How many women are present here this morning?
In many ways, this is your day to celebrate, because it was a woman who was the first to see the Risen Christ. Not Peter, not John, but Mary Magdalene.
Jesus chose her.
But why? We all want to see the Risen One, so what can Mary teach us?
***
On the surface, it seems like very little. Mary Magdalene did nothing great in the world’s eyes.
She never married. She never went to college. She never held public office. She didn’t write a single page of the New Testament.
She was uneducated, a peasant, and by some accounts, a prostitute. Her only claim to fame was being possessed by seven demons.
Mary was the village outcast, the source of many jokes. She was judged, laughed at, or ignored by many.
***
But then she met Jesus. He treated her in a way that no other man ever had. He loved her. He forgave her. He healed her. He gave her meaning. He gave her hope. She was worth his time.
And Mary, in return, followed him faithfully to the very end – and beyond.
As a woman, she was not allowed to stand up and testify on Jesus’ behalf while he was being put on trial. But she watched. She stayed by his side, even as he hung from the Cross.
Peter, meanwhile, was nowhere to be found.
And after Jesus died, it was Mary Magdalene who went to his tomb to anoint his body with oil (John 20:1). That is why we find her there on Easter morning. The Apostles, meanwhile, were locked inside a room, hiding in fear.
Mary did nothing extraordinary. She simply watched Jesus die, and three days later went to anoint his body. That’s all she could do. But behind those simple actions was a heart dedicated to Jesus. That’s why it mattered so much.
She was a true friend to him, even in his darkest hour. It only seems fair, then, that Jesus would choose her to be the first one to see him after he’s risen from the dead.
***
Like Mary Magdalene, how many of us are searching for Jesus? How many of us have had our lives changed by him?
And like Mary, how many of us are trying to love one another in little ways – cooking meals for our family, doing the dishes, getting the kids ready for school, visiting a friend who is sick, letting go of past hurts, remembering someone’s birthday, or praying for those in need?
Behind these small gestures are hearts filled with love. That’s why they mean so much to us. We are doing what we can for others.
***
Mary was a true friend, who loved Jesus to the very end. Imagine how happy she was to see him once again.
In the same way, Jesus rejoices when we love one another in ordinary ways, because we are his face and his voice until he returns.
May Mary Magdalene intercede for us as we continue our Christians journeys, for she rejoices in the presence of the Risen Christ.
And one day we will, too.
