When Mary Magdalene sees Jesus risen from the tomb, she mistakes him for the gardener and begs to know where Jesus’ body was taken. Then Jesus calls her by name and says “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:17).
Jesus said, “Go and tell,” and Mary announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” Go and tell is our job description, too. Our friends are waiting to hear about why we believe, yet we hesitate to speak for fear of offending. Our faith in the living God shouldn’t be the best-kept secret in our lives. If we are silent, how will others hear?
It’s our turn to be the gardener. When we tell the story of God’s activity in our lives, we plant the seeds of faith in someone’s heart. God will send the sunshine and the rain to help that faith grow.
This message is adapted from a devotion by Lynn Frank, published in a Women of the ELCA stewardship guide.
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