Mary of Magdala came!

John 20:1-2,11-18

It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’ Meanwhile Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

Food for thought!

The story of the resurrection of Jesus is the story of the triumph of falsity over truth, of injustice over justice, of evil over goodness. It is the story of love. Although Jesus was falsely charged of crimes he did not commit, and unjustly sentenced to a death he did not deserve, and had his good friend betray him, his trusted companions desert him and his number one man deny him, although Jesus suffered all of this, someone always believed in him. It was Mary of Magdala.

Although the people Jesus loved demanded his crucifixion and chose to have the bandit Barabbas released in his place, Mary Magdalene always stayed faithful to Jesus. The story of betrayal and lies, dishonesty and meanness, unfaithfulness and wicked violence directed against an innocent and apparently helpless victim, didn't discourage Mary Magdalene. Even when Good Friday came around and Jesus was scourged, mocked, led on the death march, nailed to the cross where he died after a few hours and hastily buried in a tomb, Mary Magdalene did not give up on love of Jesus.

The gospel says, "It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb.’ Notice that she is not referring to Jesus as dead, but as alive. "They have taken the Lord [not the body of Jesus] out of the tomb." For her Jesus never died and never dies; he is alive!

It is good news to know that truth is immortal. We can suppress Truth, accuse it of being a lie, condemn it, torture it, kill it, bury it in the grave but on the third day Truth will rise again. Remember this and do not give up on Truth even when everybody seems to give up on it. Do not give up on Truth; do not give up on Justice. Do not give up on doing what is right. Remember this: "The reward that outdoes all others is the peace of knowing that you did right." (Jay Hyles)

Truth will always be true. Justice will always be just. Right will always be right even when the world around us would have it otherwise. We must learn to believe in the sun even when it is not shining, knowing that it will shine again.

It is the end of the story that counts; the most important chapter in a book is the last chapter. Even when we are going through very difficult times: through betrayal, unjust discrimination, lies, misrepresentations; even when the enemy seems to be winning the battle in our lives; yes, even when those we know speak evil against us, and give us in to our enemies. Don't give in to lies. Be truthful. Like Mary Magdalene, let's be good to Jesus up to the end. To him be praise and honour and power and glory. Amen.