Good Morning!, and a Happy Easter to everyone! The first reading today is from the Gospel of Mark, the 16th chapter, verses 1 through 8. It is on page ___ in your pew bibles beside you.
Like so many of our Sacred Scriptures, they often do not relate to our present day society and the culture we live in. This particular passage is also one that conveys passion and yet controversial as it lends a rendering of one man's view and what he heard and then wrote.
For myself, I can only offer this suggestive thought: the passage I am about to read relates to me from my younger years, November 22nd, 1963. I was in elementary school, Lincoln school a few miles from here when on one early afternoon our teacher, Mrs. Miller, had left the room rather abruptly. From our classroom we actually heard alot of commotion, some crying, and even 2 short screams. Then, Mrs. Miller returned to our classroom and it was apparent she had been crying, her eye liner running down her left cheek. She approached her desk and with all the strength she was able to muster at the moment, announced: "Our President has been shot, and it's pretty certain, he is not going to make it." Mrs. Miller then sat down in her chair, held her head in her hands, and wept. (pause).
Some kids in the class began to cry simply because Mrs. Miller was weeping, and I looked at my buddy sitting across from me, he was just sitting there with his mouth wide open, and said: "They can't do that. They can't kill the President....can they?" He remained there for a few minutes reiterating the same question to me.
So, here today we read of 3 women: Mary Magdalene, a woman who had 7 demons cast out of her one time and now has gone down in history as a Christian with fierce courage for the Gospel. In the 4th century, the great theologian Augustine wrote of her that she may have been the "apostle of all apostles", Mary the mother of one of the James boys (and I don't mean Frank or Jesse), and Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of thunder.
I am sure they had a similar thought going through their mind that morning just like my buddy had when he first heard President John F. Kennedy had been shot: "How could they have killed the Messiah... they can't do that...can they?"
One other note about this passage written by Mark. He makes absolutely no attempt to defend why this happened, what was going on in the present, or what would happen. He leaves us as readers to figure that out. The truth is these 3 girls have just witnessed one of the most brutal acts of murder in history, and now this passage suggests these girls had not been told to do what they were about to do, rather they were doing it on their own initiative, with their major concern being: How in the world would they move the big round stone in front of the entrance where Jesus lay...so they could get to Him and complete the ancient embalming process.
I will read: " When the Sabbath had ended at sunset on Saturday, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out to purchase some sweet smelling burial spices to complete the embalming practice concerning Jesus.
On early Sunday morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, they had made the decision to go to the tomb and complete the process. As they walked toward the tomb, all 3 girls had one main concern: how were they to move the large round stone covering the entrance way to get inside the tomb and get to the body of Jesus?
When they arrived totally consumed in thought how they were to do this, they discovered the large round stone covering the entrance...had already been moved! Then a decision was made...they chose to go inside to where Jesus body lay.
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a stately white robe, sitting on the right side where Jesus had been laid. When the 3 girls saw this man, they were gripped with fear and terror stricken. This angel spoke up immediately in an attempt to calm them down saying: " Don't be afraid of me, don't be terrified as to what you see. Have you not come to anoint Jesus of Nazareth, the very One you saw crucified? Well, look!, see for yourselves, He is not here! This place is empty. He is Risen!...Risen from the Dead!
Here is what I need you to do: Go and tell His disciples, and make sure Peter hears this, that Jesus is already going ahead and will meet them in their designated spot in Galilee, just like He had told them prior to taking up the Cross."
All 3 girls were besides themselves, they were confused, heads were "swimming", trembling, bewildered, and shaking. They fled from the tomb, and said nothing...to anyone.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Like so many of our Sacred Scriptures, they often do not relate to our present day society and the culture we live in. This particular passage is also one that conveys passion and yet controversial as it lends a rendering of one man's view and what he heard and then wrote.
For myself, I can only offer this suggestive thought: the passage I am about to read relates to me from my younger years, November 22nd, 1963. I was in elementary school, Lincoln school a few miles from here when on one early afternoon our teacher, Mrs. Miller, had left the room rather abruptly. From our classroom we actually heard alot of commotion, some crying, and even 2 short screams. Then, Mrs. Miller returned to our classroom and it was apparent she had been crying, her eye liner running down her left cheek. She approached her desk and with all the strength she was able to muster at the moment, announced: "Our President has been shot, and it's pretty certain, he is not going to make it." Mrs. Miller then sat down in her chair, held her head in her hands, and wept. (pause).
Some kids in the class began to cry simply because Mrs. Miller was weeping, and I looked at my buddy sitting across from me, he was just sitting there with his mouth wide open, and said: "They can't do that. They can't kill the President....can they?" He remained there for a few minutes reiterating the same question to me.
So, here today we read of 3 women: Mary Magdalene, a woman who had 7 demons cast out of her one time and now has gone down in history as a Christian with fierce courage for the Gospel. In the 4th century, the great theologian Augustine wrote of her that she may have been the "apostle of all apostles", Mary the mother of one of the James boys (and I don't mean Frank or Jesse), and Salome, the mother of James and John, the sons of thunder.
I am sure they had a similar thought going through their mind that morning just like my buddy had when he first heard President John F. Kennedy had been shot: "How could they have killed the Messiah... they can't do that...can they?"
One other note about this passage written by Mark. He makes absolutely no attempt to defend why this happened, what was going on in the present, or what would happen. He leaves us as readers to figure that out. The truth is these 3 girls have just witnessed one of the most brutal acts of murder in history, and now this passage suggests these girls had not been told to do what they were about to do, rather they were doing it on their own initiative, with their major concern being: How in the world would they move the big round stone in front of the entrance where Jesus lay...so they could get to Him and complete the ancient embalming process.
I will read: " When the Sabbath had ended at sunset on Saturday, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out to purchase some sweet smelling burial spices to complete the embalming practice concerning Jesus.On early Sunday morning, just as the sun was beginning to rise, they had made the decision to go to the tomb and complete the process. As they walked toward the tomb, all 3 girls had one main concern: how were they to move the large round stone covering the entrance way to get inside the tomb and get to the body of Jesus?
When they arrived totally consumed in thought how they were to do this, they discovered the large round stone covering the entrance...had already been moved! Then a decision was made...they chose to go inside to where Jesus body lay.
As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a stately white robe, sitting on the right side where Jesus had been laid. When the 3 girls saw this man, they were gripped with fear and terror stricken. This angel spoke up immediately in an attempt to calm them down saying: " Don't be afraid of me, don't be terrified as to what you see. Have you not come to anoint Jesus of Nazareth, the very One you saw crucified? Well, look!, see for yourselves, He is not here! This place is empty. He is Risen!...Risen from the Dead!
Here is what I need you to do: Go and tell His disciples, and make sure Peter hears this, that Jesus is already going ahead and will meet them in their designated spot in Galilee, just like He had told them prior to taking up the Cross."
All 3 girls were besides themselves, they were confused, heads were "swimming", trembling, bewildered, and shaking. They fled from the tomb, and said nothing...to anyone.
This is the Word of the Lord.
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