PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND
April 24, 2024
HE KNOWS US BY NAME
One day a man, Ed Sawyer, whom no one in Mayberry knows anything about, arrives in town by bus. It soon becomes apparent, however, that Ed knows something about almost everyone he meets. He is able to tell the Buntly twins, Robert and William apart: William has mole on his right ear. At the Mayberry Hotel Ed does not take room 209 when it is offered because Wilbur Harvey had fallen out of its window. He does take room 216 since it has a fresh coat of green paint.
Because of his familiarity with Mayberry and its residents, one would get the impression that Ed Sawyer had live there his whole life. His unsolicited familiarity makes those whom Ed meets feel very uncomfortable. When he asks to buy George Sepley’s gas station, Sepley refuses. When he attempts to date Lucy Matthew, she reports him to Andy. Barney is convinced he is a foreign spy. People become so upset they want to run him out of town.
Near the end of the episode Andy discovers the story behind Ed Sawyer’s coming to Mayberry. When he was in the Army, he met Joe Lawson who was from Mayberry. Joe was always talking about his hometown. Ed fell in love with the place and when Joe was discharge, Ed started to receive the local newspaper, the “Mayberry Gazette. “ Since Ed was from no place, he began to tell people that Mayberry was his hometown. When he read in the paper that George Sepley wanted to sell his gas station, he decided that it was time for him to make his move to his adopted hometown, a place where he hoped everyone would know him by name.
According to the Gospel of John Mary Magdalene is the first one to discover that the stone had been removed from the entrance to Jesus’ tomb . Her news summons Peter and John to come to see what has happened. When they discover that the tomb is empty, the two disciples return to their home but Mary remains, weeping.
After asking two angels where they have taken the body of Jesus, she turns and sees him standing close by. However, she does not recognize him, supposing him to be the gardener. When Jesus speaks her name, Jesus’ true identity becomes apparent.
Not only did Jesus know Mary Magdalene by name the first Easter, he also knows all of us by name. Jesus is well acquainted with our individual stories, knowing the longings of our hearts and the aspirations of our minds.
In many ways Jesus reaches out to us to be in relationship. Unfortunately, like the story of Ed Sawyer arriving in Mayberry, Jesus may know all our names but there are some who do not know his. Easter is a reminder that one who knows us by name is desperately seeking for each of us to know him by name.
(This article was originally published April 24, 2011. Comments may be sent to davidh15503@embarqmail.com.)