When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. – Mark 16:9
Mary Magdalene stood outside the tomb sobbing. The Teacher who had healed her, had cast out seven vile demons, whar dead and buried. With him gone would the demons return? She placed such hope in the Teacher, but now, like all men, death had swallowed him. Worse, some thieves had snuck in and took his body. Leastways, that’s how she seen things.
As she wept, she bent over ter look inter the tomb. Amazed, she seen a pair of angels in white seated whar the body of the Son ought ter ‘ave been, one at the head and the other at the foot. Now, if you know anything ’bout the ark of the covenant, then you know thar be a pair of angels atop of it.
“Two cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover.” Exodus 25:20
“The cover . . .” That be our key as ter why them angels whar seated on that empty burial slab. The Son done covered us with his blood so we kin live ferever with him and Skipper.
The angels asked Mary, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
At this, a voice behind her asked, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?”
Turning around, and thinking he whar the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
“Mary.”
Right away she knew it was the Son and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni! Teacher!”
Twice Mary be asked why the tears? Nary a time did she answer. When asked who she whar looking fer, she didn’ say.
Could this be the same question Son be asking you today? Why are you weeping? Who is it you seek?
Sometimes folks jest need a good cry ter shed the sorrow we feel, but think on this a wee little bit: after you ‘ave shed a bucketful of tears, what then? Will weeping take away the pain? Will weeping fill the hole in yer heart? When loss comes and you cannot move on, kin you move forward or is even that ter much ter ask?
If all yer hopes, all yer life, all yer love be in a body and then they die, what then?
This whar the condition of Mary Magdalene. Though healed of demons, another sort of torment gripped her: emptiness.
At the end of ourselves we all face a black hole, fer at the end of our self, emptiness remains. This be ’cause all be created in the image of Skipper and only he can fill the void left by his absence.
Only a couple words be necessary fer a person ter distinguish the voice of a close friend or relative. The Son only needed ter speak Mary’s name.
Today the Son be calling yer name. Will you answer? Will you turn ter him? Will you go ter him? Will you walk in the love that leads from darkness ter light?
Make it yer task right now ter close yer eyes and ask the Son ter call ya. Then listen, watch, wait fer his still small voice ter speak yer name.