"A CLOSER WALK WITH CHRIST"
We all know it is vital to our salvation to develop our relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but how do we go about it? We don't hear very much about the women in Christ's life, when he was a mortal, so as women, how do we approach Him and get to know Him? In pondering this many times, I have found a wonderful pattern, a beautiful story of a woman's relationship with Jesus Christ. I would like for you tonight to come with me, away from this room, and take a look at a sacred moment in time and a woman's relationship with the Savior.
It is a spring morning. It's still dark. Three women are traveling a stony path towards the garden. These three women are in great despair for they are going to the tomb of the man whom they have followed as their teacher -- a man whom they have loved, who was crucified on the cross. One of these women is Mary Magdalene.
It is so dark they cannot see clearly. Their sorrow is great because not only was their Lord crucified, but because of the Sabbath, he was taken off the cross and they were not even allowed to prepare His body with loving service for burial. They carry in their arms precious gifts - oil, spices and cloth. I don't imagine that any of these women were wealthy so I'm sure as they went they wondered if they would have enough to do the job completely and if they would be able to fulfill the desire of their hearts, which was to give this loving service.
As they entered the garden, I'm sure they wondered how they were going to roll away the huge stone that they heard had been placed over the sepulcher. Their strength was not that great but when they reached the tomb, they found the stone had been rolled away and as they looked inside, there was a being there who told them that their Lord was there no more. I've often wondered why they didn't recognize that this was a heavenly messenger but I think their grief and sorrow blinded them to who it was. And they went away, it say in the scriptures, from the sepulcher sorrowing.
Mary stood without the sepulcher weeping and someone came and stood by her and said, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" And she in great grief said, "They have taken away my master and I know not where they have laid him." She thought he was the gardener and she asked him if he knew where Christ's body was. Then an event happened that moves my heart every time I read it. Only one word was spoken - "Mary." She looked up and she recognized who it was and she said "Rabboni" which means "Master."
Now we don't know what happened after that because we have so few words that have come down through the scriptures to us. But I do know that Jesus and Mary must have shared some tender moments of love and joy, and Christ, being ever so generous, I'm sure would not leave until He was sure that her heart was comforted and at peace.
This is a beautiful story with many lessons to teach us. The time for the great celebration of Christ's victory will shortly be upon us. You will probably hear this story again in the next month as Easter approaches, so I would like to examine some important parts of it and see what parallels we can find in our own lives.
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| Mary and the Resurrected Lord, by Harry Anderson |
The three women that came could not see the path clearly. Do we often travel through life in world-weariness, weighed down by our responsibilities, our troubles and concerns and don't feel that we can clearly see the path ahead? We pray for direction and say, "Please let me know what I should do. Which way should I go?" Take note that Mary was not alone on this path. There were two other sisters. What do you think their attitude was because of their grief? I have no doubt they stopped along the way to strengthen each other, to embrace each other, to comfort, offer words of solace and calm each other's fears.
Now sisters, you are traveling your path and maybe you cannot see your way very clearly. Look around you -- I am sure within your ward there are many who have put their arms around you, who have helped you through the troubled spots in your life, who have comforted you in your grief and sorrow and have calmed your fears. I think that's the message here. That's what we're supposed to do. That's why we are sisters traveling together.
They carried gifts with them. We all carry gifts with us but, like them, do we often wonder "Is it enough? Is it adequate? Do I have what I need to serve the Lord? Are my poor gifts meaningful or worthy?" They wondered how they were going to roll the stone away. Sisters, I don't know about you but I've faced some really big boulders in my life and I often wondered how I was going to roll those stones away so I could reach my Heavenly Father and the largest ones, that I knew were far beyond my poor strength, He has rolled away for me. In our lives when we reach that point, the end of our rope, when they say tie a knot and hang on, I'd like to say when you get to that point, reach out your hand and someone will be there to take hold of it. Sometimes only our Heavenly Father know how desperately we're reaching for help. We have to trust Him. If we want the stones rolled out of our lives, we have to rely on His strength, not just our own.
Isn't it interesting that they didn't recognize whom the messenger represented? I just think if they had said "Oh, this is a messenger from God. He's here to tell us what's happening," they would have questioned him further and they would have been comforted, but it says they turned away sorrowing. Now I wonder how many times the Lord sends angelic messengers into our lives. It may be our neighbor, our visiting teacher, our friend, it may be our husband or child, it may be a total stranger, but He does send messengers into our lives and we often don't recognize whom they represent. We don't even recognize them a messengers because we are focused on our own idea of what help we need and how it should come -- or perhaps they don't look exactly like we think messengers of the Lord should look. Have there been angels in your life that you didn't recognize because you did not realize who sent them?
It is significant to me that Mary then went off by herself and that she was alone. In our mortal lives, in our steps towards Christ, we must take them alone. We have wonderful prophets, priesthood leaders, teachers, loving family; we have all sorts of aids to help us along the way. But there comes a time when we come to the gate to enter His presence that we are alone. We have been told the gatekeeper is the Holy One of Israel, that He "employeth no servant there" and that tells me something. When I enter His presence and feel His spirit, there are just the two of us. It is an individual experience. No one can do it for me, no one can desire it for me, only I can take those steps towards the gate and enter. It is a personal experience. It is always a beautiful experience, a sacred and profound one. But we have to take the steps towards Christ. He is always there. He stands at the door or the gate of your life at this moment and He waits, but you must seek Him for yourself.
