Yesterday we looked at the babe born to Mary
in the darkness of night. Today I want to look at
another Mary, Mary Magdalene, out of whom
came seven demons. Talk about darkness!
It is the end. Three days ago the light of Mary's
life died on a cross and with that death Mary
lost everything. Everything! The poor woman
has been weeping ever since and she is not
sleeping. Mary comes to the tomb while it is
still night only to find the tomb is empty.
Crushed she turns away in absolute despair.
Not even a body to bring her comfort!
Mary turns and sees someone through her tears.
Jesus says to her,
"Woman why are you weeping."
What a funny question. It is a cemetery!
"Who are you looking for?"
She had come for a corpse.
Pause: Jesus does not speak his first words after
his resurrection to the men, the brave hearted, but
to a woman. A weeping, despairing woman. No
faith here. Reader, Jesus wants to know you in your
feelings and your words. He wants to know you so
deeply. Love never hides from the beloved. Total
safety; total trust.
Back to the scene where Resurrection Life stands
looking down at a weeping Mary who sees nothing
but blackness. "You weep, but maybe there is
something else, a new possibility, beyond all logic."
"Why are you weeping?" It is a question to gently
bring her into joy never before defined. Death is
gone, defeated. A new way of living stands before
her. The invisible is dancing with laughter.
Then Jesus speaks her name: "Mary"
His voice penetrates her to the very core. He's alive!
She grabs hold of Him.
"I'm alive, but we are not just going back to what
was. I'm alive so all impossibility is possible."
A new word comes into being: Joy! The joy of
God comes. He comes in. We are in Him.
Intimacy not doctrine.
Jesus is alive!
He's alive!
He sets us free from the possibility of death.
He brings us out of bondage.
Gone are the negatives!
(bits and pieces taken from JOY
by Malcolm Smith)
I cannot do Christmas without the cross where all my
sins were nailed. But I cannot do Christmas without
the resurrection either. And, everywhere I look in
scripture I see that He is coming again for me and we
will be together for all Eternity. Birth, death,
resurrection, return. What a package!
I know this is long but there is so much. If you
have some time over the next week, go to the
website below where Malcolm Smith spends an
hour at the tomb with Jesus and Mary. It will be
an hour well spent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjV5TBNobn4
He's Alive! An old piece but so uplifting!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gGa1w_bnvM
in the darkness of night. Today I want to look at
another Mary, Mary Magdalene, out of whom
came seven demons. Talk about darkness!
It is the end. Three days ago the light of Mary's
life died on a cross and with that death Mary
lost everything. Everything! The poor woman
has been weeping ever since and she is not
sleeping. Mary comes to the tomb while it is
still night only to find the tomb is empty.
Crushed she turns away in absolute despair.
Not even a body to bring her comfort!
Mary turns and sees someone through her tears.
Jesus says to her,
"Woman why are you weeping."
What a funny question. It is a cemetery!
"Who are you looking for?"
She had come for a corpse.
Pause: Jesus does not speak his first words after
his resurrection to the men, the brave hearted, but
to a woman. A weeping, despairing woman. No
faith here. Reader, Jesus wants to know you in your
feelings and your words. He wants to know you so
deeply. Love never hides from the beloved. Total
safety; total trust.
Back to the scene where Resurrection Life stands
looking down at a weeping Mary who sees nothing
but blackness. "You weep, but maybe there is
something else, a new possibility, beyond all logic."
"Why are you weeping?" It is a question to gently
bring her into joy never before defined. Death is
gone, defeated. A new way of living stands before
her. The invisible is dancing with laughter.
Then Jesus speaks her name: "Mary"
His voice penetrates her to the very core. He's alive!
She grabs hold of Him.
"I'm alive, but we are not just going back to what
was. I'm alive so all impossibility is possible."
A new word comes into being: Joy! The joy of
God comes. He comes in. We are in Him.
Intimacy not doctrine.
Jesus is alive!
He's alive!
He sets us free from the possibility of death.
He brings us out of bondage.
Gone are the negatives!
(bits and pieces taken from JOY
by Malcolm Smith)
I cannot do Christmas without the cross where all my
sins were nailed. But I cannot do Christmas without
the resurrection either. And, everywhere I look in
scripture I see that He is coming again for me and we
will be together for all Eternity. Birth, death,
resurrection, return. What a package!
I know this is long but there is so much. If you
have some time over the next week, go to the
website below where Malcolm Smith spends an
hour at the tomb with Jesus and Mary. It will be
an hour well spent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjV5TBNobn4
He's Alive! An old piece but so uplifting!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gGa1w_bnvM
No comments:
Post a Comment