Why are you crying?

I've said this before, and I will say it again today, I'm not a Bible Scholar. I don't have any degrees in theology or Biblical Studies. I have a poor memory and cannot quote scripture. And the truth be told, I'm not even good at remembering where verses are located. But I DO love the Bible and God's Word to us. I'm basically a blank slate. 


The Lord says to me frequently, "Be available", and that's what I try to do; to
be available in my life, time, and finances, but mostly be available so that He 
might speak. This morning as I sat here at the computer, knowing He had
something to say, He spoke a verse to me. John 20:14. 
No, He didn't quote it to me. He just gave me chapter and verse. When I 
opened my NIV Bible this is what I saw.

"At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus."

google images

Here it is in context of the surrounding verses:

John 20:10-18

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

¹⁰ So the disciples went away again to their own homes.

 ¹¹ But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept,

 she stooped and looked into the tomb; ¹² and she *saw two angels in white

 sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had 

 been  lying. ¹³ And they *said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

 She *said to  them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not 

 know where they  have laid Him.” ¹⁴ 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?”

 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.” ¹⁶ 

 Jesus *said to her,  “Mary!” She turned and *said to Him in ^[a]Hebrew,

 “Rabboni!” (which means,  Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus *said to her, “Stop clinging to

  Me, for I have not yet  ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and 

 say to them, ‘I ascend to  My Father and your Father, and My God and your

 God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene *came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen 

 the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her.

My first question was why this particular scripture, and He said it

was because someone was crying and needed to know that He was 

there with them.

I've read this so many times and the thing that I realize is that sometimes we are

so distressed  in the circumstances that we do not realize or feel that God is with us. 

Mary Magdalene had  just seen Jesus crucified and put in the tomb. Yes, the

circumstances looked the worst; Jesus was gone from them, brutally murdered, and

the plan that they had all hoped for seemed destroyed. Her future and that of all the

others in Jesus' circle was in dire jeopardy. The future  seemed hopeless and bleak.

How did they move forward when their leader, their king and friend was gone...?

Have we all not felt like this at times. We are in the middle of horrible circumstances

that cause us to lose sight of the fact that even though we do not see how things can 

work out Jesus is there with us, He is in control, and He has a plan. And His plans are 

always "good". Lately God has been reminding me to not let what is happening in the

"circumstances" blind me from the fact that He is there with me. 

I know Mary was distraught, overwhelmed with grief and sadness, and fearful and 

uncertain as how to proceed. But a voice from behind her called her name and when 

she heard that voice her attention turned from "herself" to realizing that Jesus was 

right there with her.

No matter what you are going through at this moment, Jesus is there with you. He

will listen to you and comfort you, and give you direction and peace. Sometimes He 

is speaking to us but we don't know that it is God. Get quiet and let Him speak to you. 

He is there with you, and loves you...and He does have the answers.

love in Jesus,