“Do not hold on to me.” – John 20:17 (Mark 16:1-8) (Matthew 28:5-10) (Luke 24:1-10) (John 20:10-11,17)
Early on tha first day of tha week, while it still be dark out, Mary Magdalene, Mary tha mother of James, Mary tha mother of Joses, and Salome went ter tha tomb. They brought spices so they might anoint tha body of Jesus, but when they seen that tha stone be rolled back, they sneaked in ter tha tomb and seen a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on tha right side. Another sat on that left.
In their fright tha women bowed thar faces ter tha ground, but tha man on tha right, who really whar an angel, said ter tha women, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. Why do you look for the living among the dead? See the place where they laid him. Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
“But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Trembling and bewildered, tha women hurried away from the tomb. Afraid, yet filled with joy, they ran ter tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came ter him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said ter them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
Meanwhile Mary Magdalene ran ter Simon Peter and John and told ’em, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” So Peter and tha other disciple started fer tha tomb. Once tha pair seen tha tomb be empty, they went back ter whar they whar staying. Now Mary be outside tha tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over ter look in ter tha tomb one last time.
Jesus said, “Mary.”
She turned ter him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!”—which means “Teacher.”
“Do not hold on to me,” Jesus said, “for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
“Do not hold on to me.” That be what tha Son told Mary. Then one week later tha Son told Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side.” (John 20:27)
Some how between that dawn of tah empty tomb and tha days that followed tha Son ascended ter Skipper—or so it seems. Thar be a lot ter unpack in these verses and much controversy over what did and did not happen in tha hours and days after his body went missing, but think on this: Ter day, right now, we kin cling ter tha feet of tha Son without fear of getting shoved away.
If ya feel like ya ne’re been loved, if ya kin not recall tha last time ya be held tight by someone who loves ya with thar very life, run ter tha Son. He be dying ter hug ya— ‘As died ter hug ya, in fact.
Question be: will ya let’em?