An Easter Perspective
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 him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 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. 7 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.” 8 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.
I am told that natural light is a mood booster that is good for mental health. These days, my family lives out in the middle of nowhere, down in a village called Liberty Hill. If you do not know where that is, it’s ok. There are only about 12-15 people who live in the village proper. We don’t even have a stop sign. I usually wake up to my alarm on my cell phone but resist the urge to check email, social media, or anything that involves a screen; however, I am usually bombarded by notifications of news headlines. As I prepare my daughter for school, I will listen to last night's evening news. I mentally prepare for the day ahead before we leave, most of the time before the sun comes up, so we can drive the 19 miles to get her to school.
I often reminisce about days before and during the pandemic when we lived on a farm with chickens and ducks. I would get up and get out in the yard and spend all day working in the natural light. I would pop in my headphones and more deeply consider who I wanted to be and how I wanted to accomplish it through the Spirit. It’s incredible that, in retrospect, during the pandemic, I was happier and more energetic because of the amount of time I spent outdoors. I enjoy my morning routine these days because I get to spend that time in the car talking to my daughter, but I also miss that natural light.
The Easter story found in Mark’s gospel starts with Mary, the mother of James, and Mary Magdalene heading to the tomb very early in the morning, just as the sun was rising. I can imagine the air was crisp and still, and the only sounds were the gentle rustling of leaves and the soft footsteps of the women as they walked. Their faces are tear-stained and solemn as they contemplate the task ahead - to anoint the body of their beloved Jesus. Yet, despite the weight of their grief and the pain of their loss, there was also a sense of reverence and determination in their hearts as they prepared to carry out this sacred duty.
No morning ritual could have prepared them for what they found: They were not prepared for what they saw that morning. The tomb was empty, and they encountered a young man dressed in white who seemed otherworldly. He told them not to be afraid, but they couldn't help feeling that way. According to Mark, all of Jesus’ disciples should have been afraid. Initially, the story ends with the women fleeing the tomb in terror and amazement.
In his book (co-written with Gary Charles), Brian Blount reflects on the original ending of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 16:1-8) and why early church leaders felt the need to add to it (Mark 16:9-20). Mark’s focus, Blount writes, is not on resurrection but on discipleship. