Abandoned

" . . .she turned around and saw Jesus . . . Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord . . .” (John 20:11-18)

At the beginning of Jesus’ recorded ministry, he came across a woman from Magdala. Her name was Mary, and she was tortured by seven demons. Jesus set her free from them all. She became one of the women disciples who followed Jesus and supported the ministry. It is not clear if she invested monetarily or by cooking and serving Jesus and the disciples. Her heart belonged to her Christ, Who had set her free. She loved Him. She believed in Him. She identified as one of His followers. He was her all. She literally walked in His presence daily. But then He died—not only died but suffered the shame of the cross. He was buried. Along with Him, her hopes, dreams, new reputation, even her investment of time and possible money—all was gone. Everything seemed hopeless. But Mary Magdalene pushed past the despair, the whispers of others, the confusion, her emotions, her reasoning. She didn’t care what others said. She chose to seek Him. She identified with Him in His death, even going to anoint the body for burial, to care for Him. As a result she became the first recorded to see the resurrected Christ. Imagine! Her reason for life, Jesus, seamed to be dead. She may have had familiar feelings of abandonment creeping into her heart. But she chose to twist the feelings abandonment into wild abandoning of her heart to Him. As her heart is focused only on Christ, she sees Him. She not only sees Him but is the FIRST to see the Resurrected Christ.

ACTIVITY

On a piece of paper write moments when you felt hopeless, alone, disappointed. Take the paper, give those moments to God. Abandon your heart completely to Him and see Him. Whatever He shows you in your heart’s eye, draw it or write it down on paper. Pray what He shows you.