On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him."…
But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what he told her. (Jn 20:1-2,11-18)
Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning. All the disciples were frightened of the Jews after the death of Jesus and they were afraid to come out of their house. But this woman came out; breaking the fetters of fear. She came out because of her love for Jesus. She came out and this might be because she also believed in the words of Jesus about his own resurrection. Belief and love compelled her to come out of herself.
Her love for Jesus was so much that she wanted to see him only. She wanted to associate with him and commune with him. And this was the reason that she ran to the tomb. She wanted to see him as she has known him; probably in human form. That was why she saw a gardener in the person standing there. She could not go beyond the human form of the gardener.
Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, 'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Those who have recognized the Lord should not cling on to him and save the experience for themselves in stead they should go to the others and communicate the same to them. Experience is to be communicated.
