dailydatewithgod

Last night as I heard the story of Jesus appearing to Mary after the resurrection I was struck by a few things.  One, according to the Christian scriptures, a woman was the first witness and person to interact with the risen Christ.  She was then called to go immediately and share what she had witnessed to others no matter how unbelievable it might be to them.  Second, that it was when Jesus said her name that she recognized who he truly was, her savior, not a farmer who might have moved his body.  Lastly, and this was with me when I woke up this morning: in Mary’s recognition of Jesus, she called him “Rabboni” which is Hebrew for “Teacher.”  Of all the words or titles that she could have used to express her recognition of the man she was looking for, she chose Teacher.  This was the man who had taught her heart, this was the man who knew that saying her name would open her eyes. This was the man who she witnessed breath his last breath only a few days before.  This was the man who did not condemn her when her sin was brought before him in a crowd.  Instead he recognized in her the capacity to love and care for herself and ultimately others and she did that when she followed him.  He saw her and now she saw him.  By calling him teacher she acknowledges that she is still learning from him.  That the one who means so much to her that she came as soon as she could after his death to anoint his body (as was their tradition).  He had lived a life of forgiveness and courage, spoke truth even when others did not want to hear it, compassionately reached out to those in need only to die a brutal and painful death, be abandoned by his followers except for a few, and now here he stood before her.  She must have been beside herself in shock and she called him Teacher.  He had foretold that this would happen and yet again he was true to his word.  I know for me that when I approach life with an attitude of what can I learn from this, my eyes are opened, my heart is touched, and I am that much closer to experience peace. There was no “I told you so, why didn’t you believe me?”, or anything of the sort.  Jesus simply acknowledged Mary and told her to go tell the others.  And what was his greeting to his followers and closest friends, most of whom abandoned and denied him at his greatest hour of need?  “Peace.”  What can we all learn from that? Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen

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