Resurrection Journey

The faithful women will care for Jesus’ body, anoint it respectfully, lovingly, with gratitude to God for their all too short time with him.  Grief, shock, numbness, deep dread—all so overwhelming.  They must go on, Jesus would want them to keep up the labor of love.  The sun rises as they walk.  This time the anointing with spices and perfume will be final.  Such heaviness!

They come within sight of the tomb and see the stone rolled away.  They peer in, startled to see a young man inside, alone.  They barely hear what he says.  Jesus. . .raised?  Going ahead to Galilee?  Could it be so?  Might they allow themselves the pleasure of hope after these last days?

Jesus had spoken of resurrection to the life of the ages.  He had never been afraid of death.  Not in the storm, or hunger, or facing adversaries, nor demons, not even Rome—he trusted that there would be enough love, mercy, and peace.

He was filled with misery after being beaten, while he hung on the cross.  Still, he was not afraid of dying.  He knew that his life would be held safely in the care of God.

I love the rawness of Mark’s resurrection account.  What does it mean that Christ is alive?  The women don’t yet know.  They flee, filled with terror and amazement.  They will spend the rest of their lives growing into this new world of Jesus’ resurrection mingled with their own.

All who so trust, journey moment by moment with our Lord, in life and in death, in his Presence among us and in us.  The resurrection of our Lord invites us to live and die with faithful insight and courage!

Alleluia!  He is Risen!  He is risen indeed, Alleluia!