Do Not Cling, Go Tell
Jesus told her, “Do not cling to me, since I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” - John 20:17
When Mary realized who Jesus was, her instinct was to cling to Him. That response makes sense. The One she believed was gone forever was suddenly standing alive before her. Holding on felt natural.
But Jesus gently redirected her. Do not cling to me. Go to my brothers.
Jesus was not rejecting Mary’s affection. He was reframing her purpose. Resurrection was not meant to be held privately. It was meant to be proclaimed publicly.
Notice how Jesus referred to the disciples. My brothers. These were the same men who had fled in fear, denied Him, and doubted His words. Yet Jesus called them family.
Mary was entrusted with a mission. She was sent to deliver a message of reconciliation, hope, and restoration. Her encounter with the risen Christ became her calling.
This teaches us something essential about faith. True encounters with Jesus always lead to movement. They do not end with personal comfort. They result in obedience and testimony.
Clinging keeps us in the garden. Obedience sends us into the world.
Jesus does not save us simply to reassure us. He saves us to send us. Mary’s obedience was immediate. She did not argue. She did not delay. She went.
Faith that encounters resurrection cannot remain silent.
When Mary realized who Jesus was, her instinct was to cling to Him. That response makes sense. The One she believed was gone forever was suddenly standing alive before her. Holding on felt natural.
But Jesus gently redirected her. Do not cling to me. Go to my brothers.
Jesus was not rejecting Mary’s affection. He was reframing her purpose. Resurrection was not meant to be held privately. It was meant to be proclaimed publicly.
Notice how Jesus referred to the disciples. My brothers. These were the same men who had fled in fear, denied Him, and doubted His words. Yet Jesus called them family.
Mary was entrusted with a mission. She was sent to deliver a message of reconciliation, hope, and restoration. Her encounter with the risen Christ became her calling.
This teaches us something essential about faith. True encounters with Jesus always lead to movement. They do not end with personal comfort. They result in obedience and testimony.
Clinging keeps us in the garden. Obedience sends us into the world.
Jesus does not save us simply to reassure us. He saves us to send us. Mary’s obedience was immediate. She did not argue. She did not delay. She went.
Faith that encounters resurrection cannot remain silent.
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