CALLED BY NAME

SCRIPTURE

Mary Magdalene, Apostle
John 20:1-2, 11-18 (NRSV)

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other 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." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" 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 Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' " 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.


DEVOTION

Today I am reminded of how difficult it is to see Jesus when we are grief stricken by the trials and tribulations of life!

Mary Magdalene knew and loved Jesus; if anyone should have recognized him at the tomb, it was Mary.

Yet through her tears, heartache, pain, betrayal, anger, sadness, and stress, she did not even recognize her teacher and Lord until he called her by name.

Today, I truly believe that Jesus is calling us by name. We have been lost in the fog of job layoffs, home foreclosures, overdrawn bank accounts, enemies destroying our reputations, environmental disasters in the Gulf, war around the world, etc, etc.

Whilst all of these disasters are terrible, as Christians, we know that God will have ultimate victory over every trial and tribulation that we may face in this life.

Because Love gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life, we know that all of our stories end, "And s/he lived happily ever after!" Some of those happy endings will occur in this life, others will occur in the life to come, but ULTIMATELY we are victorious in Christ Jesus who lived, died, and rose again to ensure that it is so!

Right now, Jesus is calling you by name. He is calling me by name. He is asking us to recognize him even in the most difficult and grievous moments of our life! He has not left us. He has not forsaken us. He has not lied about his promises. God is with us, always with us, and he will never let us go!

Jesus is calling you--RIGHT NOW--and it is your choice whether or not you will answer. I hope that you will.


Let us pray:

Dear God, I hear you calling and I recognize you in the midst of my most difficult circumstances. Please help me to proclaim the good news regarding your love and resurrection so that all people will know that we are victorious in you! I pray this in Your Name, Amen.


INVITATION

If you have questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, “Come to Jesus” @ http://bit.ly/JVhaLta