Grace in the world
And for us today, well our starting point is the same. We need to hear Jesus utter our names again. To witness and believe the impossible that God can do in us and in the world. Those things we couldn’t possibly believe can happen that then become possible when we are called by name.
Jesus calls us by name each and every day but on this day He calls from the resurrection, He has borne our sin, removing what is impossible for us to remove, so that we might answer that call once again or for the first time.
Jesus calls our names so that we hear our heavenly father once more implore us to humble ourselves, and pray and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways and then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Jesus calls our names above the noise of the world, above the chatter of social media and partisan news reports. Jesus calls out the violence, hate and anger and sepak peace, love and joy. He calls our names above the storm of despair, grief and loss and says “come, here is life”.
Jesus calls our name so that we might turn and see him. Turn away from those things that, that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
He says run with perseverance the race marked out for you. Fix your eyes on me, the pioneer and perfecter of your faith.
And for us the same is true for what happened next for Mary…
Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
Mary is told to go, commanded even. Reminiscent of the Great Commission “Go... to my brothers and tell them” When we hear Jesus call us by name we are revelation to others. Mary’s first ministry on having her eyes opened by the resurrection was “go and tell others”.
Our call is also to reveal what Jesus has revealed to us. That our sins are forgiven, that despair will be changed to hope, hate to love, and death to life. When we hear Jesus call our name, the impossible becomes possible and as we turn to see him we can tell others “I have seen the lord”...