Whom are you seeking?

Whom are you seeking?

John 20: ¹⁴ Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher).

¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.’ ”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

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Needing guidance, I sought to find a mentor. I asked people who their mentor’s were and they held back the true name of their guide. Finally one person told me their mentor’s name. I approached the person and formed a quick relationship. The guidance was great for business.

• I have sought people to guide my career.
• I have sought people to guide my intellectual growth.
• I have sought people to guide my hobbies, vacations and repairs.

Mary was looking for JESUS’s body. JESUS asks her “Whom are you seeking?” as if to imply she was looking for some help from someone. When HE revealed who HE was, she was elated! Her search had truly come to fruition.

• GOD wants me to seek HIM daily.
• GOD wants me to search for HIS guidance in every situation.
• GOD wants me to be excited when I see HIS power turn hearts back to HIM.

Seeking GOD is the best thing I can do every day. But what about living? Yes, I have to make a living to eat and pay bills, but that does not have to stop me from seeking GOD each day. In fact, GOD enables me to sit and ponder HIS blessings HE has provided over my life.

HE sends me to people who are seeking HIM. Sometimes HE sends people to me when I am not seeking HIM. GOD is gracious and JESUS pours out HIS blessings by bringing me into HIS family. For that, I am truly grateful.

• Whom are you seeking?
• Are you looking for guidance from a few humans?
• Will you seek spiritual guidance from GOD who knows all, sees all and is everywhere you can go?

Actions

Actions

John 20: Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”

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Curiosity drove me to beg to leave the porch. It had stopped raining and I wanted to chase it. When I got permission, I ran to the next block. It had moved. So I ran to the next block with more determination. Unfortunately it had moved again. I could not catch the rainbow.

• Sometimes I am driven by curiosity.
• Sometimes I am driven by worry and doubt.
• Sometimes I am driven by selfishness.

Mary Magdalene was driven to go back to the tomb on the first day of the week. She “saw” the rolled away stone and “ran” to the disciples to “tell” what happened. All of her actions were driven with the utmost urgency.

• GOD wants me to have urgency when thinking about others.
• GOD wants me to seek a relationship with HIM daily.
• GOD wants me to desire to tell other people about the great things HE has done for me.

Believing, praying, telling, loving and worshipping are only a few actions GOD wants me to do regularly. But I cannot do these actions alone. It takes the spirit of GOD to move me to do things that are in HIS will. Yes, I can do actions that are pleasing to me or make me look good, but those will be summed up as worthless.

GOD sees all that I do and say. HE rewards the actions that are motivated to serve HIM. I am glad HE sees me when no one else does.

• Are you doing things to specifically please GOD?
• Are you seeking a relationship with GOD daily?
• Will you listen to GOD today and serve who HE guides you to?

Wanted and Needed

Mark 16: ⁹ Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. ¹¹ And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

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After a brief discussion, I hung up the phone. Thirty minutes later I received a call from the hiring manager. “We want you to come here.” Ten days later I was working in a new state.

• Being wanted is a great feeling.
• Being desired feels wonderful.
• Being needed makes me work a bit harder.

When JESUS rose, HE could have chosen the leaders of the day to appear to first, yet HE chose a woman who was helpless to her demons at one point in her life. She needed HIM to be GOD in her life to miraculously get her out of the situation she was in. She was grateful for all HE did for her and was dedicated to showing it the rest of her life.

• JESUS wants me to want HIM.
• JESUS wants me to need HIM.
• JESUS wants me to desire HIS ways every day.

Head knowledge about JESUS is not enough. The church leaders “knew” about GOD but did not want HIM or need HIM. They wanted and needed money and power, but not GOD. When Mary Magdalene told the disciples that JESUS was alive, they did not believe her, probably because she “wanted” HIM to be alive and they wanted a king who would appoint them to seats.

GOD wants me to want HIM the way HE is. I’d rather need GOD daily than to be the wealthiest person and not know GOD.

• Do you need GOD?
• Do you desire to be with JESUS today?
• Can you seek a relationship with GOD that accepts HIM the way HE is, just like HE accepted you the way you are?

Frightened Excitedly

Mark 16: ⁶ But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. ⁷ But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

⁸ So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

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Hearing my name called over the school intercom amongst others was a bit disturbing and intriguing at the same time. I recognized the names so I knew we weren’t in trouble. “You passed the test and got into the high tech high school” the principal said to us. I ran down the hall excited but now a bit disturbed as I had never been to a school this large before.

• Sometimes I get frightened by some exciting news.
• There were times when I heard some great news yet walked away frightened by the next steps.
• Sometimes I hear great things but get nervous about the future of that news.

An angel spoke casually to the two Mary’s. He tried to keep them as calm as possible but the news was just too overwhelming. He told them “You seek JESUS of Nazareth, who was crucified. HE is risen!” This bold statement was too much to comprehend so he tried to show the evidence by telling them to look at the rolled away stone and the empty tomb, but they were too excited and frightened.

• JESUS wants me to know HE is alive and in control of my situation.
• JESUS wants me to “Not be alarmed” but to be excited about HIS daily guidance.
• JESUS wants me to tell many people about HIM rather than focusing on the negatives around me.

Even though the strong military force who was looking for anyone associated with JESUS could find the two Mary’s, that was the least of their concern. They had a flood of emotions that included amazement and fright at the same time. GOD had blessed them with “first response” news that was a huge responsibility to tell. HE does the same with me and it is up to me to respond.

• Are you called by GOD to spread HIS great news?
• Have you gotten frightened by life that you feel paralyzed to speak about JESUS in an excited way?
• Can you get your focus back and begin speaking about CHRIST, who saved you, today?

Anticipation

Mark 15: ⁴² Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³ Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴ Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. ⁴⁵ So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶ Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷ And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

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“Is the mail here?” I asked again. I was waiting to get a prize of a free kite from sending in some huge number of box tops from the cereal I had been eating. One day there was a box with my name on it. I had not received much mail in my life, let alone to have a “box” addressed to me from a company!  I hurried to open my prize and to my delight there was my first kite.

• There were times when I waited on something special to me.
• There were times when I sat and watched for something special to happen.
• There were times when I was filled with anticipation of something good to come.

Waiting on the kingdom of GOD was probably something Joseph of Arimathea had done since childhood. When he saw the miracles of JESUS, he immediately knew he had seen GOD in the flesh. As short lived as it was, he saw what he had been waiting for and wanted to serve this dead GOD one last time, or so he thought.

• JESUS loves when I wait on HIM with faith.
• JESUS loves when I seek HIS return on a daily basis.
• JESUS loves when I spend a little time with HIM each day waiting on HIS direction.

JESUS has promised HE would return someday. In the meantime, HE wants me to serve HIS kingdom on a daily basis. Yes, I want stuff and sometimes I get stuff and sometimes I lose stuff, but the kingdom of GOD is so much more. GOD gives me peace that stuff cannot.

HE walks with me, guiding my creativity so I can honor HIM for what HE has bestowed on me. I wait on HIM daily.

• What are you waiting on?
• Does the thing you are waiting on cause you grief?
• Can you set your anticipation on GOD instead of putting such high credence in the thing you are waiting on today?