Mary Stayed

Photo credit: Free-images.com

 “Action expresses priorities.” – Mahatma Gandhi

If someone were to question our priorities, most of us would say that our work and family obligations are at the top of our list, as they should be. Some would say that our work and family take up all of our time. So we might want to ask ourselves, “How high is God on my list of priorities? How much time do I give to God to let Him show more of His love to me? How eager am I to learn more not only about Him but also from Him?” If our answer is along the lines of ‘very little,’ then maybe we could learn something from Mary Magdalene.

On Easter morning, Mary ran and told Peter and John that Jesus’ tomb was empty (see John 20:1-18). The guys ran to the tomb and found everything as Mary had described. (Side note: The runners in our family chuckle that John mentions no less than four times that he ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first.)

Then, after seeing the empty tomb and the burial cloths set aside, the apostles left. 

And Mary Magdalene stayed.

She stayed and continued to search. She didn’t know what she would find; she certainly wouldn’t have expected to find Jesus alive. Still, she felt compelled to stay. She had questions that needed answers. She wanted to find Him. She wanted to know more. 

Mary’s top priority was to find her Friend. When Jesus disguised Himself as the gardener, she begged Him to tell her where Jesus’ body was. Finally, when Jesus called her by name, she recognized Him. She found Him because she had stayed.

Do we stay? Do we give God time to show Himself to us? Do we search for answers to our questions? Do we acknowledge that Christ is offering us a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him, not just to know more about Him but also to know Him more? Do we read materials or listen to people who can help us find that more? 

Let’s stay. Let’s make time – even just ten minutes a day – to look for Christ. Look for evidence of His love for us in Scripture, especially through the psalms, the gospels, and throughout the New Testament. Look for His love expressed through the beauty of creation. Then, see Him disguised as a young man with Down’s Syndrome packing our groceries. See Him hidden in the struggling student who tries our patience. Look for Him in the people we encounter: in line, or on a plane, or at a coffee shop. Let Him speak to us through them and to others through us.

Let’s stay and look for Christ. Let’s make finding Him a top priority.

“Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.” – John 20:11

Open my eyes, that I may see You. Open my ears, that I may hear You. Open my heart, that I may love You in the people around me.

Thank you for reading my reflection.  All thanks to God for giving me the ideas and guiding my words! 

© 2025 Gina Bedell   

  

Through these reflections, I invite you, the reader, to reflect on a given topic and then seek deeper answers through prayer, additional spiritual reading, and/or consultation with clergy or other qualified persons in order to grow in your faith and understanding of God’s love and will for your life. 

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P.S.

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