Since we are in the Easter Season, I thought you might enjoy this excerpt from my bok, See This Christ.

“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means, Teacher).  Jesus said to her, ‘Stop clinging to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Creator; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to my Creator and your Creator, and my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and that he had said these things to her.”

In this scripture passage we see all of salvation, and all humanity’s doubts, fears, and ultimately belief, laid out clearly for us. Mary’s faith that somehow when she got to the tomb, there would be someone to help her roll away that heavy stone is the first incredible part of this story. Some might think, “Well, she shouldn’t have gone there without plan.” Foolish woman. I know I would have said that. I don’t do well without a plan in place for everything in my life. But God often laughs at our plans and has a totally different plan in mind for us. Although scripture doesn’t tell us Mary entered the tomb, I tend to believe that her curiosity would have taken over and she would have looked in the tomb for Jesus’s body. After all, she carried those oils a long way, didn’t she? You would think she’d want to know exactly why the stone was rolled away and who did it. Was it possible the person who did this was still hanging around somewhere? But, in her eagerness to share this astounding news she hightailed it back to where the apostles were hiding to tell them what had happened. After the apostles arrived and ran to tell the others, Mary remained. And she was rewarded when she someone that could at last provide some hope, some answers. Maybe the gardener knew what had happened. 

“Mary.” Just one word! All it took was for Jesus to call her name. And she suddenly knew what had happened! It was indeed the risen Christ. “Rabboni, teacher” it is really You. Perhaps like me, you’ve wondered why Jesus told Mary not to embrace him. Surely, he had great affection for Mary, and she for him. Wouldn’t it be natural for two friends to embrace at a moment like this? It has always puzzled me. But I think I am beginning to understand it better.

One of my favorite quotes from Kahlil Gibran in The Prophet has helped me understand this distancing Jesus imposed on Mary during this encounter.

“Let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.” ― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet

This passage from Gibran has always been a great reminder to husbands and wives, but also to friends. That we each must be our own person, to stand firm in our own faith and not to be dependent on anyone else. Of course, we need to be dependent on Jesus, but we must rely on ourselves at times. I am beginning to see that what Jesus may have been saying to Mary is, “You are to be a great apostle, but I will not be with you in body very long so don’t get too “clingy” as we would say today.  Don’t depend on me to solve all your problems and protect you from the trials of this world. Rise, get up and go about your business, just as He told those He healed. Be my disciple, speak up for justice in the world, tell others what you have witnessed, help others to know Me as you have known me. The Risen Christ asks us all to do what he was telling Mary. Don’t just delight in my resurrection and keep it to yourself. Go tell the others what you have seen! Like Mary Magdalen, when we do encounter Jesus in or lives, we may want to enjoy this peace within or own hearts. To enjoy being alone with Jesus and be embraced by Him. But His arms are around us when we go out of our comfort zone, when we take that leap of faith. So, be joyful at the Lord’s resurrection. But don’t try to contain that joy within yourself, share it.” 

For more on the people who encountered Christ, see my book See This Christ