The disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying.  John 20:10,11

Last time I wrote about my interest in Mary who was call Magdalene. What was it about her that Jesus decided to appear to her first after His resurrection? He sent angels to appear to others, but He, Himself, appeared to her first.

And while we’re on the subject, don’t believe everything you see in the movies: the structure of the text where Magdalene is talked about in the Gospels makes it a near certainty that she was older than Jesus’ mother, Mary. Her relationship with Jesus wasn’t a youthful, romantic infatuation as some movies and dramas suggest.

No, she had spiritual vitality. Some call it devotion. And occasionally we see it set her apart from  from Jesus’ disciples. Of course, they were the ones who seem to never be able to resolve their argument about which of them is greatest in the Kingdom—which should tell us something. We can fake devotion, or even trick ourselves into believing that we’re hotter stuff in the Kingdom than we really are.

It’s just that…there’s a difference between sloughing along in the faith and living passionately in Jesus. I suspect that if we looked at Magdalene’s life we’d find she would answer ‘yes’ to the following statements:

1. The people who know me best—the ones that are closest to me—are the ones who know the most that I am in love with Jesus.

2. My devotion to Jesus regularly makes a tangible difference in the decisions I make.

3. I regularly see the Holy Spirit working in my life to conform me in to the image of Jesus and bless others through me.

4. I find myself constantly worshiping and interacting with God. The Father, Son, and Spirit are uppermost in my thinking.

5. I am in awe of God’s presence today more than I was 1, 2 or 5 years ago.

Notice that these questions didn’t ask if we were helping the poor, serving at church, or other easily-measured things. What little we know about Magdalene she had that all, too, but that wasn’t what sent her to the Garden early one Sunday morning. It was her love, passion, delight, and pleasure in Jesus that drove her devotion…that drove her more tangible ministry.

We are what we worship.