Do not Cling to me?

Jesus said to her “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the father; but go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my father and your father, to my God and to your God. John 20:17
λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Μή μου ἅπτου οὔπω γὰρ ἀναβέβηκα πρὸς τὸν πατέρα· μου πορεύου δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου καὶ εἰπὲ αὐτοῖς Ἀναβαίνω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου καὶ πατέρα ὑμῶν καὶ θεόν μου καὶ θεὸν ὑμῶν.
απτου verb - present middle imperative - second person singular
haptomai hap'-tom-ahee: to attach oneself to, i.e. to touch
(in many implied relations) -- touch.
Imperative- The imperative expresses an attempt to bring about a desired action through the agency of another, that is, to impose ones will on another or to give another direction.
5 Different translations
Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me (NASB)
Jesus saith unto her, “Touch me not (KJV)
Jesus saith to her, “Do not thou touch me (WNT)
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me (NIV)
Jesus saith to her, `Be not touching me (YLT)

Grammars
This particular imperative is an imperative of prohibition according to Young. Young makes it clear that when an imperative in preceded by Μή it is used in prohibitions or negative commands that convey a process. Traditionally Μή with the present imperative has been interpreted as stop what you are doing. This is often the case when undesired action was in progress. In this case, it was the undesired action of Mary that led Jesus to make this command. The question this paper will attempt to answer is why? Why did Jesus command Mary not to touch him and was it a gentle command or a forceful one? 1. Richard Young, Intermediate New Testament Greek. (Tennessee: Bordman and Holdman publishers, 1194.) 141-145
Vaughaun and Gideon agree that when there is a Μή before the imperative it is frequently used to express prohibition. This type of imperative would not stop an action while it is happening but before it happens. This form forbids a thing from happening. 2. Curtis Vaughan and Virtus E. Gideon, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament (Tenessee, Broadville press, 1979) 106.
In the present prohibition Μή μου ἅπτου , Jesus indicates that Mary must cease clinging to him (stop touching me). Originally I was under the impression that Jesus had risen and Mary had the desire to touch him. This book indicated that she had already ben clinging on to him when her gave her the command to cease that type of action. 3. Robert Hanna, A Grammatical Aid to the Greek New Testament (Michigan: Baker Book House1983) 345.
The present tense is properly used for expressing continued action. A
prohibition in the present imperative demands that action then in progress be
stopped.
me krinete, ina me krithete
 Stop judging, lest ye be judged. Mt 7:1
ego eklan . . . leyei moi, Me klaie
 I was weeping; he says to me, Stop weeping. Rev 5:4, 5.
When using this form of Imperative the figure giving the command is in the position of authority. He expects the one being addressed to do exactly what he commands. Also Mounce makes it clear that when the imperative Is present, the action in the narrative is a present action. 3.William D. Mounce, Basics of Biblical Greek (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House) 302.
It expresses prohibition of an act already begun when used with the negative particle Μή. 4. Walter Mueller, Grammatical aids for studies of New Testament Greek (Michigan: WPE Publishing Company) 47.
Interestingly enough, Mueller’s Grammar may solidify the idea that Mary had already begun to cling to Jesus when this command takes place due to the placement of the negative particle inserted by John.
It is obvious why Mary would want to cling to Jesus after she had seen him raised from the dead. The question is why did Jesus tell her not to cling to him any longer?
Commentaries
John Calvin- touch me not
This appears not to agree with the narrative of Matthew; for he expressly says, that the women held him By The Feet, and worshipped him, (Matthew 28:9.) Now, since he allowed himself to be touched by his disciples, what reason was there for forbidding Mary to touch him? The answer is easy, provided that we remember that the women were not repelled from touching Christ, till their eagerness to hold him had been carried to excess; for, so far as it was necessary for removing doubt, he unquestionably did not forbid them to touch him, but, perceiving that their attention was too much occupied with embracing his feet, he restrained and corrected that immoderate zeal. They fixed their attention on his bodily presence, and did not understand any other way of enjoying his society than by conversing with him on the earth. We ought, therefore, to conclude, that they were not forbidden to touch him, until Christ saw that, by their foolish and unreasonable desire, they wished to keep him in the world. 5. John Calvin, Calvins New Testament Commentaries (Michigan:WMB Publishing co, 1961) 198.
This was Calvin’s view which he says is a very simple one, but through the ages there has been great mystery to Jesus’ meaning In this text.
For the most part there is no general agreement amongst commentators regarding this verse. On top of that there may be a conservative view verses a liberal view as well. Students of the gospel seem to simply be undecided.
James Boice outlines three views that certain people hold.
1. Jesus spoke to Mary, acting, as it were, as the High Priest fulfilling the day of atonement. Having fulfilled the sacrifice he was on his way to presenting the blood in heaven and between the meeting with Mary and the meeting in Matt 28:9 he had ascended and returned –a view in harmony with types.

