Mark 16:1-8
“…And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb…As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed…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.”
Every time I read this account of the resurrection I wonder how I might have reacted to find the heavy stone rolled aside and Jesus’ body gone. In the distance of time, we are well-acquainted with the end of the story and we easily dwell on the amazement – the mystery of resurrection – and skip over the terror the women must have felt when they arrived and found the tomb empty. How could they not be afraid? They came expecting to lovingly care for his body and instead they fled in fear and silence when they discovered him missing.
What are the experiences in our lives where we find ourselves so overcome by fear that we attempt to flee or are paralyzed and unable to act? How often are we apprehensive, waiting in the dark, speechless and expecting the worst only to finally see the light dawn and our fears fall away. These are times when we can see the beauty and mystery only from a distance – from the ending of the story – and only then can speak of it with clarity, recognition, and appreciation of God’s incomparable action unfolded before our very eyes. Perhaps our own “resurrection” story.
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!
©2015 Regina Strader Hunt
