Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb, looking for Jesus. She sees the gardener there, but actually it’s Jesus. You probably know the story. (See below for a refresher.)
I spent time reflecting on this today and I ended up with lots of questions more than answers, and envisioned some scenarios. And it was a fascinating contemplation for the few moments that life let me silently contemplate. I definitely logged in away in the “sit with this awhile” pile. And thankfully at 11pm all the kids were finally asleep + I was done chatting with Ryan for the night (think: me just dumping a load of random disjointed thoughts at him for 10 mins –which was my day summarized into snippets) and I could finally just sit and be with these thoughts.
Here is an assortment of my thoughts (in no particular order):
What was Jesus doing to make her think it was the Gardener? When the woman caught in adultery is about to be stoned he writes something in the earth. I envisioned Jesus perhaps bent down softly touching plants or even pulling up weeds or just pushing the earth around with his hands or a stick. He’s just absorbed in the nature of the garden for the garden’s sake.
What were “cemeteries” like in ancient Judea? Did they have gardeners? Was this a normal thing for Mary Magdalene to think (that she saw a Gardener) or was this completely “crazy”? Like one of those “Well I thought it was X. But then I realized X would never happen in Y.” moments (–“like at first I thought I saw the Loch Ness monster, but then I realized I was in Canada” or some better example to that effect).
If there are gardeners would they start gardening before dawn?
What about Jesus’ appearance made him appear to be the Gardener? I’m guessing he wasn’t all glow-y and perhaps he was plain or rugged or even dirty. Jesus was just Resurrected and then he just returned to Earth all “ho hum” and nonchalant and ordinary. So ordinary that even He could be confused for being the gardener. ….Pause a moment to consider that. That upon Resurrection and being in ultimate Glory he was still like Us. He is us. He became us, dwelt among us, died for us, and rose from the dead …and then took up gardening (haha), but seriously — he was rose from the dead and was Glorified and yet he was still “accessible”. (I’m struggling to describe this. Someone feel free help me out and figure out what I mean to say.)
When Jesus rose from the dead he didn’t set out to prove to the world that “Hey look all you disbelievers. Do you believe me now?”. He didn’t immediately set out into the world to prove he was the Christ, the Messiah, the Chosen One of God. No. He spent some time in God’s garden. It made me think of the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden all was right between God and Man. The fallen world is no Eden, but thinking of Jesus in the garden had me thinking about Eden and how Jesus repairs Adam + Eve’s original sin. Jesus saves. He is our savior. And while we cannot go back to the Garden of Eden, His sacrifice on the cross allows us something even better –to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven –to enter into the eternal Garden of God’s goodness/love/mercy/glory.
Jesus the Gardener. Have mercy on us.
I have always come at this aspect of the story in a “Mary thought this silly thing” way. I had quite a fantastic time just sitting with this one element of the Resurrection story. Ah to be a contemplative and see such depth in all the elements of Scripture!! I can only imagine the awe inspiring insights God grants to those who take time with His Word. Today, for me, God had me pause on “Jesus the Gardener” today and I am ashamed that I never thought deeply about this before, but so grateful that I spent time on this contemplation today.
May I dwell with Jesus in his Garden. May I recognize the Lord in all the places He speaks to me – especially in those that are most unexpected. May I see Him for who He truly is.
Here’s another thought. Jesus’ says “Mary!”. He doesn’t say “Mary.” or “Mary, Mary. It’s me Jesus.” I am so curious how this “Mary!” with the exclamation point sounded. However Jesus said it Mary immediately was able to recognize Jesus when she hadn’t been able to recognize Him before. In one simple word — in her name. Jesus knows us. Jesus calls us by name. He sees us and knows us even if we do not fully see or recognize Him. What depth of love!
Also, Mary was chatting with two angels. It’s all nonchalant like she knew it was angels she was talking with. She holds a normal conversation. And then she thinks Jesus is the Gardener. ….So did she know they were angels? Or who did she think was hanging out in Jesus’ tomb? Assuming she thought them angels then it seems extra incredible that she thinks Jesus is the Gardener.
But she did not know it was Jesus. When we are resurrected what will our resurrected bodies look like? We potentially will not look like ourselves, right? Assuming Jesus is the standard and not the exception. …What a curious day it will be!!
What do cemetery gardeners do? In modern times the “gardener” is the maintenance worker who cuts the grass, perhaps places American flags on Veterans’ graves, uses the backhoe to dig the grave. What did “gardener” look like to first century Jews? …In modern times the gardener/maintenance worker is fully transactional as it’s a job and you get the job done. You don’t have to have religion or feelings or faith or anything other than be the body that gets paid to do the things it’s been asked to do. Was it similar in the past? Or did a “gardener” have fuller meaning, purpose, interpretation? … Again, is it funny that Mary thinks she is encountering a Gardener in the first place? Or is this encounter entirely possible and normal? … There is so much I don’t know!! That is great I guess for contemplation, but not so great for catechetical answers!!
John Chapter 20: The Empty Tomb.*
1 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. 2 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.” 3 So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.
4 They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; 5 he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. 6 When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths* there, 7 and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. 8 Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. 9 For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples returned home.
The Appearance to Mary of Magdala.*
11 But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. 13 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.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. 15 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.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”* which means Teacher. 17 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.’” 18 Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.
Give God Your Yes 