Garden

“Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’” (John 20:15).

Christ and Magdelene (Rembrandt)

I have been reflecting on the interaction between the Risen Christ and Mary Magdelen in the Garden on Easter Sunday…

The words of the passage are so interesting to me.  You see, the disciple when she first sees Christ mistakes Him for a Gardener.

This is not the only garden mentioned in the Bible…

We are told about the first garden that God planted…

“Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.  The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:8-9).

In that garden the first human beings were placed.  We were given food and water and shelter there.  In that same garden Satan entered and tempted first Eve who sinned and passed the sin to Adam.  And that was the first place – that garden – where we humans fell…

But, in the New Testament – after the resurrection – we are told that Christ was found – resurrected – in a NEW garden…

“Mary stood weeping outside the tomb...she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rab-boni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father.’” (John 20:11-18).

There – in that interaction – we see the new role of Christ.  He is the NEW gardener tending the NEW garden.  And we are the branches of His Vine…

““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:1-5).

And like Mary Magdelene, instead of seeing this new purpose, I am fixated on my own suffering and sorrow.  I look inward instead of upward.  And in doing so I fail to see Christ – the Eternal Gardener.  Instead, I see only my suffering and sorrow.  And when I meet Christ on the journey – like the Magdelene – I see only a gardener…

But, just as Christ called Mary Magdelene by name, so too does He call me.  And THIS is how I can truly see…

How lucky I am to be inside the Garden of Christ…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.