April 8, Easter
Mark 16:1-8 – The Resurrection
In this Scripture passage Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went to the tomb with spices to anoint Jesus’ body. When they got there the stone had been rolled away and there was a “young man” who said to them, “do not be amazed, you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified. He has risen, He is not here; behold, here is the place where they laid Him. But; go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him, just as He promised’. And, they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”
As I meditate on this passage I have to wonder why they were so afraid. Jesus had told his disciples repeatedly that he was going to die, but that He would rise again. Did they not believe Him? Why not? They saw Him raise people from the dead and perform many miracles. They believed that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Why didn’t they get it? Then I thought about fear and how it affects us. Like these disciples who “said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid”, fear can keep us from doing God’s will. Fear of rejection or ridicule can keep us from sharing our faith in Christ. Fear of the future makes us afraid to trust God completely and surrender our lives to Him. When we sin we are afraid that “maybe God won’t forgive me this time”. Fear keeps us from prayer and believing in God’s promises.
Living Out Lent: God does not want us to be afraid. He tells us over and over, “Fear not” and “do not be anxious (fearful) about anything…” (Matt. 6:31-34). On this Easter Day, let us surrender our fears, anxieties, cares, worries and unbelief completely to the One Who loves us and gave Himself for us, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord.
The author is a long time Christian actively seeking to be led by the Holy Spirit; with a strong desire to serve God, the Christian community, and the poor and needy among us and has served in various ministries in the Church and outside the Church.