Dear Precious Friends,
I have always loved this scripture because of the tenderness and compassion with which Jesus must have spoken her name.
“Mary.”
He is precisely aware of what Mary Magdalene is feeling—she is drowning in grief after all she witnessed on Good Friday. Can you imagine this? Place yourself in this scene in prayer over and over again, imagining their conversation, imagining the way Jesus spoke her name, and imagining the way Mary’s expression must have changed instantaneously upon recognizing Who was standing before her. Envision the way her face must have changed from devastation and sorrow to radiance and peace at the sound of that one word.
“Mary.”
When he calls her name, she knows Who He is. And when He calls her by name, not only does she know Who He is, she knows who she is, too.
We remember our identity when we hear the voice of the Lord call us by name.
That is my prayer for us today—that we would hear the voice of Jesus call our name, with the same gentleness and mercy with which He spoke Mary’s name. Take a few moments to imagine yourself in the garden with the Lord, and hear Him say that one word. Hear Him speak the name you have heard hundreds of thousands of times—take a moment to hear it again, in a new way, from Jesus Who knows you and loves you. He invites you to know Him and love Him, too.
In that moment, when Jesus speaks, listen closely and let it sink into your soul—because in that one word, He doesn’t just speak your name. He speaks who you are . . . known, loved, and His.
How does the Lord speak to you? What has He spoken to you through this time?
Song of reflection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcuiuIwtpa4
AMEN!
