In what scholars tell us, this is the end of the Gospel of Mark-these words of fear-at least as we are suspected to believe. You’ll notice in your Bible that there are two alternate endings that the early Church added so that the risen Christ would actually be seen after His death. That was important to the Church-the visible Christ-because without that, Jesus becomes just any other man.
Often readers-once they’ve heard what we have just said-are disappointed. For years we have talked about the bravery of these same women; we’ve admitted more times than we can count that without these women the story of the resurrection couldn’t be told! But Mark tells a different story. They leave the scene of the empty tomb and tell no one (according to the most original manuscript that exists).
Does this bother you? Quite frankly, when I was first made aware of this ending, I was surprised. I had never thought it through-especially since on Easter morning the pastor would read on into one of the two later endings without pause or exception. It doesn’t bother me anymore.
Why? Because-think about it: in such a surreal story as this, where Jesus Is joyfully celebrated last Sunday to now where He has been captured, tried, condemned, crucified, dead, buried, and now raised from the dead-wow, that’s a lot to take in in a week’s time! Everybody’s head was spinning with all this happening so fast. I think had I been there, I too, would have been afraid!
The disciples show their fear by going into hiding, The women show their fear by discovering that the huge stone covering the tomb is pushed aside (no easy task), see a stranger in the tomb that wasn’t Jesus, (a confusing thought) and then hear a strange message about going to Galilee (which may or may not have made any sense to them). Wouldn’t you or I have done the same? Probably.
The phrase “Do not fear” appears 366 times in the Bible. What significance is that? Well, that we fear easily that which we do not understand; we are easily afraid of things that are mystical or even spiritual. It suggests that fear is a common denominator in our lives-if you want to play on the number of times that it appear in scripture-366-which suggests every day of our year/lives!
The Gospel story of Easter is not based on fear, thank goodness, but upon the hope that the message shared is true. The story’s truth is based on human faith: that is, the acceptance that this marvelously and wonderfully strange story is true. Since we have no physical proof of anything that relates to this Gospel story, we must rely on this hope. It’s all that have.
For a moment, the women lost hope. But as we read on-they, and the disicples and many, many others regain their faith and the story goes on.
I am a fearful being-but I believe in God’s story of resurrection, and because of that hope, I have the gift of eternal life! We all have the potential tobe fearful but also to be faithful: So-put your hope in God, be faithful, and live! Only then will we be able to say “He is risen!” and it have meaning! To God be the glory! Amen.
Pastor Jim