Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples: “I have seen the Lord”, and she told them that he had said these things to her.
John 20, 18
Maria von Magdala kam zu den Jüngern und verkündete ihnen: Ich habe den Herrn gesehen. Und sie berichtete, was er ihr gesagt hatte.
Johannes 20,18
Dear congregation and friends!
April is the month in which we celebrate the Easter festival – the festival of resurrection – God raising his Son, who was crucified as a common criminal for be- ing too inclusive with his proclamation of grace for all. His message and the life he lived to demonstrate this message was offensive to pious people then and still is a really irritating message today. We humans love to have control over who is in and who is out.
The watchword reports something that is part of this irritation, the offense that this Jesus of Nazareth caused. Mary Magdalene, a woman, possibly of ill repute, is one of the first to encounter the risen Christ – this is a scandal – women were not seen as dependable witnesses; they should keep quiet and not show up in the centre of events. But Mary Magdalene is emboldened by her encounter with the risen Lord. Perhaps I can entice you to read the whole story in John 20. Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus is a moving one – as she stands weeping at the tomb, she looks into the empty grave and sees two messengers there who ask her: “Woman, why are you weeping?” to which she answers: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him”. Then she turns around and sees Jesus standing there, but does not know who it is. He too asks her: “Woman why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”. And she, thinking it is the gardener, asks him: “Where have you laid him?”. Then Jesus addresses her by name: “Mary!” and by this she recognises who he is. You see, sometimes Jesus first has to address us by name, demonstrating that he knows us, before we can know him. Thus it was that we were addressed by name at our baptism, when God announced that we are his children on account of the death and resurrection of Christ.
May you all receive the courage of Mary Magdalene through your encounters with the living Lord, to go and announce to the disciples wherever we meet them: “I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me”.
Easter Greetings to you all, Felix Meylahn
