Of course Mary is crying. She thinks she has lost Jesus forever, and she is heartbroken.
But then Jesus calls her name: “Mary.” And she recognizes Him! Of course she grabs Him—hugs Him and won’t let Him go! I would, too. But Jesus says to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I haven’t ascended to the Father yet.” There will be plenty of time for clinging to Jesus in the future. Right now, there is work to do. “Go to My brothers,” Jesus says. Tell them the Good News!
And she does. And we do, too, every time we tell the story of Jesus to someone. We tell them how God loved us so much He became our Savior through His death and resurrection, setting us free to be God’s own children.
WE PRAY: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for dying and rising to bring us home to God in peace. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* How would you have reacted, seeing Jesus alive again?
* Will the disciples believe Mary’s story?
* When have you told others about Jesus?
Lenten Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.