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What seems the most tender of the resurrection accounts:

But Mary Magdalene stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one 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.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” 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 Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

In this life, each of us has his or her share of suffering. One must bear a tenth measure, another a full measure, and still another ten times the normal measure. Mary has lived more than her share of brokenness and thus experienced more than her share of suffering. As this gospel scene opens, she is once again weeping. And, true to the dynamics of human physiology, her brain experiencing more emotional distress than it can process well, she can neither think straight nor see clearly. Even the glory of a pair of angels is insufficient to bring her clarity. She sees Jesus but doesn’t see Him. If we quiet our hearts and reflect, undoubtedly, we will all remember those distressing times when “having eyes we could not see and ears we could not hear.” We see this phenomenon regularly among Ambleside students and not infrequently among parents and teachers.

Jesus speaks her name, “Mary,” and all is clear. We only read the word, but what power must have been in His voice, His tone conveying the:

Authority of a King of kings

Strength that conquered death

Tenderness born of long, gracious suffering

And, a love that would freely give its life.

Here again Jesus reveals Himself as the true teacher, a source of strength and a revealer of truth, with great potency and remarkably few words. Isn’t it true that, when faced with another’s distress and confusion, most of us attune too little and talk too much? Not so the master Teacher.

This Easter season, as we reflect on Jesus, the risen Savior, may we become more like Him.

By Bill St. Cyr