Who are you looking for?
Scripture Reading: John 20: 11 - 16 (NIV)
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”
18Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Message: Who are you looking for?
Searching
With the pain of loss and trauma, Mary goes searching
That’s what we do when we deal with pain, isn’t it?
We go searching
We do things that doesn’t make sense
We look for something, anything to numb the pain
Mary goes back to the tomb of Jesus
If for nothing else in her desparation, but to cry and to mourn
There’s rawness here, pain and loss, hopelessness, desparation
We know about searching, don’t we?
That feeling of doing something that doesn’t make sense, but just searching for something… anything…
Confusion
And then, it gets even worse for Mary, she finds something that she was not expecting
The body of her Rabbi is gone
Just two men (angels) sitting where his body was laid down
And in her shock and confusion, they ask her: “Woman, why are you crying?”
Not always nice to be asked: “why are you crying?”
But Mary is not holding back - she lets it all out…
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”
You have to admire Mary’s ability to express her emotions
Who are you looking for?
And then there’s a voice of someone else behind her, asking the same question the two men asked: “why are you crying?”
Followed up by the profound question: “Who is it you are looking for?”
Mary’s despair and overwhelming emotions, and quesions, and confusion, were preventing her to see that it was Jesus
On this Easter Sunday, this is the defining Jesus is asking me and you: who are you looking for?
On this Easter Sunday, with all that is going on in your life right now, on this moment in church when you pause to reflect, Jesus is here asking you: “Who are you looking for?”
This is your moment to really think about this question…
Who are you looking for?
Maybe you’re wondering around in life, trying to make sense of the world
Maybe you’re walking around with pain and don’t know where to go with it
Maybe you’re worried, or concerned, or angry, or indifferent…
But since you’re here, Jesus is asking: “Who is it you are looking for?”
When Mary eventually recognize Jesus, her reaction gives away her answer to this quesiton…
She cries out “Rabboni!” (Which means Teacher)
Mary was lost without her Teacher… she was looking for someone to give her direction
Maybe you’re also lost and are looking for someone to show you the way?
Maybe you’re alone and are looking for someone to be with you, all the days of your life?
Maybe you’re scared and are looking for someone to say to you “do not be afraid”?
Maybe you’ve lost hope and are looking for someone to tell you that you can find new life with Him?
Maybe you’re sad and are looking for someone to wipe away your tears?
Maybe you’re depressed and looking for someone to help you find purpose in your life?
Maybe you don’t even realize that you are in trouble and need to find the Way, the Truth and the Life?
This is what Easter is about: Jesus is here today!
He is asking you: Who are you looking for?
He is asking so that you can find Him, because He is here, He is alive, He is risen
He died to set you free
He rose from the dead so that you can live freely
Go and live your life
Jesus also tells Mary: “Do not hold on to Me”
Jesus is esentially saying to her: you are stronger than you think… I have given you freedom, no go and live in it… there’s more to come in your life…
The same Jesus who asked us today “who are you looking for?” is also telling us “don’t hold on to Me”
He is saying to you and me: I am alive, I am giving you life… now go and live it!
So, you are invited to reflect on this profound question “Who are you looking for?”
May you discover who it is you are looking for when you see our Risen Lord today!
May you find Him on this Easter Sunday, so that you can go from here and live your life, renewed by an encounter with our Risen Lord
AMEN
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