Easter
April 5, 2015
Mark 16:1-8
The Rev. Canon David Lovelace
Dealing with death is complex and often confusing. In many instances questions linger as those
grieving struggle with the circumstances that precluded the situations they now find themselves
facing.
The women on the way to anoint Jesus’ body were no exception. Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James and Salome had followed Jesus believing all he said about the coming of
God’s kingdom. They longed for a time, as in the past, when they were not subjected to the
oppression of an outside ruling authority. Jesus had talked about a Messianic kingdom when all
were free, all people were treated with respect and dignity rather than one group of people
treating another as subjects to be ruled. Now, Jesus was dead. Handed over to the very
authority that ruled their lives so oppressively. In horror Jesus’ followers watched as he was
betrayed, tried, beaten and crucified. All their hopes were dashed on that dark Friday as he
gave up his last breath.
In an act of deep devotion, an act of personal loyalty undertaken perhaps was a means to work
through the pain and grief brought on by Jesus’ death; the women came with spices to anoint
his body for a proper burial. I believe, they were making peace as well with the death of Jesus’
claim of God’s reign on this earth. Lost was a friend but also dashed was their sense of hope.
As the women approached the tomb Mark tells us, they very practically wondered, “Who will
roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” Looking up the women saw that the
stone used to seal the entrance had been moved to the side of the tomb. Filled with curiosity
and a sense of uncertainty they entered the tomb. There they encountered a young man sitting
on the right side.
As one would expect, the women were alarmed. The young man spoke words of assurance to
them acknowledging that they had come looking for Jesus who had been crucified. He goes on
to tell the women that he will help them in their search. How confusing and frightening this
must have been for the women.
The women understood the first part of what Jesus predicted about his dying. Everyone knew
once you were dead you were dead, Jesus talk of rising on the third day made no sense to any of
his followers. Now the crucified one was not in the tomb. This fact should not be simply taken
on another’s word, the young man invited the women to see for themselves.
But if Jesus is not in the tomb, where is he? He is where he told his disciples he would meet
them. Jesus had said to his disciples, “After I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”
Galilee is the place where it all began. Galilee is where Jesus, taught in the synagogue, on the
hillside. Galilee is where Jesus healed and raised Lazarus from the dead. Galilee is where Jesus
proclaimed God’s kingdom. Amazingly following Jesus was not over, but beginning anew.
When the women heard this news from the young man, they fled from the tomb amazed and
unable to talk about this experience.
Of course the women, and by implication, the disciples would develop into followers with
understanding more than amazement, more courage than fear, more speech than silence.
Otherwise, we would not be gathered here this morning to proclaim the Lord is not here but
risen. The ending of Jesus’ story is not a conclusion. The church of God proclaimed by Jesus
is active in the world today proclaiming the promise of new life and striving to fulfill the ideals
of God’s kingdom on this earth as it is in heaven.
As I pondered once again this story recounted by Mark of how Jesus’ followers filled with fear
were invited to begin life anew, I came to the conclusion how real this story is in all our lives.
Who among us has not faced a difficult time when fear overcame hope? The desire is to just
run away as fast as our legs could carry us, withdraw to ourselves and tell no one.
Yet in the midst of that struggle whatever it might be, we somehow held on to a sense of hope
that things could work out. Fear often comes with news of disease, the death of someone we
love, an automobile accident or any of a number of circumstances, that change our world in
ways we do not anticipate. In the moment, like the early followers of Jesus, we become lost in
the fear of our circumstances.
For some of us, it is just the daily barrage of news from around the world that fuels our fear and
robs us of hope. Another shooting on a college campus, ISIS storming a Palestinian Refugee
Camp taking hostages, nuclear talks that continue to be negotiated as nations struggle with what
nations may determine the course for another nation. It seems to me that as we find ourselves
locked in a Good Friday world. In a Good Friday world, hope is in short supply, we like the
women approach the tomb to work out our grief and make sense of frightening circumstances.
Looking in the tomb we discover our Lord is risen giving us the gift of life anew.
That is the point of the Easter Gospel. We can stare at the destructive powers of this world and
laugh. We laugh as a people filled with hope, not because we expected to be spared difficulty
and loss in life, but because we know God wins the day. As outlandish as it might seem, Jesus
is on the loose! He risen!
We are invited to join the disciples and meet Jesus in Galilee. There to be commissioned to
spread the news throughout the world. “He is not here, he is risen!” As Easter people we live
into the possibility of new life in Christ! Go share the good news – our Lord is risen! Alleluia!
Amen!