In today’s passage the Apostle John focuses on Jesus’ interaction with Mary Magdalene. Understandably loyal to Jesus (since he did cast seven demons out of her), Mary and the other disciples desired to give Jesus a proper burial and goodbye. When they arrive to do this Sunday morning, the stone is out of place and the tomb is empty.
Suddenly, two angels appear at the place where Jesus had been laid. “Who are you looking for?” they ask. But Mary wasn’t looking for a who, she was looking for a what—a corpse. As she leaves confused and upset, Jesus appears to her. He asks her again, “Who are you looking for?”
Mary almost missed Jesus because she wasn’t looking for the risen Savior, she was looking for a dead body. In a manner of speaking, it can be easy for us to make the same mistake. It’s possible for God to make his presence known to us, but we miss it because we’re looking for something different.
Some people are looking for a God who protects their lives from difficulty. Some of us are looking for a God who supports us no matter what lifestyle we choose to live. God is looking for all of us. And interacting with God is the most life-giving experience you can have on this earth. The real God is better than the “god” who keeps you from pain or the “god” who turns a blind eye. The true God is the Perfect Father who rescues and adopts us into his family.
Ask yourself the question Jesus asked to Mary, “Who are you looking for?” Does your idea of God align with some of the examples shared above? Spend some time in prayer over these questions and allow God to work in your heart.
