05. One Word from Christ; one word from Mary
One Word from Christ; one word from Mary And Jesus said to her, ’Mary.’ The words are a sweet and loving intercourse between Christ and Mary. In a seasonable time, when she was in all her perplexity and depth of sorrow for loss of her Lord, Christ seasonably at length, as not being able to hold any longer, but must needs discover himself, saith to her, ’Mary.’
You see, first of all, Christ beginneth, and saith,’ Mary;’ she answereth, in the second place, and saith, ’Rabboni;’ and till Christ begins, no voice in the world can do any good. The angels they spake to her, but till Christ spake nothing could comfort her. Christ began, and till Christ began nothing would comfort Mary. Christ began himself, and used but one word. It is a word, and but one word. Nothing will comfort but the word of Christ. The word that comforted her when he spake, and it was but one word, and yet enough, there was such fulness of spirit and comfort in that one word. And she answereth with one word again.
You may ask why they spake but one word. Beloved, he was full of affection, and she was full of affection also, too full, to express themselves in many words. As it is in grief, grief sometimes may be so great that scarce any words are able to express it: ingentes dolores stupent; and if any words, then broken words, which shew fulness of affection rather than any distinct sense. Christ was so full, and she so full, that a word discovers. And indeed there was so much sense, and so much love, so much contained in these little words ’Mary’ and ’Rabboni,’ that it is impossible to express them shorter; and her passion would not stay any longer discourse. It was by words, and by one word, ’Mary.’ It was by a word which sheweth he took notice of her. Christ knows the names of the stars; he knows everything by name. He knows everything of a man, to the very hair. He knows their parts, and their very excrements of their parts. He knew her, and acknowledged her too: ’Mary.’
1. It is a word of knowledge, and familiar acquaintance, and acknowledgment.
2. It is a word of compassion; because he had held her long, and now could not longer. He pitieth the state she was in. He saw her ready to sink for grief and melt for sorrow, and therefore he said, ’Mary.’
3. As it is a word of compassion, so it is a word full of exceeding love.
4. And it is a word of peculiar appropriation, ’Mary,’ whom I have so much respected heretofore. And a word of satisfaction on his part, out of his pity, and out of his love, and former familiarity and acquaintance. ’Mary,’ I am the man that thou seekest; I know what all thy seekings tend to. Thou wantest him whom thou lovest; thou wantest me; I am he whom thou seekest.
She answered him again, ’Rabboni,’ which is interpreted, Master. She returned him an answer again; she spake to him. He first began, then she follows. She found the virtue of his speech in her heart. There was an influence of it to her heart; and his love witnessing to her heart, raised her love to him again. So it was an answer of Christ’s speech, and from the same affection: an answer of love, and an answer of exceeding large affection and satisfaction to her soul. O my ’Rabboni,’ the soul of my soul, the life of my life, my joy, my rock, my all that can be dear to me. ’Rabboni,’ I have enough. As he desired to give her satisfaction, so she takes satisfaction in the word. And yet it was not full satisfaction; for after she clasps about him, and would not let him go. It was an affection that stirred up much desire more and more to have communion with him, so that he was fain to check her afterward: ’Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father.’ She had not enough; as indeed a believing, affectionate soul hath never enough till it be in heaven. And thus you see the sweet intercourse upon the apparition and first discovery of Christ to Mary. He spake to her, and she answered him again with the same affection. And it is a word of dependence, as it is fit, ’Rabboni, my Master.’ It is not only a word of honour, not any superior, but a superior in way of teaching. There was submission of conscience to the ’Rabboni,’ as the ’Rabboni,’ labouring to sit in the consciences of people. It is a Syriac word, which signifieth in the original, ’multiplication of knowledge’ in him that speaketh, and that laboureth to breed much knowledge in him that is spoken to; and. therefore it is a word of great respect and dependence (d).
She might well call him ’Rabboni,’ for he was ’Master of masters,’ ’Rabboni of rabbonis,’ the angel of the covenant, the great doctor of the church, the great ’Gamaliel,’ at whose feet all must sit and be taught. So you see what sense and affections are in these little words. The fulness of heart that was in this couple cannot be expressed, were it possible to say all that could be said. And therefore we leave the hypothesis, and come to make application of it to ourselves.