Jesus spoke, His Word is effective and cuts the heart. When Jesus says her name, she recognizes Him and it all comes to realization for her. She was conditioned to believe it would be on the ‘Last Day.’ She could not understand what the Glory of Resurrection looked like, since she did not understand His rising would be so immediate. She did not expect to see Jesus alive, even though He told her that He would rise. As close as she was to Jesus, she was still in the mindset of the world. This is one of the reasons Mary of Magdalene did not recognize Jesus at the tomb. We are shaped by the events and attitudes and thinking all around us. It is a difficult thing to not be influenced by the world events and the way of thinking of the world. It is to allow the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God to enlighten us while we live in this corruption. This does not mean to just not participate in the corruption of the world, and the sins of the world, but it goes even further. Peter goes on to say to save yourself from this corrupt generation. He adds that baptism will bestow on them the Holy Spirit, who will help them live by it. Peter is telling them to adopt the way of thinking that is cutting their heart, and then live by it. Repent means to adopt a new way of thinking and live by it. That understanding is correct, but it goes deeper. As is usual, especially in our language, repent usually has the connotation of saying look back and be sorry for your sins, then do something to make up for them. Those three thoughts are so tightly wrapped together.

Then save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Peter tells them, “Repent and be baptized, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. As the preaching of Peter, the Word of God that He is preaching, cuts their hearts, they ask what they are to do. Paul mentions how the Word of God cuts like a two-edged sword. In the first reading today Peter is talking to the Jewish people on the day of Pentecost.

Octave of easter