[Dailydevo] Daily Devotion Wednesday April 26, 2006

[Barry Ludwig]

Daily Devotions  Wednesday, April 26, 2006

The Daily Devotions this week are written by Pastor Ludwig. During this
second week after the Resurrection of our Lord, we will be looking at Jesus
post-resurrection appearances as a spring board to considering how Jesus has
appeared to us in our lives in obvious and subtle ways.

 

John 20: 11-16

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she  bent over to look
into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body  of
Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at  the feet. They said
to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said  to them, "They have taken
away my Lord, and I do not know  where they have laid him." When she had
said this, she turned around and saw Jesus  standing there, but she did not
know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom
are  you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she  said to him,
"Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me  where you have laid him, and I
will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him
in  Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).

 

Thought

This is one of the most intimate and touching moments in Scripture. When it
is the Gospel text for Easter morning, it is a challenge for me to read it
without chocking on emotion. Like Mary Magdalene, who has not felt the cruel
cut of loneliness and separation?   After 25 years, it still seems like
yesterday when I anguished in the hallway outside of the door of the
emergency room, where a plastic surgeon stitched the nasty cut on my 3 year
old daughter's forehead. I was not allowed in as I had to listen to the
cries of my daughter coming through the door, "I want my Daddy." In the
confusing and disorienting moments of life it is hard to recognize the
presence of the risen Jesus.

 

But, in the midst of our confusion, loneliness, and fear there is the voice
of someone we know and trust. More importantly it is the voice of someone
who loves us and knows us by name. "Mary," Jesus gently calls out to her and
hearing his voice, she is safe again. Whatever this day brings, listen for
the voice of our risen Lord who loves you and knows you by name.

 

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