Episode Details

John 20:16 (CEB)

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher).

Sometimes people read this story and wonder how Mary could possibly have mistaken Jesus for the gardener. How could she not recognize someone she knew so well?

I had an experience last week that helped me understand.

I was conducting the funeral for one of our longtime church members. During the service, I invited people to stand and share a memory or two. A woman stood up in the back of the sanctuary, and I said, “Go ahead, ma’am.”

Only after she started speaking did I realize it was someone I knew well—someone I simply hadn’t seen in quite a while. After the service I apologized. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you.”

She smiled and said, “I knew you didn’t.”

I laughed and replied, “If I’d recognized you, I wouldn’t have called you ‘ma’am.’"

Recognition isn’t always as simple as we think. Sometimes we don’t recognize someone because we aren’t expecting to see them.

Mary certainly wasn’t expecting to see Jesus that morning. Three days earlier she had watched him die a horrible death on a cross. Even after hearing his voice, she still didn’t realize who he was.

Then everything changed with one word.

“Mary.”

Whenever I read this passage aloud, especially around Easter, I always pause there for just a moment. I imagine the tenderness in Jesus’ voice as he spoke her name. It wasn’t simply that he knew her name. It was the way he spoke it, I’m sure—with love, with compassion, with complete understanding. In that moment, Mary knew exactly who was standing before her.

I’m convinced Jesus knows each of us that way. He knows our names. He knows our stories. He knows our joys, our failures, our fears, and our hopes. And he still calls us with love.

It’s one thing to know about Jesus. It’s another thing entirely to realize that he knows you.

Sometimes all it takes is hearing your name spoken by the One who has known you all along.

Let’s pray.

Father, thank you so much, not only that Jesus knows us to the depth of our being, but that we can know Jesus, not just know about Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

This devotional was written and read by Donn King.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.