Each of us is going through our own journey of life. In our world today it is very easy to become too busy to open the gate. We don't have time to pray. We don't have time for meditation. We don't have time to think abut the Savior right now or read the scriptures. But if we don't have the secure knowledge and testimony of Jesus Christ, then all of our doing and hurrying is pointless.
How poignant it is that Mary did not recognize the Savior when he first spoke to her. How often in our lives in times of grief or pain, has He stood there and we have not recognized Him. I know in my life I have felt alone and even asked, 'Where are you?' He's always there but we have to look up and recognize Him. Why don't we? Perhaps we don't know Him well enough or perhaps we don't feel that He would come for us, that we aren't worthy of having Him be with us. Whatever it is that is keeping you from Him, it's time to get your own testimony of the fact that He is there for you.
Consider Christ's resurrection. What could Christ's resurrection have been? Think about it, the greatest victory that has ever happened in the history of human beings on this planet and others. Resurrection, the conquering of death. Now I'm sure Christ could have come forth from that tomb with legions of angels. That there could have been trumpets, that He could have spoken with a loud voice that shook the world and said "I have overcome. I am resurrected!" What did he do? His first words were to an individual -- one person. He came softly, quietly. What was his first concern? -- To comfort, to heal a heart, to bless someone whom He loved. Don't you find that breathtaking? I do. What a pattern! What a message! The one is always his first concern - the individual - us - each one of us. And his first words were to a woman. I've thought about that a lot. Why? Because she knew who He was and was ready to receive them? I think so, because His promise to her that day and to all of us was of a personal resurrection for each of us. His love, that encompasses all of mankind, is a personal love, which He manifested so clearly at that moment of His greatest triumph!
There was another significant thing that happened. What was there about him saying the name 'Mary' that caused the veil to fall from Mary's eyes and her to recognize Him? All he said was her name, 'Mary.' Waht was there in that, that made her know who it was that was talking to her? I believe it was because in that one word, her name, was all his knowing of her. She may have recognized his voice, but she hadn't earlier. No, what she recognized was that here was the one person who knew who she really was, who knew the secret desires of her heart, who knew everything about her, good and bad, and loved her totally. It could have been any name; it could have been Donna, Kathy, or Elizabeth. He comes and He does speak our name in our hearts, in our minds, and sometimes in our ears.
Now, when he speaks your name, and I know that you have felt His presence, what is there that helps you recognize who is speaking? Again, He knows you, He knows everything about you. He knows the desires of your heart. Sometimes when we say the Savior knows everything about us we think, 'Oh, He knows all the sins I've committed, all the bad things I've thought or done," but we don't thing about the other part of it. he knows all the good about us; the righteous desires of our heart, the many times we tried again, the loving service we give to our families, the light that we shine wherever we go and how hard we work to improve. He knew you before you came here. He probably knows you better than you know yourself. He knows the absolute magnificence of your spirit. He knows it. He knows who you truly are. He has a perfect vision of you. Do you think His vision is impaired at all by the faults, the imperfections, the mistakes? I don't think so. I think he sees you perfectly and whole and He uses the great communicator, the Holy Ghost, to communicate to you His perfect vision of you if you'll receive it. When He speaks your name, remember that his love is all encompassing and unconditional.
The other significant thing that happened is after He spoke her name, Mary looked up and she recognized him and she said 'Master.' Do you know why this is significant to me? Within her heart she knew who He was, there was no doubt. She didn't run and get the brethren and say 'could you tell me, is this the Master?' She didn't run and get the other women and say, 'well now, I think that this is who has appeared here, but could you affirm this for me?' No, there was total recognition - Master. She knew who He was. Think about how unlikely it was that He was there, in her mind. Nothing in her education or life had ever prepared her for a resurrection, for her master to be alive again, nothing. It was the most unlikely thing to happen and yet, she did not hesitate.
Sisters, it is time for us to build within ourselves, trust in ourselves to accept the gift of personal revelation that we have been given. It is time for us each, as an individual, to recognize the Master and know that we don't need anyone else to tell us who He is. Sister Elaine Jack said in a women's conference, "We do not need an interpreter between ourselves and the spirit. It is our privilege as an individual, as a daughter of our Heavenly Father, as a sister of Christ, to have total recognition of Him and a firm testimony that He lives."
I would like to tell you some things that I know for sure. I know that the Savior loves me. I know He loves you. I know that he atoned for each of our sins, and not only for our sins but also the place we fall short and our imperfections. I know that when we give 100% and it just doesn't ever seem enough, that He always makes up the difference, whatever it is. Now, I know that he stands ready to put His arms around us, that He waits for us to recognize Him and invite Him in that He may embrace us. I know he holds us. I know He carries us. I also know that the nature of God and Christ is happiness and when we move into joy, then we can have the gift that Paul says is having the mind of Christ, and move into His true nature. Because of this I also know that He dances with us and He sings with us and He magnifies our joy. If you feel you do not know the Savior, change that now and seek to learn of Him. When you do have that solid, firm testimony of knowing Him, nothing can destroy you. Whatever happens in life, whatever challenges or sorrows you may face, whatever you are called to do, within you there will be joy because you can say 'I know that Jesus Christ lives.'
You know Jesus Christ and have for all your life. You just need to remember. He loves you; He feels you were worth every precious drop of blood that He spilt. You are His greatest creation. His absolute purpose is to bring about your personal immortality and eternal life. He never sleeps and He never takes a vacation. He is constantly working to bring about your eternal life, even when you are not. Sisters, I leave with you my testimony today that each of you is known by the Savior - He values you. You are precious to Him. He stands ready with open arms to embrace you. He has said "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you." May each of us seek to draw nearer and have a closer walk with Him now and for eternity.
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