The Faithfulness of Mary

Mary Magdalen was a trophy of grace. Her life had been changed, transformed by Jesus. Christ had been crucified. Mary was one of the few who had not turned away from the awful scene of Golgotha. She had been faithful. On the morning of the resurrection, she made her way to the tomb to see the place where they had laid her Lord.

Mary’s life was marked by faithfulness. Faithfulness is quickly becoming an endangered species among Christians today. My prayer is that I will be faithful. I want to be a faithful husband. I want to be a faithful father. I want to be a faithful friend. I want to be a faithful preacher. I want to be as Mary was, faithful to my Saviour.

Mary was faithful. Consider these situations in which Mary was faithful:

1. MARY WAS FAITHFUL WHEN SHE HAD A HIDDEN SAVIOUR!

v13 “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”

Mary was unaware of the proximity of her Saviour. In her mind, Jesus was hidden. She did not know where He was, but she was still in the place where she thought He could be found. There will be times when God feels a bit distant in our life. Now, it is never that God is distant, but it may be that we have allowed circumstances or our own heart’s condition to impact our walk with God. Prayer might not feel as fresh. The Bible might seem as though it’s just another book. Our power level might be dwindling toward empty. It is imperative that we remain faithful to God even in those times when we feel as though “we know not” where he is!

2. MARY WAS FAITHFUL WHEN SHE BORE A HEAVY BURDEN!

v15 “Jesus saith unto her, Woman why weepest thou?”

Tears filled the eyes of Mary. Her heart was heavy. She was burdened. The Lord that she loved was gone! She did not realize that it was Jesus who now spoke to her. She had a heavy burden, yet she was faithful. Burdens are a natural occurrence in life. They come and go regularly. Faithfulness is not when we live for God and serve God when life is easy and pleasant only. Faithfulness is in loving God, living for God, and serving God even when life is hard, and the circumstances are less than favorable.

3. MARY WAS FAITHFUL WITH A HERALDED MESSAGE!

v17-18 “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord…”

Once Jesus revealed Himself to Mary, she wasted no time in running and telling others about the wonderful truth that Jesus lives! She was faithful to go and tell. No question, a paramount area where faithfulness ought to be our mark is in sharing the message we’ve been given to herald! Like Mary, we are to go and tell that Jesus died, was buried, but He also rose again!

ILLUSTRATION: On a stormy night in Birmingham, England, Hudson Taylor was scheduled to preach at a meeting at the Severn Street schoolhouse. Due to the weather, his host pessimistically told him that no one would show up. “I must go even if there is no one but the doorkeeper.” Less than a dozen people showed up. Taylor spoke, and God moved in power. Many of those who attended surrendered their lives to missions. All of this is traced back to the faithfulness of Hudson Taylor.

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