Timeless truth: If you seek God with all your heart God will be found. He promises that. Jeremiah 29:13-14. I only cry over sports movies. But that is what tears tell God. That is often what tears tell us about a person.
Jeremiah 29:13-14. So God promises to be found by those who seek him with all their hearts. You can trust in this about God. It is what's at play with Mary at the tomb (John 20). She has been there, goes and gets the men. And then she comes back. The men get enlightened. But they do not talk to her. They are still processing. So Mary is left standing by the tomb weeping, confused.
So God wishes to be found. Her heart reaches out to God. She looks into the tomb and sees two angels. None of the men saw anything. The angels say, "Woman, why are you weeping?" This is a time for joy, not weeping. Her response has a tinge of anger to it, don't you think? "They have taken my Lord and I do not know where to find him." Jesus feels compassion for her. She is seeking with all her heart. God promises to be found by all who seek with all their heart. I find it hard to do that, through all my pride. Yet it happens for me where I am unconscious of trying. Surely Mary is not conscious of trying. She is just feeling her pain, letting it happen.
So Mary turns and there is Jesus. Jesus appears first to Mary. It is because Mary is seeking and confused. Jesus repeats what the angels said. "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you seeking?" God lets us process. Jesus helps her to figure it out. Mary has still not looked up into his face so she does not recognize him. Then Jesus calls her name, "Mary!" At that point her life is changed. God has allowed himself to be found. She responds with a word not translated, "Rabboni!" It means teacher but must mean more than that, perhaps "my teacher" is more accurate.
God promises to be found when we seek with all our heart. Lord give us the grace to seek you with all our heart.
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