Happy Thursday! I pray this post finds you doing well and continuing to enjoy your walk with God by being a blessing to others. Today, we are going to continue our walk through the gospel according to Mark with his ending to the Good News.
“When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 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 16 original ending).
They obviously told some people even though they were alarmed and afraid. And it is alright to be alarmed and afraid when confronted by transforming news like the news that Jesus is alive. That Good News should be life altering.
When I started this journey back during the lockdowns, I never thought I was going to be a Christian. And, let’s be honest, some folks don’t think I am a Christian anyway. BUT I got into this journey wanting to break free of the chains that were holding me down that I saw everywhere. I didn’t get into this to try and set anyone else free. I didn’t sit down and start writing because I was looking to publish what I was writing on the internet. I was looking for a way to process that journey.
I feel like Mark had some of that intention as well. Sure, he probably wanted to get down some eyewitness stories about what happened when Jesus walked the earth. Sure, he probably wanted to make sure that folks knew what Jesus was like. BUT I think some of the reason for writing is trying to make sense of what we are encountering in our lives. Writing is our perspective. I have to wrestle with what is going on in my life and try to make sense of it so I turn to words.
I never wanted to be a Christian. And some people don’t want me to be a Christian either. That is valid. Regardless, here I am reading the Bible and trying to figure out what it is saying about this world I live in today. And I think that over the past weeks studying Mark, one main thread that weaves in and out is how Jesus showing up is Good News. That news should cause us to change our way of thinking. It should transform us to act more like the fellow that absorbed violence and mocking. It should transform us to want to love and help other people. It should transform us to listen and comfort.
We live in a world where folks always want to point out what is wrong. Folks want to dwell on how the world is “falling apart”. The world is “going to Hell”. That’s just perspective. When my world was “falling apart” and I was “going to Hell”, the Good News was still there. The Kingdom was still there. The grace and mercy and love of God was there. And I would rather focus on those things. I wanted to change my perspective. So, I let Him do that.
So, maybe the world is “falling apart” and “going to Hell” BUT that is not my focus. My focus is on His Kingdom. His Kingdom come and His Will be done by me. So, I need to make that Kingdom a reality by doing His will even if it makes me afraid and alarmed. I also need to make His Kingdom a reality even if it makes you afraid and alarmed. So, be bold in being loving, graceful, and merciful. I am sitting over here typing in His peace. And I pray that the same peace He has brought to myself and others is the peace you can find in Him as well.
Live free. Be a blessing. Grace and Shalom to your home.