“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw the stone [already] removed from the [groove across the entrance of the] tomb.”
JOHN 20:1 AMP https://www.bible.com/bible/1588/jhn.20.1.amp
I taught from this chapter in one of my first women’s meetings.
Looking back, my perspective was totally off.
I taught on being the tenacious woman who wants to find Jesus.
That’s great-
if it’s done in the right motive, and with the right force behind it.
Love being that force,
and,
which direction it’s coming from.
If it’s an “I love Jesus most” mentality, then it’s like Peter, before His conversion.
That love is focused on how much I can do for Jesus.
And We know how that panned out for Peter.
Same for Mary.
She was at the tomb, because she recognized that she didn’t want to let go of the Love she had found in Jesus,
but emotionally, she was a wreck.
Have you been there?
Where the circumstances are all you can seem to see in front of you,
and your perception of things is blurred by emotion?
She couldn’t even tell that it was Jesus who spoke with her.
| And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. |
| 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. John 20:14-15 |
She, supposing….
Emotions cause us to suppose things that aren’t clearly accurate.
Having just come from a season of emotional turbulence, not only can I relate,
but I have emerged with a clearer understanding about the way God wants our Lives to Flow,
in this relationship that we have with our Lord.
Jesus cleared things up for Mary when she recognized His Voice.
He does the same fir us today.
We get into doubt and unbelief when we go by what we see and not by the Hearing of His Voice.
We often,
like Mary and like Peter,
tend to try to and “pump” up the Love we have for Him,
instead of receiving the Love that He wants to share with us first.
His kind of Love is what He asked the Father to shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit.
When we believe that He Loves us First…..
We find it to be true that He is always a step ahead of us.
Before Mary looked for Him, He was waiting for Mary.
Before Peter ever made the mistake,
Jesus was praying.
Before you and I ever said,
We believe,
He Paid the price so that we could be Forgiven.
We are truly Covered.
And there is Great Peace in that.
When I find myself running around like Martha, Mary’s Sister,
trying to really, “bless the Lord,”
(in all my “tenacity”)
He reminds me of what Really blesses Him……
spending time in His Presence,
And believing the Love.
Look at John.
He was Always laying around in the Love Of Jesus.
And Like Martha, it annoyed the other disciples I’m sure,
but the Love Flow that He discovered,
the one from Jesus to Him….
thrusted Him into the Greatest of outreaches to the world.
John accomplished more for Jesus through the Revelation of Jesus’ love for him,
then being tenacious and trying to love the Lord,
Or others.
Don’t misunderstand,
Tenacity is a Good thing.
Mary found who she was looking for.
Jesus will always clear things up for us when we diligently seek Him out,
but now that we know which direction our love should flow,
let us simply lay around in His Love.
Believing it.
There is no such thing as “making Love,” for others, or for Jesus.
The only way to give Love is to have received Love from Love Himself.
Only then can you lavish it,
like He does,
onto others.
ThankFully Restored 