But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. 13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. 17 Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.
When the disciples left, Mary, who was standing outside the tomb (v. 11), looked in and saw two messengers of God (v. 12). They asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping” Mary answered, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him (v. 13).” Mary first expressed that concern to the disciples (Jn. 20:2). Mary did not recognize the risen Christ when he first appeared and thought he was the gardener. She said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him. (v. 15)” This is the third time Mary had expressed her concern about what happened to Jesus’ body. When she recognized Jesus, she clung to the risen Lord. His body had not been taken and she was overjoyed. Jesus did not die, then be resurrected, and then ascend to Heaven. When Jesus died, he passed into an entirely new state of being (Jn. 20:26) and since he had not yet completely returned to his Father, Mary should not hold onto him physically. Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and return to his Father was all one event that reconciled mankind with God (Jn. 12:32-33). The risen Christ instructed Mary to go to his “brothers (v. 17),” and as brothers God would be their God and their Father. Mary was sent to announce Christ’s resurrection to his disciples.
Almighty God, through you all things exist and through the suffering, death and resurrection of your Son, the source of our salvation, all things were brought to perfection so that could truly be our Father and our God. Help us, we pray, to be worthy of so great a sacrifice. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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