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Jerusalem is silent now,
Her priests and warriors sleep;
And dimly on yon vaulted brow,
The stars their vigils keep:
Unheeded is that voiceless gloom--
That stillness has no dread
To her that weeping seeks the tomb
Of the beloved Dead.
from Mary at the Sepulchre
by William B. Tappan (1794-1849)
It's Sunday morning in Jerusalem, the third day removed from the crucifixion of Jesus. For those who listened, for those who heard, this is the day that would either validate or debunk the life and teaching--indeed, the very character--of Jesus. If the dawn will vindicate him, it will not be by the testimony of his own power. For his heart of compassion is still; his hands of healing are at rest; his voice of wisdom is silent.
Mary of Magdalene--faithful and prominent among Jesus' disciples, beyond even some of the apostles--arose early on Sunday to visit the garden tomb of Jesus. The distraught disciple was inconsolable when she discovered his body was missing. She questioned everyone: Peter and John; the two figures casually sitting in the tomb, "angels unawares"; and finally a man whom she assumed was the gardener and vested with the care of the premises.
"Mister," she said to the gardener, weeping, "If you've carried him away, tell me where you've laid him, and I'll take him away." The gardener--Jesus, unrecognized--must have thought, "This is the very love we sought when we created the heavens and the earth." He tenderly spoke her name, "Mary." It was the way he said her name. She collapsed into his embrace.
The sheep hear his voice,
and he calls his own sheep by name...
and the sheep follow him,
for they know his voice.
Now here's the irony of the story. Long before, in another garden, one of unimaginable beauty, God formed Adam from the dust of the earth. He charged him "to work the ground and to keep it in order."
Adam was a gardener.
In 1 Corinthians 15:45, the Apostle Paul contrasts the first Adam with the "last Adam," Jesus. On this Sunday, Jesus' day of validation, the Father raised Jesus from the dust of the earth, breathed life into his lungs, and there in the garden initiated the new heavens and earth.
Mary had it right. She had met The Gardener. The Gardener of new creation.
How might the image of Jesus as The Gardner speak to you?
What might be possible if you were to consecrate a small garden space as a place of contemplation and prayer, there to meet The Gardner?
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Michael Fox
m·agine!
530/613.2774
407 Myrtle Drive
Farmerville, LA, USA 71241 |
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In addition to personal and professional coaching,
m·agine! specializes in spiritual transformation coaching,
employing its proprietary models
--Values, Vision, Voice and Heart, Soul, Mind & Strength--
as well as
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® curriculum
published by CPP, the People Development People.
Michael's books include
Complete in Christ,
Complete in Christ Spiritual Transformation Workbook,
and Biblio·files.
Coaching fees are based upon a sliding scale. Contact us for details.
For additional information, visit our website at maginethepossibilities.net.
Limited scholarships are available for spiritual transformation coaching.
On the flip side, if you are able, please inquire about opportunities
to fund scholarships for those who cannot afford coaching fees.
View our archives!
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