Remembering Mary Magdalene

Mary’s life had been changed when she heard the teaching of Jesus, and came to know the healing of God through Jesus. What had once been a life of torment had become a life of purpose. She had come to understand that Jesus was the Messiah of God. But, there were many around them that didn’t see Jesus the way she did. There were Jewish leaders who thought he was a trouble maker, and there were some Roman leaders that didn’t like prophets who caused hostility among the Jewish people. The Romans were the rulers over the Jews in those days, and they had seen what trouble Jewish religious fanatics could be.

But, Mary knew what these authorities didn’t know. She knew the power of Jesus’ holiness. She knew the purity of his presence, and the cleansing air of his teaching. And, then the day came when Jesus’ days were up, when the soldiers came to arrest him, for some trumped up blasphemy charges. Trumped up by those who were threatened by Jesus truth, the truth of God which exposed the falsehood of man. And, after his arrest, he was given a mockery of a trial, and sentenced to death by crucifixion. There were no appeals from the death sentence, just a painful and lonely walk carrying the instrument of death on your own back. And, Mary followed in grief as her Lord walked to his place of execution. As he walked closer to that dark place of suffering, her hope was crushed, her heart was broken. But, she still followed, right to the place where he was hung on a cross, within earshot of the hammers and so that she heard his cry as he died. The male disciples may have fled, but she didn’t – she couldn’t she held onto her Lord as long as she could, the only way she could, through her grief, sharing his suffering of this humiliation and pain.

And, she watched as Joseph of Arimathea asked for the corpse of Jesus, and buried Jesus in his own tomb. And, she watched as they rolled the great stone against the tomb to seal it. But, then on that third day, early before dawn, she went with the other Mary to show respect and love for her fallen master and teacher and friend. She held on to him in her grief, seeking to anoint his body in the tomb. She was grieving his death in the way of her people. There had been no memorial service, no gathering in his honor, for he was buried after being executed as a criminal. Mary was trying to rescue some semblance of decency from this indecent horror done to her lord.

And, as she came in her grief, and looked towards the tomb, she noticed the stone was rolled away, the tomb was opened, and the body of Jesus was gone. One more cause of upset. Not only had he been disfigured and cruelly killed, now someone had disturbed him even in death and caused an even deeper wound to those who loved him. “Woman, what are you looking for?” They have taken away the body of my lord, and I do not know where they have laid him!!!

Mary had discovered the empty tomb, which caused her a terrible fright and poured salt into the wounds of her heart. She had discovered the depths of her own sorrow and pain, the pain that comes from the loss of those we love, and the loss of our deepest dreams and hopes. There she was. She had discovered a depth of pain and hurt and emptiness that she could never have imagined. That’s exactly where she was – in the valley of the shadow of death.

But, then after seeing the tomb empty, and seeing two angels in white sitting, she began to weep and turned away from the tomb. Then, the angels said: “Woman, why are you crying?” She said: “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they have laid him.” “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Not only had this cruel death ripped her hope and dear master from her, but now she was deprived of the chance to mourn him. She turned from the tomb, and saw a man standing. He said to her: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Mary thought he was the gardener and said, begging: “sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

It was a moment of deepest sorrow, and the deepest expression of love. And, the man turned to her and said: “Mary.” And, she turned immediately to him and cried out: “Rabonni, which means “master.”

She discovered the empty tomb, and the depths of her empty heart, and she continued to love him in her sorrow and grief. And, when she felt all was lost, she heard his voice. She didn’t recognize him with her eyes but with her ears. He didn’t make him self known to her by his appearance but by his Word. “Where you there when they crucified my Lord, where you there when they nailed him to the tree, ,where you there when they laid him in the tomb? “ Mary was. And, I hear Mary sing: “where you there when I saw the empty tomb? Where you there when all my hope was gone?” Where you there when he spoke my name out loud? Where you there when my heart began to live? Where you there when my despair was shaken by hope? Where you there when I began to doubt defeat? Where you there when my shaky faith arose on the troubled soil of sorrow? Where you there when I first believed, but couldn’t quite believe? Where you there when I said: "I believe, help thou my unbelief?" "Where you there when my heart began to sing in the freedom of faith!" Amen.