31st March 2024 Easter Day
The women go, early in the morning to ensure that Jesus’ body is properly prepared for burial. They were there when he was laid in the tomb, they know a large stone, or rock, has been wedged over the opening. And as they travel on this morning, they still do not know if they will be able to accomplish what they have planned because they know they cannot move the stone, so how will they get in to the tomb. When they arrive and see the stone has been moved, and they see the heavenly visitor, they are commissioned as the first messengers of Jesus’ resurrection. But it is here that our gospel passage ends, with them saying nothing.
The idea of Jesus’ resurrection may have taken time to sink in for these women. They may have had to process it, much like we have to sometimes stop and process unusual or ‘out of the ordinary’ information told to us. Yes, they saw Lazarus being resurrected, and they may well have been around or heard the stories when Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter, or the Centurion’ son, but this is different. Mark just leaves everything ‘up in the air’. He does not give us any post-resurrection appearances, no ‘proof’ of the resurrection, just a promise that when you go to Galilee, he will be there before you and you will see him. And that is a wonderful promise for us too. Jesus may be absent from the tomb, but he has not abandoned his followers, he is ‘ahead’ of them, ahead of us. No matter what befalls us, no matter what ‘deaths’ we suffer, Jesus is there before us, and we will see him.
Now, apparently, some Monks, or someone else, were not comfortable with this gospel ending ‘up in the air’, with nothing to confirm the disciples’ doubt and call forth their faith. So, at some point later, possibly when they were copying Mark’s Gospel for circulation to new communities, it was decided to ‘add’ a ‘better ending’ to the gospel. And so, when you look at Mark’s Gospel you will see, after verse 8 the ‘shorter ending’ which is 1 verse and the ‘longer ending’ which is about 10 verses and ‘tidies’ things up a bit, ties everything up with a ‘nice little bow’. But maybe Mark intended to leave his gospel ‘hanging’ because, in reality, any story of a convicted criminal rising from the dead would be an uncomfortable thought for all who read it. Or maybe he doesn’t give us other information because Mark believed the story isn’t over yet anyway, and by leaving an ‘open ending’ he is inviting us to pick up where the women left off and share the good news announced by the heavenly visitor in the tomb. And we get a hint of that when we read the opening verse of Mark’s Gospel “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. Mark’s story is just the beginning, and we are to play a part in continuing it.
The women may have been overwhelmed and frightened, but, somehow, the good news is proclaimed. The disciples are nowhere to be seen, yet they carry on the ministry of Jesus to Galilee and beyond. The messenger in the tomb tells the women, and us, ‘don’t be alarmed’, Jesus told you this would happen, you can see where he was laid, but death cannot hold him. ‘Go’ from this place of death and endings and return to life and new beginnings. ‘Tell’ the disciples, tell them all, that he is going ahead of you. You will see him. Christ is risen, and this is just the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.