I.
This post goes out on Monday of Holy Week. This week we will spend time with the Gospel of Mark’s account of the dawning of Resurrection Sunday.

Before we turn our attention to this passage, take a few moments to recall how Jesus’ followers were left devastated and fearful when he was crucified and died.

What did they expect when they went to the tomb that morning?

II.
Mark 16:1-8 (NRSVue)

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

[[And all that had been commanded them they told briefly to those around Peter. And afterward Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.]]

III.
Who was going to the tomb on that “first day of the week”?

What were they bringing to the tomb? What were they going to do?

Do you think that’s what they should have brought? Do you think that’s what they should have anticipated doing?

I seems to me hard for us to understand what emotions and spirit they took to the tomb that morning, given we have had many opportunities to read about and hear about what happened on that day and on the days that immediately followed, but take time to try to walk with these women to the tomb and stand before the tomb with them.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}