Skip to main content

He Calls Your Name


Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, 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!”
(John 20:15-16 NLT)

It had been the worse week of Mary’s life.  She had followed Jesus.  She had heard His words of life. He had seen the love of God displayed in the flesh.  Jesus, the one who associated with sinners.  Jesus, the one who healed the sick.  Jesus, the one who raised the dead.  Jesus, who taught so powerfully and told of a kingdom to come.  And he was dead.  She saw it with her own eyes as He breathed His last.  The agony of hearing My God, My God why have you forsaken me from His parched lips. 

In the pre-dawn hours she hurries to go and anoint His body.  What else could she do?  He had given her so much.  Her grief was immeasurable as she rushed to the tomb.  And now, even His body is gone.  Her grief pours out in uncontrollable weeping.  Peter and John were there, but now they are gone and she is alone.  Even the sight of the angels does not allay her sorrow.

Then she hears her name.  She hears her name just as she had the first time Jesus found her plagued with sickness and evil spirits (Luke 8:2). 

C. Austin Miles was pondering this passage in 1910 when in, what he described as a trance or vision, he was transported to this scene on that first Easter morning.  He saw Peter, he saw John, and he saw Mary.  I think he felt the pain of Mary and the joy when she hears her name.  After this life changing experience he wrote the beloved Easter Hymn, In the Garden.

There is something about our name.  Our name signifies our uniqueness.  We aren’t just one of many, we are someone.  And Jesus calls Mary’s name.  And He calls my name, and your name, He calls us each by name.  And in the words of that beloved hymn, he tells me I am His own.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Til The Storm Passes By

It’s almost fall.   Labor Day, the official end of summer is here.   Kids are already back in school.   Soon we’ll be drinking pumpkin spice, talking about Halloween, Turkey Shoots, and then Christmas.   This year is going very fast.   We had all hoped that 2021 would be better than 2020, and maybe it has, and maybe it hasn’t.   Depends on who you ask.   Whether one is worse then the other doesn’t really matter.   It’s rough right now. The last Sunday of August we prayed about Covid, Afghanistan, the devastating floods in Waverly, Hurricane Ida and a host of other local concerns.   I sometimes feel at a loss to know how to pray.   I feel ineffective.   As I prayerfully considered this writing for the Pastor’s Pen, I considered all these things that we as a country are dealing with and I watched the whipping winds of Ida tearing through Louisiana.   I feel overwhelmed as a pastor for all the needs we have in front of us. ...

Beginning the Lenten Journey

Do an image search for Galatians 2:20. You will find all sorts of peaceful, flowery, and pleasant pictures with the words of this verse.  Even the one I chose to include is rather happy looking.  There is nothing pretty or pleasant about crucifixion and death. This month we will begin our journey through Lent.   The interesting thing about the church (liturgical) calendar is that it looks like mountain peaks.   There is descent and ascent.   We like the idea of ascent.   We like the idea of happy places.   We also like to minimize and “sugar-coat” the reality of the times of descent.   Nevertheless, we must descend into those times of examination.   Lent is such a time.   February 17 th is Ash Wednesday.   What our observance of Ash Wednesday will look like is still to be determined.   However, it will not look like the last two.   There will not be a row of robed clergy.   Our sanctuary will not be filled with o...

He Keeps Me Singing

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;   Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;   Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:18-20) I’ve been following a devotional this year that has really been powerful.  If you are interested in a good online option, I highly recommend the Daily Text from Seedbed.  The last few days we have been wandering in the wilderness with the people of God.  There have been many times that I realize that stories that I thought I knew, maybe I didn’t know as well as I thought I did.  It’s good to flush out those finer points because we do think we know.  And the word of God is alive.  The Holy Spirit wants to make things alive to us. One of these entries admonished us to sing.  There is something about singing.  And I’m rath...