“Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”
She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”
16 “Mary!” Jesus said.
She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).
John 20:15-16, NLT
A word, a name– and when He speaks it, it crackles. “Mary!” His recognition and affection saturates His greeting.
And instantly Mary ignites. Her love for Jesus is instantly awakened. Her heart bounds to Him, and she can see no one else. Simply, “Mary”, and her routine universe is changed forever.
The Lord does not see masses, or crowds.
He sees people, individuals that have names. He simply doesn’t accept the idea of mass communications to make disciples. His heart is for individuals. He does not make styrofoam cups, He makes individual people. And that is exactly how He responds.
Her immediate response is just as forthcoming. “Rabboni”. The simple Hebrew word for “teacher”. Obviously her relationship with Jesus has infused this word with much more than meets the eye. As we trace her history with Jesus we develop a deep understanding into her walk.
You might say that Mary was well acquainted with spiritual things— for her it was almost exclusively evil. Mark 16 tells us of seven demons that had tortured her. Jesus had cast these dark powers out of her. She understood the dark torment Satan once had over her.
Mary speaks just one profound word.
‘Rabboni.’ That word has deep and strong connotations. Primarily, it has the concept of someone superior and yet exercising that gift in a quality way. Mary has been given a quite exceptional gift–an opportunity to be a student who sits at Jesus’ feet. Teacher.
Her ‘turning’ to Jesus is remarkable, but she is still not quite there yet. However she turns to look at Him who now has risen out of death. She already has evaluated all of this and she decides to commit. Mary has arrived at the very place Jesus has chosen for her.
Jesus fully intends to make us His disciples.
Embracing Him as God is a serious and brave step. Actually, it is a ‘reality shifting’ concept that will change us. That does not mean we will stop struggling. But what it does mean is that certain things are now established.
Can you trust Him that far?
“Christ will always accept the faith that puts its trust in Him.”
Broken Believers 