Consider this quote based on the previous viewpoint.

“This occurred early in the morning not long after sunrise. We do not know exactly what time after sunrise, but the women originally came to the tomb while it was still dark (verse 1)—and He was already gone from the tomb at that point! He simply could not have risen at sunrise. It was sometime after sunrise when Jesus stopped her and instructed her to tell His disciples these things. So, shortly after Mary returned to the disciples—however long it took her to get back to where they were assembled—Jesus ascended to His Father's throne in heaven to be accepted as our Redeemer and High Priest.”
Richard T. Ritenbaugh

2. That Mary was rebuked as a reminder that Jesus is not to be held to the earth but she is to remind others of this new joy.
3. Jesus meant to speak to her and say, do not hold me here, I have not ascended.
6. James Boice, Commentary on John (Baker Books: 1985)1577.
What makes this passage so fascinating to me is that these alleged discrepancies based on who was allowed to touch him and who was not have a the ring of truth about them. These events were recorded simply the way they happened.
Moving deeper into the verse we can see why Jesus may have commanded Mary not to touch him.
Not that his body what an aerial one, or a mere phantom, which could not be touched: the prohibition itself shows the contrary, and besides, Christ’s body was afterwards presented to Thomas, to be touched by him and to be handled by the disciples; and his feet were to be held by the woman, which is what Mary would have done: upon discovery of him she was going to throw herself at his feet to kiss them , to testify her affection and joy and she was forbidden, not as unworthy but because she sought him among the dead. The errand that she had to return to the disciples required much haste.
For I am not ascended to the Father
Jesus would not immediately go to him, he was to make his stay upon the earth, for forty days. She was to se him again, but no longer at this moment.
But go to my brethren
Being denied by Peter Jesus made no alterations in the relationship with him or the others disciples who fled. Mary would have known were the disciples were gathered and perhaps Jesus was in haste to offer the message not only of his ascension, but one of forgiveness as well.
7. John Gill, John Newport Commentary series (Michigan: Particular Baptist Publishing. 1771.) 607.
Brice Milne gives two alternatives in his commentary on John.
1. Jesus may be saying “After the time of my final return to the father, when you will no longer see me, has not yet come; this will not be my only appearance t you and to the others, so do not cling to me as if you will never see me again.
2. Jesus is trying to help Mary understand that from now on, although the resurrection appearances are a special exception, Jesus will no longer be known by a means of touch but by a new kind of relationship. Here is coming a faith union aided by the Holy Spirit that will be sent by the Lord.
8. Bruce Milne, The message of John (London, Inter Varsity Press, 1984). 306
Instead of reveling in the joy of holding on to Jesus all day long, Mary is being taught to go into the world and share the good news with all creation. Oftentimes, whether it is in scholastics or in church activities, we hold onto and handle the truth about Christ without bringing it into the world.
Mary has an interesting view of Jesus when she calls him rabbi, a different view than that of Thomas when he said to Jesus as “my lord and my God.” Mary does not fully know him; she does not grasp who he is as the risen one. She still misunderstands him, insofar as she thinks he simply came back from the dead and he is again the man she knew as teacher. Perhaps she thinks the old relationship has been renewed.
There are so many views on this verse that it is hard to determine how this verse should be taken. The main thrust of the passage however is that the relationship between Jesus and Mary is now different than in former times. They are to know him in a different way than in his earthly ministry.
“From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.”
Mary was now to know Christ as her savior, as was the woman at the well and many others throughout the narrative. Mary was no longer to regard Christ in the old manner, for he was looking for those to worship him in spirit and in truth. And with his resurrection, he changed things for believers everywhere. He changed them from death to life.
“Behold, I am making all things new” Revelation 21:5
Bibliography
1. Young,Richard. Intermediate New Testament Greek. (Tennessee: Bordman and Holdman publishers, 1194.)
2. Vaughan, Curtis and Virtus E. Gideon, A Greek Grammar of the New Testament (Tenessee, Broadville press, 1979)
3. Mounce,William, Basics of Biblical Greek (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House)
4. Mueller,Walter, Grammatical aids for studies of New Testament Greek (Michigan: WPE Publishing Company)
5. Calvin,John, Calvins New Testament Commentaries (Michigan:WMB Publishing co, 1961)
6. Boice, James, Commentary on John (Baker Books: 1985)1
7. Gill, John, John Newport Commentary series (Michigan: Particular Baptist Publishing. 1771.)
8. Milne, Bruce, The message of John (London, Inter Varsity Press, 1984).