A reading from the gospel according to Mark 16:9-15
9 When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
10 She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
11 When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
13 They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either.
14 But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised.
15 He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
Reflection: Jesus does not give up on us.
In the eyes of many people, Mary Magdalene personifies a person of low reputation. Like the twelve apostles, she has an unpleasant background but a person’s background or status in life is not important to Jesus. This is because Jesus has the power to transform. That is why when Jesus healed her, she became one of the most loyal disciples of the Lord. Indeed, he or she who has been forgiven much, loves much (Luke 7:47). In the gospel reading above, she was given the privilege to be the first announcer of the good news of the resurrection.
Yet when Mary Magdalene shared with the apostles what she saw and heard at the tomb, no one believed her. Perhaps her background came back to the apostles’ mind or maybe they thought she was hallucinating. People do not forget easily and many times they look at the messenger rather than the message.
The apostles were incredulous of the resurrection story even with the experience of their two companions on the road to Emmaus. Yet Jesus is very patient with them. He does not easily give up on His own people. So He appeared to all of them and rebuked them for their doubts. Now He has given them the mission to proclaim the good news everywhere.
For those who doubt, the Lord gives them enough time to make up their mind. He keeps on knocking at the door of their hearts (Revelation 3:20). Sometimes due to the hardness of their heart, the knocking may be harder and that’s the time their heart breaks. They experience some sort of suffering and that is the time they meet the Lord. For many of us believers, we repeatedly ignore His call for repentance and the same thing happens. For some reason, we listen to the Lord only when we are in dire need of help. Good thing He is very patient and ever loving and He will never give up on us.
*****
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely a miraculous event; it is the turning point of human history. The Gospel reading above gives us a glimpse into those first tender yet powerful moments after Jesus rose from the dead. These verses capture not only the joy of His return but also the challenge of belief and the calling that follows.
There is Mary Magdalene, the first witness of the risen Christ. She, out of whom Jesus had cast seven demons, was chosen to carry the news of resurrection to the others. Yet, when she told the disciples, they did not believe her. Others saw Him on the road, in different places but still, disbelief lingered in their hearts. Even after everything they had seen and heard, their faith was shaken by sorrow and fear.
But here’s where it gets truly powerful. Jesus appears to the eleven and rebukes them for their unbelief and hardness of heart but He does not condemn them. He corrects them to restore them. And then, He gives them a mission: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
Think about that for a moment.
Jesus entrusts the message of salvation to the very ones who doubted. He doesn’t choose perfect people. He chooses redeemed people. He doesn’t wait for their faith to be flawless. He sends them out, flaws and all, with the power of His Spirit.
This is where the message becomes deeply personal. We, too, are often like the disciples. We hear the good news, yet doubt creeps in. We know the promises yet pain clouds our vision. But the resurrection reminds us that God is not finished with us, even when we struggle to believe. Jesus doesn’t discard the doubters. He transforms them into messengers.
This is the grace of the Gospel: that we are invited into God’s story not because we are worthy but because He is merciful. Our brokenness does not disqualify us from being used by God; it becomes the very backdrop upon which His power is displayed.
When Jesus said, “Go into all the world,” He wasn’t just speaking to the eleven. He was speaking to all who would believe including you and me. This is a call to rise beyond fear, to step beyond doubt, and to carry the hope of the resurrection into every corner of the earth.
In a world often plagued by despair, division, and darkness, we are carriers of His light. Just like Mary Magdalene, we have seen what the Lord has done in our lives and we cannot keep it to ourselves. Our testimony, however simple or complex, is a reflection of resurrection power.
You may feel like you’re too weak, too uncertain, or too broken to be used by God. But the resurrection tells a different story. It tells us that the resurrected Jesus meets us where we are, heals our hearts, renews our faith, and sends us out with a purpose.
So rise up. Let the doubts fall away, let the past lose its grip, and let the empty tomb remind you that new life is here. You are not just a spectator in God’s story. You are a messenger of it.
Today, go forward with the courage of one who has encountered the Risen Savior. The world needs the hope you carry. The Gospel is alive in you. Go into all the world. Shine. Speak. Believe. And never forget: He is risen.
*****
In the dawn of a new day, amidst the confusion and sorrow that followed the crucifixion, a remarkable event unfolded, a beacon of hope that forever changed the course of history. The gospel narrative above begins with Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus had cast out seven demons. She had the honor of being the first to witness the risen Christ, a testament to the transformative power of faith and redemption. Her encounter serves as a powerful reminder that no matter our past, we are capable of witnessing great miracles and being messengers of hope.
Despite her joyous news, when Mary shared her encounter with those who had been with Jesus, they did not believe her. This disbelief continued even as others came forward with their own experiences of the risen Christ. It was only when Jesus Himself appeared to the Eleven, rebuking them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, that the full magnitude of what had occurred began to dawn on them. Here, we see the importance of faith and the willingness to believe in the unbelievable, to see beyond our doubts and fears to embrace the miraculous.
The climax of this passage is Jesus’ commission to the disciples, a call that extends to all of us: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” This directive is not just about spreading the word but about living out the values of love, forgiveness, and hope that Jesus embodied. It’s a call to action that encourages us to look beyond our limitations and to believe in the power of transformation—not only within ourselves but also in the world around us.
This story is a compelling invitation to step out of the shadows of our disbelief and into the light of faith. It challenges us to see beyond our immediate perceptions and to trust in the extraordinary. In doing so, it promises us a life filled with purpose, where we can be agents of change, spreading light and hope in a world that so desperately needs it.
Let this message inspire us to rise above doubt, to embrace faith with open arms, and to carry forth the message of love and redemption to every corner of the earth. For in the act of believing and sharing, we too can witness the miraculous unfold in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
You can also watch the video version below.
