Then, because all of this stress and anxiety wasn’t enough upheaval, the women go to the tomb, and Jesus isn’t there! The stone is rolled away and his body is gone. If it were me, I doubt I would have been able to take anymore. I would have dropped to my knees and just sat there, sobbing.
When we’re lost in pain, drowning in grief, or overwhelmed by illness, sorrow, even busyness and everyday drudgery and routines, we sometimes can’t see out. We have on “blinders” – like the horses used to wear so they could only see what was in front of them. And we are very near sighted – we can only see what’s right in front of our nose. We can’t see beyond the next step, if we can even see that far.
This is where we find Mary, outside the tomb. Reading from the Gospel of John 20:11-16:
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb
12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
In Mary’s distress, her eyes were probably downcast. She was probably vaguely aware of someone else’s presence in the Garden, but perhaps she never even acknowledged him until he spoke. Lost in her grief, she probably barely heard him. But when he said her name, “Mary”… That familiar voice, warm and comforting. She immediately recognized him. We’ve all experienced that – scanning the crowd for a loved one, and then finally SEEing them. All the anxiety, the fear, the worry – it immediately melts away. “Mary”
Paralleling the verses in John, we’re going over to Luke’s gospel now, to Chapter 24, Verses 13-32. This is a bit after Mary’s encounter with Jesus, and after she has gone back and told the remaining disciples that he is resurrected. Luke 24:13-32:
13 Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; 16 but they were kept from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. 18 One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. 20 The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; 21 but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. 22 In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning 23 but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. 24 Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.” 25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. 28 As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. 29 But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. 32 They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
Cleopas and the other disciple were also consumed with grief and confusion. Perhaps the only thing they knew to do was to start walking. As they walked along, they were joined by someone with a lot of questions. It was Jesus, but they didn’t recognize him. “Their faces were downcast” Have you ever had a conversation with someone, especially while walking, without ever really looking at them? Maybe a clerk at the store, or a server at a restaurant? They speak, you speak, but you never really LOOK at each other. This is how I imagine the walk to Emmaus was going. The disciples were distracted by their grief and couldn’t believe that someone was in the area and hadn’t heard the news and goings on of the last few days.
But Jesus was persistent – he walked right along with them, taking the time to review with them everything they already knew. He started with Moses and covered all the Scriptures and prophecies. We find out later, “weren’t our hearts burning?” they asked each other. When they were at the supper table and he said those familiar words, just like when Mary heard her name, suddenly they could SEE him, he was revealed to them. But Jesus didn’t change – he had been with them the whole time. But the weight was lifted from them, the blinders were removed, their hearts were opened and they could SEE.
Today we share the GOOD NEWS: Christ has Risen! He has Risen Indeed!!
As we share the bread and the cup, let our hearts be opened and let our ears hear and our eyes see! Jesus is Alive, Emmanuel, God with us!
#MinistryMessage
Heavenly Father, As we participate in Holy Communion, open our hearts, remove all barriers so that you are revealed to us and we can know you and experience your presence with us in our every day lives. Amen.
