Year A, Easter Sunday Laying there in the darkness, she remembered when she first heard about the miracle worker from Galilee. From Nazareth of all places. She herself had grown up in the town of Magdala, at the south of the Plain of Gennesaret, where the hills reach forth to the lake of Galilee. She had been a very troubled woman for whom life was a struggle. Until that day when she was among the crowds where he was teaching, and he called her to himself. With no fanfare, he quietly healed all of her hurts, made her life whole. He had healed her of seven demons, and the past no longer mattered. He had given her life unlike she had ever known. She’d been set free. From that very moment she became a devoted follower. He always had the 12 and sometimes many other people followed him, young and old, men and women. And always there were women accompanying Jesus and the band of disciples, seeing to their needs. She was there, of course, and Joanna, and Suzanna, and his Mother, and the other Mary. From the day he had called her, given her victory, given her life, she was faithful. He was a man like no other, you know. He could look at you with such love and acceptance that you knew you were special. You felt like you were the only one in the world when he looked at you. The thing is, he looked at everyone that way. That’s just the way he was. He was the healer, the teacher. Anyway, she knew that she loved him with every ounce of her being, and was devoted to following him—because he gave her life. She could not help but follow with a loyalty that was unwavering. He was so different than anyone else, so inspiring, so gentle and still strong. A man like no other, her was her Lord. But everything had gone horribly wrong. The Pharisees and chief priests, the religious rulers, conspired to kill him, and one of the 12 betrayed him, just 3 nights before. How could this have happened? He was taken before the authorities, and even taken to Pilate, and the crowd that a week ago had adored him turned ugly. Crucify him, Crucify him!! She was crying, No!! That can’t be! Even Pilate didn’t want to have anything to do with the mob scene, but he didn’t do enough. He handed him over to the centurions who beat him, tortured him, and then when he could barely walk, they made him carry that horrible cross out to that place of death. The disciples had all left, fearing for their own lives, all except one, the youngest. She was there, watching from a distance, along with some of the other women who had followed him and ministered to him. With Mary the mother of James and Joses, and with the mother of Zebedees sons, she had watched him die. It was agonizing, more horrible than you can imagine and she felt so helpless. She didn’t want to stay, but she knew she couldn’t leave. As long as he had breath, she watched. And then he breathed his last and she watched. That rich man from Arimathea Josephs was his name, he was his disciple too, and he had asked Pilate for the Lord’s body, and so it was given to Joseph. He took the body and wrapped it clean linen and laid it in his own tomb. Along with the other Mary, she had watched all this, and she watched as he rolled a stone across the entrance of the tomb and he left. At that moment, she knew that all hope was gone. He was really, truly dead and buried. Together with the other Mary, she started the official mourning period, the Shivah. But then it was evening, it was Sabbath, and nothing more could be done. Two nights ago. She had spent the Sabbath in a stupor of grief and despair. And now it was dawn on the third day. Time do get up and do what had to be done, time to go and mourn the loss of the Lord. Mustering every ounce of energy she had, she got herself ready for the day and resolutely set out for the tomb. The other Mary was with her. They expected nothing more than a sealed tomb as they made their way. They knew where they were going, because they had been there, but that didn’t make it any easier. Slowly and deliberately they finally approached the hillside to sit and mourn. But as they arrived, they saw something that no experience in their lives could have prepared them for. It was totally alien, foreign to their expectations. The earth shook—for the second time in three days!! That just didn’t happen! And at the tomb, the stone was rolled back, and a figure sat on top of the stone!! It was a man, but greater, massive even and he was as bright as lightning with clothing shining as white as snow in the sunlight. The brilliance of this being, whatever he was, made her eyes hurt, and she saw the guards fall to the ground like dead men!! This fearsome radiant being had a voice, a low rumbling thunder, and said, “Do not be afraid.” Right. Do not be afraid. The guards had fallen dead in their fear, and you say, do not be afraid? She was too afraid to move! He said, “I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.” Her heart was pounding in her throat and she scarcely could breathe. He said “He is not here, for he is risen, as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” She and the other Mary looked into . . . an empty tomb! Where had they taken him? She didn’t comprehend what that being of light was saying. Not only had her Lord died on the cross, but now they had taken his body. What did that light say, he is risen? He is risen as he promised? Risen? The brilliant being was still talking, he told her to go quickly and tell the disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going to meet you in Galilee and you will see him there. See him? Risen from the dead? Going to Galilee? How . . . ? Speechless and amazed, she and Mary ran from the tomb with a mixture of fear and great joy, and they ran to tell his disciples. While they were running, a man came up to them, and it was the Lord!! Was it a ghost? No! He spoke! He said “Rejoice!” (for the word for Rejoice is also used in greeting). She was astounded! He’s alive!! He is risen!! And she fell at his feet and worshipped him. They worshipped him because he had conquered death and now he stood before them, back from the dead. And for the first time, he allowed them to worship at his feet, because he is God, the son of God, and therefore worthy of worship. He helped them up and said, “Do not be afraid, go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see me.” He is risen! All the hopes of the world are restored!! Out of death comes life, out of the tomb comes resurrection!! He is risen! This day rocked the world to its foundation. Jesus was not just a teacher, a healer, a Messiah even, he is the Son of God who has conquered death and sin! Amazing that the risen Lord was seen first by women—women who had no authority, women who were usually exempted from being witnesses because they weren’t considered to be trustworthy—women were the first witnesses to the greatest event of all time. He is risen! From despair to jubilation! He is alive! He is risen, and that should make all the difference to us . . . in our lives in our relationships, in our jobs. When we look at life through an empty tomb we have a new perspective. “Our career takes on an eternal perspective, so that we can put our priorities of time and finances and success in line with God’s will for our lives. Likewise, our marriage becomes a shared life with a fellow disciple of Jesus as we support each other to fulfill God’s calling for us individually and as a couple. Similarly, whether it is the illness of our parents, the death of our child, or our own, sudden battle with cancer, the empty tomb puts our sorrow into perspective when we know that because Jesus lives, we can face tomorrow and plan for eternity.” Mary Magdalene and the other Mary should be our examples. Their world is rocked by the Risen Lord, all topsy turvy. Their lives certainly will never be the same. And Jesus still comes to us in unexpected ways, and our lives should never be the same. “He is our Lord and God and Master. Whenever or wherever he drops into our consciousness we must be ready to worship him whether at school or the market or the gym or the beach. We really don’t know our future, but he does. And all he asks is that we be prepared for whatever he calls us to be and to do. Even if he disrupts our comfort zone, he will be there to create a new safe space within his living arms. Then joy erupts from the depths of our being as we live focused on a risen savior.” He is Risen. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!! Quotations are from NIV Application Commentary: Matthew (Michael Wilkins). |