Sermon 34 — Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
Mariâ Magdalênâ gienc zuome grabe unde suochte Jêsum Kristum unde dranc nâhe in în unde luogete hin în. Si sach zwêne engele bî dem grabe, unde sie sprâchen ‘wîp, wen suochest dû?’ ‘Jêsum von Nazaret.’ ‘Er ist erstanden, er enist hie niht.’ Unde si sweic und antwurte in niht, unde suochte wider unde für und über die ahsel unde sach Jêsum, und er sprach ‘wîp, wen suochest dû?’ ‘Ô, herre, habt ir in ûf gehaben, sô zeige mir, war dû in hâst geleit: ich wil in dannân tragen.’ Und er sprach ‘Mariâ!’ Und von dem, daz si daz wort dicke zerlîche gehœret hâte von ime, dô wart si in erkennende unde viel im an die füeze unde wolt in gehaben hân. Und er trat ûf hôher und sprach ‘niht enrüere mich! Ich enbin noch niht zuo mînem vater komen.’ War umbe sprach er daz ‘ich enbin noch niht zuo mînem vater komen’: er enkom doch nie von dem vater? Er wolte sprechen ‘ich enbin in dir noch niht wêrlîche erstanden.’ War umbe sprach si ‘zeige mir, war dû in getragen hêst: ich wil in dâ nemen’? Hête er in getragen in des rihters hûs, wolte si in ouch dâ genomen hân? Jâ, sprach ein meister, si hête in genomen in des rihters schôze.
Nû möhte man vrâgen, war umbe si sô nâhen hin zuo drunge und si ein vrouwenname was, unde die dâ man wâren (einer der got minnete, der ander der von gote geminnet wart) daz sich die vorhten? Unde sprichet der meister: ez was des schult, si enhâte niht ze verliesende, wande si hâte sich ime gegeben; unde wande si sîn was, dar umbe envorhte si ir niht: Als ob ich mîne kappen eime gegeben hête, der ime die nemen wolte, des wêre ich niht schuldig ime ze wern, wan si wære sîn, als ich mêr gesprochen hân.
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb, etc. (John 20:1, 11). Mary Magdalene came to the tomb, seeking Jesus Christ, and pressed close into it and looked inside. She saw two angels beside the tomb, and they said, “Woman, whom do you seek?” “Jesus of Nazareth.” “He has risen; he is not here.” And she was silent and gave them no answer, but searched back and forth and over her shoulder and saw Jesus. And he said, “Woman, whom do you seek?” “O Lord, if you have taken him away, show me where you have laid him, and I will carry him away from there.” And he said, “Mary!” Because she had so often heard this word spoken tenderly by him, she recognized him, fell at his feet and wished to take hold of him. But he stepped higher and said, “Do not touch me! I have not yet come to my Father.” Why did he say, “I have not yet come to my Father,” when he had never departed from the Father? He meant to say, “I have not yet truly risen within you.” Why did she say, “Show me where you have carried him, and I will take him from there”? If he had been carried into the judge’s house, would she have taken him from there too? Yes, said a master, she would have taken him even from the judge’s lap.
Now one might ask why she pressed so close, being a woman, whereas the men who were there (one who loved God and the other who was loved by God) were afraid. A master says that this was because she had nothing to lose, for she had given herself to him; and because she belonged to him, she had no fear for herself. It is as though I had given my cloak to someone, and another wished to take it from him. I would not be obliged to defend it against him, for it would belong to the man to whom I had given it, as I have said before.