Don’t Cling to Me

To reflect God’s heart to the world around us, we need to know God’s heart and, we believe, God’s heart is most clearly represented in Jesus. In the weeks leading up to Easter, we invite you to explore the life of Jesus by reading the Gospel of John with us. As we delve into the richness of scripture, we’ll utilize the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, which invites us to slow down and posture our hearts to hear from God. With that said, let’s begin with a prayer.

Open your time by reciting these words:

Lord, as I approach scripture, prepare my heart to encounter You in its pages. Quiet the distractions that pull me away and open my eyes to see Your truth. May I encounter these words humbly, with an open mind and a receptive spirit. May my time in Scripture be a sacred encounter that deepens my relationship with You and transforms me into the image of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Lectio (Reading)

Take a moment to read John 20:11-18 slowly and attentively. As you read, pay attention to any words or phrases that stand out to you. Allow the text to wash over you, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to your heart.

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John 20:17

Meditatio (Meditation)

Jesus had a unique way of turning our world upside down. He never did things according to the book. He had little regard for our expectations of how things should be. The crowds who flocked to Jesus were hopeful He was "the one." This man from Bethlehem would overthrow the oppressive Roman government and lead them towards freedom. Jesus had different plans. Yes, they involved freeing those who found themselves imprisoned, but He died to overthrow sin's power in their lives. The crowd desired insurrection while Jesus focused on a resurrection, which explains His seemingly odd comment to Mary outside of the tomb. 

Overwhelmed with joy, Mary reached out to grasp Him, to cling to the tangible reality of His presence. But His response echoed with gentle authority, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father" (John 20:17). In those words, Jesus tenderly redirected her gaze from the physical to the spiritual, from the temporal to the eternal. There was no possible way to go back to the way things once were. He had conquered death so we might live — the old system replaced by something new...something vastly better. So why revert to a method of self-performance that could never meet the requirements for the life we desired? What God has done through Jesus is what allows us to both be forgiven and, therefore, free to forgive. His death brought us life.

Take a moment to consider what you just read. Reflect on the emotions Mary must have experienced in this moment: grief, confusion, disbelief, and then overwhelming joy at recognizing Jesus. Imagine yourself in her shoes, standing before the risen Christ. What would you say to him? How would you feel?

Contemplatio (Contemplation)

How often do we, like Mary, seek to hold onto moments, to grasp tightly to what we can see and touch? Yet, Christ invites us to release our grip on the tangible and embrace the mystery of His ongoing work in our lives. The phrase, "Do not cling to me," carries a deeper significance than a mere physical touch. It speaks to our tendency to confine God's grace within the boundaries of our understanding, to limit His work to our preconceived notions. But just as Mary had to release her grasp on the risen Christ to fully embrace His resurrection, so too must we release our hold on control and certainty to experience the fullness of His grace. For His resurrection was not merely an event confined to the past but a reality that continues to unfold in our lives today. It is a promise of renewal, restoration, and transformation, inviting us into a journey of faith marked by surrender and trust.

Take a moment to consider the areas in your life where you are clinging too tightly to the past or resisting change. How can you embrace transformation with faith and trust, knowing that God is always at work in your life, leading you forward into newness and growth?

Actio (Action)

We have a built-in longing to make things right, and for this very reason, we gravitate towards forgiveness. We believe forgiveness can pave the way to how things were before the offense occurred. However, no matter how hard we try, things are never going back to how they once were. Forgiveness requires death. For forgiveness to be felt, something has to die. God's way is the way of resurrection. Letting go of events, relationships, hopes, and dreams that we grasped onto so tightly is no easy task. Unforgiveness has the power to shape our perspective, influence our words and actions, and define our identity. 

The process of forgiveness means our pride, bitterness, anger, and entitlement have to die. As we loosen our grip, we must trust that God is up to something we are incapable of doing on our own. God takes the bad things in our lives and redeems them for His good purposes. In God's economy, death is not the end but a way of resurrection. We have been created to live a resurrected life and called to live in relationships fueled by forgiveness. 

Take a moment to contemplate the following statement: "Forgiveness requires death." What do you think this means in the context of your own experiences with forgiveness? Are there aspects of yourself or your expectations that you recognize need to "die" for forgiveness to take place?

Oratio (Prayer)

Close your time by reciting this prayer or lifting up your own:

God, when I encountered Your love, my world turned upside down. It is hard to fathom the amount of love and grace that You lavished upon me. May I be reminded of Your great love when I hold on to past hurt and pain. Rather than restoration, I will trust in redemption. Things will never return to how they once were before the wounds, but that is okay. You can bring beauty out of the ashes. May You be glorified by my response to forgive as I've been forgiven. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.