John 20:11b-16 (NIV)
As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
“Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).
Peter and John had left the tomb, shaking their heads in puzzlement over what had happened to Jesus’ body. Who would want to steal a body?! Nothing was making any sense.
Mary Magdalene stayed behind weeping at the tomb. Her heart had broken at Jesus’ arrest and execution, but this new development dismayed her beyond telling. She bent over and looked into the empty tomb again. She was so distraught that she wasn’t even shocked to see two glowing, white-clad men sitting on the slab, one at the head, the other at the foot. At some level it registered in her mind that these were more than just men, but that consideration found no place to stick in the middle of the haze that had taken over her mind.
The angels questioned her as to why she was crying. She should be rejoicing! The concrete fact of Jesus’ resurrection should have surged up in her mind in an unconquerable joy! They were more than a little puzzled when she responded with nearly the same words that she had used to deliver the news to the disciples: “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put Him.”
Without waiting for any additional input from the angels, Mary straightened up and turned away, nearly running into Jesus Himself, who was standing right behind her. Lowering her eyes in shame and confusion, her eyes so dimmed and blurred by her tears that she had no idea who the man was. But His presence in the garden at that time of the day caused her to figure that He was the gardener, who might know what had happened here.
Jesus was puzzled, and even slightly amused, that this woman who had known Him so well for more than two years didn’t recognize Him. So, He asked her straight out, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”
Mary’s answer was a heart-breaking plea for help: “If you have moved Him for some reason, show me where you have put Him, and I’ll go and get Him.” She had no idea what she would do with the body if this “gardener” did take her to Jesus, but she would figure it out.
All it took was one word, spoken softly and a bit teasingly, but in the voice that cut through the fog in her grief-addled brain and struck an instant note of recognition: “Mary.”
Mary couldn’t believe it! She quickly looked up into the smiling face that she knew on sight, even through her tears. It was Jesus! She gasped out her recognition: “Rabboni!” Then she threw her arms around Him, holding Him so tight that He could barely breathe.”
Father, it is interesting for me to consider the fact that the angels, and even Jesus Himself, were amazed, and even a little amused at the grief Mary was showing while standing in front of the proof of Jesus’ promised resurrection that was literally staring her in the face. She was so blinded by her grief that she was missing out on the sheer, mind-boggling joy that she should have been experiencing instead. But we humans tend to do that. We allow our fears, our frustrations, even our sadness, to dim our eyes and prevent us from seeing all that You are doing that could instead bring us great joy and strengthen our faith. Help me to see, Lord, past all the events of our day and my emotions about them, to what You are accomplishing, so that my heart can experience all the true joy that You have for me. Amen.
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