Day 35 | Mary Magdalene

Read Mark 16:1-8

Mary (from the Galilean town of Magdala) had her own reasons for loyalty to Jesus. The gospels reveal her forging a friendship with Jesus after he cast out seven demons from her, relieving her of her suffering. Imagine Mary’s gratitude for being freed from her affliction. Her entire life from then on overflowed with thankfulness towards her Savior. Afterward, she joined the Twelve as they followed Jesus from town to town, and she
supported the group with her own money. Mary remained with Jesus until the end of the crucifixion and also witnessed His burial. She was the first to find the tomb empty and the first to see the risen Christ.

Despite all Mary must have known about Jesus, her reaction to the angel’s news of His resurrection was fear. After the Golgotha scene she’d witnessed, the story was no doubt hard to digest. She initially ignored the angel’s instructions, fled, and kept quiet (Mark 16:8). But further on in Mark 16, after Jesus appeared to Mary, we read that she hurried away to tell the disciples. She was both afraid and overjoyed at the news.

Our own reactions to the Good News might also fall into one of these categories. Although today we may not be as likely as Mary and the disciples to be imprisoned for allegiance to Christ, do you find that your neighbor’s perception of you dampens your gratitude and eagerness to share the story? Or are you so overwhelmed with joy at the greatest act in history that you “hurry to tell” others? Jesus could have risen in a loud, bold blaze of glory, marking the event convincingly for all time. Instead, the gospels tell it almost quietly, like a secret that begs to be whispered from one person to the next. Do you think God might’ve had a reason for this? Do you think you might be part of that reason?

Pray for 10 minutes