In today’s Gospel reading, Mary Magdalene is found weeping outside of Jesus’ empty tomb. She is so wrought with despair over the death of Christ she does not recognize that she is speaking with angels or that Jesus is standing behind her. Why is Mary Magdalene’s grief so deep? What can we learn from her?
While her grief is over the savior of the world being crucified, I think there is more to it. I think her grief is also because she believes the man who showed her love when the rest of the world showed her hatred is dead. Bear with me. Let me explain…
It is commonly believed that the woman who is caught in adultery in John 8:1-11 is Mary Magdalene. The society and religious leaders around her deem her sin so great that they believe her life is no longer valuable to society. As a result, they condemn her to death through stoning.
Jesus, in his mercy, saves her. He convinces the people who are ready to kill her to walk away. Then, He helps Mary Magdalene up and tells her to sin no more.
Jesus embraces and forgives Mary Magdalene when society wants her dead. Why wouldn’t she be blind with grief at the empty tomb?
But what can we learn from her story?
We learn that in Jesus and through Jesus, all lives have meaning and purpose- even those lives that have been deemed worthless by society. We learn that because of Jesus, no one is without hope. Jesus will meet us in our darkest, most sinful moments, and if we let him, if we accept His mercy, Jesus will transform us and our lives into one worth living.
Furthermore, we learn from today’s Gospel that not even Jesus’ own death can separate us from His love and true presence. He will rise above it and conquer all evil. Mary Magdalene thinks that Jesus has left her because He died on a cross. She thinks she is talking with a gardener when she says, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him” (John 20:15). But then, Jesus calls her by name, and she recognizes Him.
Jesus is also calling us by name. He desperately wants us to recognize and know Him. He wants to enter our world, no matter how dark, how sinful, or how worthless our lives may seem. Nothing can keep us from His love. Not our sins. Not society. Not even Christ’s death on a cross.
