Apr 14 2009
Easter Thoughts
Mark 16:1-8
When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. 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.
* * * * * *
Mark’s gospel ends on a very strange note. This ending has been disturbing people for at least 1900 years. The oldest gospel account provides none of the comforting reunions or mysterious encounters with the risen Christ. Instead we have terror and silence. Some people seize on the open ended gospel as proof that the resurrection was merely an emotional experience of overwrought nerves. Early editors moved quickly to provide an ending that gave more tangible proof of the risen Jesus.
I would say both solutions leave us with unsatisfactory results. Our reason and the evidence with which we are confronted informs us that the author of the Markan gospel did not choose to spend time writing a book in a language other than his native tongue with little hope of financial gain merely to recount a failed ministry and a delusional experience. Likewise, paving over the gaping whole that is this last line is too neat and tidy. If the author intended to provide an ending I’m not sure that it was a clean wrapping of loose ends.
On Holy Saturday I referred to the space between the crucifixion and the resurrection as one tingling with kinetic energy like the air before a strong thunderstorm. Mark’s chaotic ending is the springing, the energy released. Whether or not one believes in the authenticity of the shroud of turin, I think the idea that the image was created by a sudden release of energy creating the photographic effect rings poetically true to the Easter event.
Our gospel begins at dawn in the liminal early morning light. The events are full of many “no’s.” As Good Friday is the answer of those who seek power and desire to enforce a “NO” on the world, now the women visitors are trapped in the no that society has given them. It is significant that the earliest witnesses in all four gospels are women. Though their voices could not be heard in official settings, here the “NO” of ignoring those on the fringe of society is overturned.
From their place of weakness they wonder about the enormous obstacle of the stone as they bring forth ointments for a dead body.
These concerns are expelled in the open cave.
The spring is sprung. Christ has gone ahead.
Why in this day and age do we still seek Jesus among the dead? Still the church prefers power over faith. Still Christians exclude, ignore and legalize. These are dead actions, they are the actions that provoked the crucifixion to begin with.
Mark’s gospel ends on the note of fear as it should because it is actually easier to find Jesus in a tomb than on the move opening a new way for us. We must go and seek, telling others along the way. All of the world is reborn and still too many are looking in empty tombs.
The orthodox icon of the resurrection shows Jesus bringing forth Adam and Eve from the dead. Now for those of us running in fear from the empty tomb, it is time to become like the risen Christ.
Who in your world needs to be told the words of life? Taking the hand of the Risen One, who now can you reach to?
