John 20
Today’s gospel passage from St John is filled with symbolic devices. The episode begins when it is still dark – representing the sorrow, confusion, and frustration lying in Mary Magdalene’s heart. The space of this episode is a cemetery – a place of the dead. And she stood at the mouth of Jesus’ tomb – an entrance to despair and oblivion.
But all these sorrowful signs are so dramatically transformed into miraculous joy. The tomb turns out a new womb for eternal life. The place of the dead is rejuvenated into a new garden of Eden. This new garden of life is no longer guarded by the cherubim. No longer the flaming sword prohibits anyone from the way to the tree of life. Rather, two angels console the woman. And the tree of life stands before the woman and calls her. This new Adam once again gives the woman her name, Mary, as the first Adam gave the first woman a name, Eve. As receiving her name, she recognizes her Lord; she found the tree of eternal life.
What happens next? The first woman, Eve, brought Satan’s lie to her man, Adam, and they both fell into sin and death. Now, Mary Magdalene brings the truth of the Lord’s resurrection to the disciples. She brings the news of eternal life to men!
Was this beautiful parallel a part of the providential plan? Probably yes. However, there is one thing to note. The first woman was given to Adam. She was created and placed in the garden of Eden. But now, this woman, Mary Magdalene, went to the place of the resurrection on her own. She was not sent by the apostles. Before his death, Jesus didn’t ask her to visit his tomb on the third day. She ran there because she loved the Lord. She was chosen as “the apostle to the apostles” because she went to the garden of life on her will.
It is commonly said that Mary Magdalene used to be a woman of the streets. But through Jesus, she received hope. And she became the first witness of the resurrection. No matter how sinful we were, the Lord gives us hope. And if we only have the will to approach him, he gives the fruit of the tree of life. All we need is to run to him, even it is still dark.
