He Knows Your Name

**Sit quietly, eyes closed and in silence for one minute before reading.**

“But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; 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. 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.' When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 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.' Jesus said to her, 'Mary!' She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, 'Rabboni!' (which means, Teacher). John 20:11-16

    Some of us wonder if Jesus knows our name. Even in our pursuit of Him, for whatever reason, sometimes we cannot see Him.    

    I love this story of Jesus and Mary. I love her vulnerability and her pursuit of Jesus. I love Mary’s desperation to find Jesus. Yet in her great desperation she did not recognize Jesus. I do not know why she did not recognize Him. Maybe she was blinded by her pain, focused on her pursuit of Him, still reeling from the empty tomb. I do not know. What we do see is that she recognizes Him the moment Jesus says her name, “Mary”.

    Jesus knows our names as well. We cannot see Him but He sees us. You may be in a time of life where you cannot hear Jesus say your name. You may not be able to hear or feel anything. Consider Mary and remember that Jesus does know your name. He has not forgotten and He is with you.

**Sit in silence again for as long as is available to you.**