Christ Sees Something in You

 

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When she was in college, one of our daughters was interested in a particular part-time job but didn’t feel qualified for it. “I have no experience!” she said. She applied anyway. During the interview, her potential employer saw some things in her that he knew were valuable assets: her openness to new endeavors, her past accomplishments, and her willingness to learn. She got the job and thrived in it.

In Jesus’ time, women were at the bottom of the social ladder. Yet it was to a woman, Mary Magdalene, that Christ first appeared after His resurrection. (Side note: Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute as some have portrayed her to be. Rather, she became one of Jesus’ constant companions after He cured her of seven demons. See Luke 8:1-3.) Jesus didn’t appear first to Peter, the ‘rock.’ He showed Himself to Mary, a ‘nobody’ in society. Maybe He chose her because He had seen something special in her: love and loyalty, demonstrated when she stayed at the foot of the cross with His mother. 

When Jesus instructed Mary Magdalene to tell the apostles that He had risen, she didn’t say to Him, “But I’m a woman; they won’t listen to me.” She didn’t consider that she wasn’t qualified for the job. She did what Jesus asked her to do: She ran ahead and announced to the apostles that she had seen the risen Christ. She trusted Him to open their hearts to this incredible news. Because of this, Mary Magdalene has been called ‘the apostle to the apostles.’ 

Maybe you’ve had thoughts like, "I would love to ____" or "I wish I could be more ____." If you’ve had an idea of how you could make a positive difference in your part of the world, or how you could be more loving toward the people you encounter every day, trust that Christ has put those ideas in your head. If you’ve come up with reasons why you couldn’t accomplish those things, remember that Christ sees more in you than you see in yourself. He sees your potential. He sees your goodness. He sees your desire for a more loving world. He sees your wanting to be a more loving person. 

Try to see yourself as Christ sees you. Seek Him, as Mary Magdalene did. Ask Him to guide you toward turning your ideas into realities. Be open to something new that He may want to do for you or through you. Do everything, one moment at a time, with love. Trust Him to work in the hearts of those around you to find Him through your actions.  

“Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’ and what he told her.” – John 20:17-18

“Lord, help me see myself as You see me.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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