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2007 Devotional Guide
for ELCA Congregation Councils and Committees
 
Mary Magdalene — Recognizing Jesus
July 2007
by Margaret Payne
But Mary stood weeping
outside the tomb . . . “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, but she did not know that it
was Jesus. —John 20:11a, 13b–14
The DaVinci Code reminds us
that speculation about a woman who gave her life to Jesus is never-ending.
Most of us agree that Mary was not a prostitute and not Jesus’ wife. Luke
reports that Jesus had cast seven demons out of Mary. From that moment on,
her life was transformed. She became one of Jesus’ faithful disciples,
traveled with him, learned from him, loved him, and stayed at the foot of
the cross when he died.
The Gospel of John tells us that Mary was the first disciple to arrive at
Jesus’ tomb early on the morning of the third day. When she saw that the
stone was gone she ran to get Peter and the others, who confirmed that the
tomb was empty and then went home. But Mary stayed, as she had stayed at the
cross. Her love kept her close.
Yet Mary did not recognize Jesus when he appeared to her. She thought that
he was the gardener. Maybe he was the gardener. It was not until he spoke
her name that she realized that her Lord was there with her. When we stay
close to Jesus, God’s grace enables us to recognize him in all the gardeners
of the world.
Spiritual leaders sharpen their vision with worship and prayer so that they
can recognize Jesus in the hungry and the hopeless, the sick and imprisoned,
and those who suffer from pain and violence. But we are also called to look
for Jesus in the eyes of those who resist our leadership or hold different
opinions about thorny moral and political issues. Jesus may be waiting for
us in people and places that are different from where we had ever looked
before.
Jesus beckons from surprising places. Leaders in the church follow Jesus and
peer into every corner to recognize him. He is waiting there for us, longing
to call us by name and welcome us into an amazing new life that is filled
with the power of his resurrection.
Prayer
God of new life, teach us how to live as
Easter people. Help us to anchor ourselves in the
victorious new life that Jesus gives, to show the
world its joy and power, and to recognize our risen
Lord wherever he waits for us. Amen.
For Reflection or
Discussion
Where has Jesus been present in the life of our
congregation this week?
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