The biblical episode
The resurrection of Jesus, for those who knew him personally, was certainly an episode that marked them deeply.
The master, and for some also the friend, had died, unjustly, at the hands of the Romans and by the will of his compatriots.
On the morning of the first day of the Jewish week, our Sunday, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrive at the tomb: they find it open and inside they do not find the body of Jesus. This causes them much pain, in fact it is written:
John 20:11-1511 But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, [and looked] into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, ‹Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?› She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
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We are not surprised, therefore, by Mary’s reaction when, upon discovering that her friend Jesus was there alive before her, she tries to hug him, or to be more faithful to the text, to touch him.
To this gesture of spontaneous affection, Jesus’ response is brusque, almost cold and distant: “Do not touch me” (John 20:17)
On the evening of the same day, Jesus appears to the disciples, among whom Thomas was missing. As we know, Thomas is incredulous when his friends tell him that they have seen the risen Jesus.
John 20:24-2524 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
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Eight days later, Jesus appeared again to the assembled disciples and, turning to Thomas, somehow challenged him to touch him to demonstrate that it was truly the living Jesus.
John 20:26-2726 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‹Peace› [be] ‹unto you.› 27 Then saith he to Thomas, ‹Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust› [it] ‹into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.›
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Comparing the two attitudes, the one with Mary and the one with Thomas, it is easy to be perplexed as to why Jesus had two such different reactions: a harsh one, with those who always loved him, and a more permissive one, with those who did not believe in him.
To understand the reason for this behavior, we must go to the Old Testament, to the instructions that God gave regarding the celebration of the Day of Atonement.
The Day of Atonement
We will analyze in detail this day later, which is one of the most important in the Jewish calendar, since it is very rich in references to the sacrifice of Christ and its consequences.
For now, what is important to consider is that this is the only day on which the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holy of Holies (usually called the Most Holy Place). This entry was tied to the purity of the High Priest who, in order to enter, would have to offer a sacrifice for himself, indeed, much more than a sacrifice.
Leviticus 16:33And he shall make an atonement for the holy sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation, and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests, and for all the people of the congregation.
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The parallel with Jesus
Returning to the New Testament, specifically in the letter to the Hebrews, the writer makes a broad comparison between the Levitical priesthood and that of Jesus, demonstrating that that of Jesus is a priesthood far greater than that of the Levites. (Hebrews 6).
In this perspective of comparison between the two types of priesthood, it is written:
Hebrews 9:11-1211 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption [for us].
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Having been required to minister in the heavenly tabernacle, Jesus would have had to ascend to heaven “pure” in order for entry to be accepted, just as the High Priest had to be pure in order to enter the Holy of Holies.
The most likely reason then as to why Jesus refused to be touched by Mary has to do with the fact that Jesus, as soon as he was resurrected, was supposed to enter the heavenly tabernacle in a pure, consecrated state.
In itself, Mary’s touch would not have made Jesus a sin, since the sin had been paid for, but considering that the law is “a shadow of good things to come” (Hebrews 10:1), contact with something impure would have symbolically, not actually, made Jesus impure. Now, we don’t know why Mary was impure at that time, the Bible doesn’t say. We can only surmise, from the causes of impurity specified in the Old Testament, that it might have been because she had touched the body of the dead Jesus, or that she had entered the tomb, or for any other reason.
What we know is that Jesus considered his mission more important than anything else.
A curiosity about why Thomas was able to touch it
Having determined why Mary could not touch Jesus, we understand that Thomas could do so because Jesus had returned from heaven.
There is also a parallel with the Old Testament in this event.
John 20:26And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: [then] came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, ‹Peace› [be] ‹unto you.›
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Exodus 29:35And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all [things] which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
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Yes exactly! Since the priestly consecration took place in seven days, being the eighth day when Jesus appeared to the disciples and asked Thomas to touch him, Jesus’ priestly office had now become “according to the law”.
