Mary Magdalene went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning to grieve. Alone, she went in darkness to be with the body of her friend. Yet when she arrived, she was met with a bewildering sight. The tomb was empty.
His life had been taken away by the powers of the Roman state. His body had been taken away, perhaps by those same authorities, out of fear that people like Mary would come to visit his tomb and remember him as a martyr. Mary was aware of this possibility as she witnessed his public execution. In the moment of encountering the empty tomb, Mary may have felt like she had lost Jesus all over again.
Imagine her surprise in realizing that Jesus was actually there with her. He calls her name, and she is bewildered in a different way. Instead of his inexplicable absence, she was confronted by his presence, which until then had been just out of her sight. She calls him “Teacher,” and he teaches her a final lesson: “Stop holding on to me…” He tells her that she has a mission and she cannot fulfill it by staying at the tomb. She has to share the Good News that Jesus was not dead but alive, that he would be with God but would remain mysteriously present with those he loved.
Mary’s transformative experience invites us to reflect on whether we are hovering around any tombs in fearful grief that prevents us from seeing God’s presence. What do we need to let go to share the Good News of God’s love? In moments of confusion and loss, we are assured that death is not the final word and that God has not left us.