See Thee More Clearly

Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” John 20:18

In the 20th chapter of John, we can accompany Mary as she proceeds to Jesus’ tomb early on a Sunday morning, after waiting for the Sabbath to end. We can expect her to be weeping as she approaches the tomb, but she notices the stone is rolled away. There are two angels in white sitting at both sides of the stone where Jesus’ body would have been. When the angels ask why she is weeping, she answers perplexed, “Where have they taken my Lord?” 

As if that was not supernaturally dramatic enough, she turns and sees Jesus without recognizing Him. She thinks Jesus is a gardener! “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him!” she accuses. When Jesus says her name, “Mary!”, she finally recognizes Him, and says in awe, “Rabbouni,” which is Hebrew for teacher. 

Many times we do not recognize Jesus. I am sure He has visited us many times. Is it not that He said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40) Sometimes He comes to us in the poorest of the poor, in the sick, in the weary, and the hopeless. When we do something for them, for an orphan, a typhoon victim, a prisoner, we can be sure we do it for Jesus. And although we do not call them “Rabbouni”, the poor, the sick, the disabled, they can all teach us something profound. We can be transformed if we open our hearts to God’s proddings. God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts, but if we care to learn His ways and His thoughts, He will train us in all sorts of unique means. 

This Easter season, may we ask God for the grace to “see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, follow Thee more nearly, day by day”.