Day 24. Rabboni!
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"She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" John 20:16
Jesus had not forgotten Mary's name in His experience of death. It was the ancient heathen belief that death washed from the soul all memory of the earthly life — its loves, its sorrows, all its recollections. But here we see Jesus on the other side of death, and the old affections are found unchanged in Him.
He met Mary and His other friends, and took up the threads of the tender story of love, just where they had been broken off three days before when He died. This fact ought to be very comforting. Love is stronger than death. When our friends pass through death, whatever changes may be wrought in them or upon them — we know that there will be no change in their love for us.
Death will not sever the ties that bind Christian hearts together on the earth. We shall meet again in the after life, and remember each other and love each other as before, and take up the old threads of affection and go onweaving loves web forever.
When Jesus had called Mary and she recognized Him by His voice, she at once answered Him in the one word "Rabboni!", "Master!" This name by which she called Him showed the loyalty of her heart, and the consecration of her life to Him. Many people get only a half-conception of Christian faith.
They believe in Christ as a Saviour — but do not think of Him asLord — their own personal Lord. They think of faith only as trusting for salvation, and do not understand it also as obedience and service. Mary had the true conception. Her answer to Christ's call, implied the surrender of herself to Him. All true faith accepts Christ in two ways, and under two names.
First, it receives Him as Saviour , Jesus, trusting in Him alone for salvation. "Simply to your cross I cling." Next, it accepts Him as Lord, Rabboni, yielding the life to Him. The saved soul owes obedience, submission, loyalty, service.
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