have you grieved the loss of a marriage, your health, or a loved one? Articulate the nature of your personal loss. Did you try to cling to it? Have you known the peace of letting go? Have you experienced the gift of God’s presence in your grief? How are you living a deeper resurrection life on the other side of grief? In light of these losses, what might be the nature of the good news you have for other believers? 

Take a few minutes to express this transformation in words. Writing it down is helpful for most people. This is the Paschal mystery. Receive the new, deeper, richer life available to those who follow Jesus from death, to burial, to new life in him. 

He is risen indeed!

PRAYER

Rabboni, thank you for not abandoning me in the moments of my grief. Thank you for walking with me every step of the way. As I fill my lungs with your Spirit, affirm the nature and calling of my resurrection life, and give me the words to share the good news of eternal life to my friends and family, and anyone who has ears to hear. Amen.

Deidre Franklin
Pastor of Spiritual Formation

Deidre Franklin is the Pastor of Spiritual Formation at Crossings OKC. She is passionate about cultivating sacred space in which people can experience the power and presence of God

Artwork: “Resurrection—All Things New” by Skip McKinstry, the artist who created the collection of art featured in our 2023 Lent devotions.

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