One of the things I admire about Jesus is that he is the way for anyone who chooses to approach Him. The Bible tells countless stories of Jesus dining with tax collectors, the sick and lame and women of questionable reputation. When an adulterous woman was brought before Jesus, He said "Let you who is without sin cast the first stone." This made an impact on the crowd. Moments before they were self-righteous and ready to stone her. After His comments, the crowd dispersed. Jesus told the woman to go and to sin no more.
The story of Mary Magdalene is one that is open to debate. Was she a prostitute? Or was she an independent woman that did not fit the culture of her time? I honestly don't know. The answer did not matter to Jesus; he welcomed her into His circle. He saw her as a soul on a journey
When I think of Easter Sunday, I think of the miracle of the resurrection and I can't help but notice that it was Mary Magdalene who first saw the risen Lord. That's right. Mary Magdalene, a woman of questionable reputation, was the first to see the risen Lord. For me, this is no accident. Jesus message is for all people. I am touched and humbled that Jesus chose Mary Magdalene as among the first to see Him. For me, it speaks volumes about Jesus' message.
Jesus was not interested in beautiful Easter dresses and fancy Easter bonnets. He was not captivated by fame or connection. Jesus was interested in faith and love. In Matthew 9:12, Jesus says," It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Just as He showed mercy, we are called to show mercy. We are called to leave judgement to God. None of us is perfect. None of us is without sin. Because of our own imperfections, we are called to compassion.
The concept of compassion is a common thread among the world's religions. Buddhism has a strand of meditations specifically centered around loving kindness and compassion. This type of meditation can be visualized as concentric circles. You picture yourself in the middle. You begin at the outer circle and picture an acquaintance. You pray that they have peace, mercy and compassion. You move inward praying peace, mercy and compassion for those you know AND those you know that are difficult for you. Slowly you work your way toward those in your inner circle and then yourself, concluding with "May I have peace, mercy and compassion" and finally, "May all sentient beings have peace, mercy and compassion."
Jesus gave two commands that echo these ideas on compassion: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and "Love your neighbor as yourself." I think the second command is often tougher to follow. We are not called to be self righteous. We are not called to look down on others. We are called to radical, other worldly love.
The story of Mary Magdalene is one that is open to debate. Was she a prostitute? Or was she an independent woman that did not fit the culture of her time? I honestly don't know. The answer did not matter to Jesus; he welcomed her into His circle. He saw her as a soul on a journey
When I think of Easter Sunday, I think of the miracle of the resurrection and I can't help but notice that it was Mary Magdalene who first saw the risen Lord. That's right. Mary Magdalene, a woman of questionable reputation, was the first to see the risen Lord. For me, this is no accident. Jesus message is for all people. I am touched and humbled that Jesus chose Mary Magdalene as among the first to see Him. For me, it speaks volumes about Jesus' message.
Jesus was not interested in beautiful Easter dresses and fancy Easter bonnets. He was not captivated by fame or connection. Jesus was interested in faith and love. In Matthew 9:12, Jesus says," It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Just as He showed mercy, we are called to show mercy. We are called to leave judgement to God. None of us is perfect. None of us is without sin. Because of our own imperfections, we are called to compassion.
The concept of compassion is a common thread among the world's religions. Buddhism has a strand of meditations specifically centered around loving kindness and compassion. This type of meditation can be visualized as concentric circles. You picture yourself in the middle. You begin at the outer circle and picture an acquaintance. You pray that they have peace, mercy and compassion. You move inward praying peace, mercy and compassion for those you know AND those you know that are difficult for you. Slowly you work your way toward those in your inner circle and then yourself, concluding with "May I have peace, mercy and compassion" and finally, "May all sentient beings have peace, mercy and compassion."
Jesus gave two commands that echo these ideas on compassion: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and "Love your neighbor as yourself." I think the second command is often tougher to follow. We are not called to be self righteous. We are not called to look down on others. We are called to radical, other worldly love.
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