So Much More

You may have heard the adage, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” or something comparable. It’s from William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. Juliet says,

What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title.

The phrase, on the surface implies that no matter a name, the essence of the rose is undeniable. But Juliet compares Romeo to a rose saying that if he were not named Romeo he would still be handsome and be Juliet's love, AND it states that if he were not Romeo, then he would not be a Montague and she would be able to marry him without hindrances. There is power in a name, and because Romeo is a Montague, their love is forbidden. When Mary Magdalene meets Jesus, first thinking he’s the gardener, she calls him “Rabbouni,” meaning teacher. There’s power in her word, “teacher!” How we see Jesus, who Jesus is to us impacts how we live as Easter people.