| Twice
in close succession Mary Magdalene was asked, "Woman, why are
you weeping?" First, by an angel and later by the Lord
Himself. Why, such a question? It was a natural way to get
her attention, but there is more to the purpose than that.
She had,
wept before without question. Having been delivered from the
domineering force of seven devils, she must have wept often desiring
to be delivered. No doubt, she wept in fear and anguish and struggled
in the horrors of the control of the evil one. Such anguish is
expressed in loud weeping.
The
women, who had followed Jesus from Galilee and ministered to Him, with
Mary Magdalene among them, saw Jesus' agony as He tried to carry the
heavy cross. "They bewailed and lamented Him" crying in
compassion and love. Jesus turned and told them not to weep for
Him, but for themselves, for their distresses would even be greater.
Standing
near the crosses, viewing the agony of the crucified, the women must
have cried. They felt deeply that it was the severing of a deep
personal relationship; They practiced what Christ wanted Peter, James
and John to do in the Garden of Gethsemane ... watch and pray with
Him. The shame of the criminal treatment of their precious Lord
was incredible.
Then came
the hour of death and Jesus gave up His life. Many smote their breasts
in deep grief and astonishment at what had happened. All hope
seemed gone. They, too felt forsaken of God and wept.
But
Mary Magdalene and the other women from Galilee never left. They
watched wide-eyed as He was taken from the cross, wrapped in swaddling
clothes with precious spices intertwined and tenderly laid in a
borrowed tomb. Red-eyed and forlorn, they trudged home.
The
Sabbath day must have seemed
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endless.
The women desperately wanted to
add more spices to the body of Christ before it was too late. Rising
early on Sunday Mary hurried to the tomb, only to find the stone
rolled away and an empty tomb. Once again the tears rolled
freely. She had expected the presence of the Lord and He was
missing. (Has that ever been your experience?)
Now tears
of disappointment, fear and unbelief over-flowed. She couldn't
believe the evidence. She had buried the promises of Christ's
resurrection in the back of her mind. She refused to believe the
first visible evidence -the stone rolled away, and the empty
tomb. She even refused to believe the words of the angel-God's
spoken reminder. No wonder they questioned her.
"Woman,
why are you weeping?" There is now no valid cause, having
the promises, the evidence, the affirmation from the heavenly
messenger. She refused to believe concluding that he was
purposely removed and hid. (Have you found yourself tied in
these doubts and unbelief as well when facing difficulties?)
Jesus
posed the very same question. "Woman, why are you
weeping?" When we don't believe Him, He seems
impersonal. But then He called her name, "Mary" and
she seeing Him, believed. For each of us, He's just that
close-as the mention of His name in faith.
We are
caught up with heavy burdens and disappointments and feel completely
alone; wondering if our risen Lord is there at all? Really He is
there all the time. His promise of victory and loving arms to
hold and carry us have never been removed, nor his ever-watchful eye
of compassion ever failed. We need no longer weep in
despair. Jesus is alive and here. Woman, why are you
weeping? Let it not be from unbelief.
-Mrs. June
Wiebe
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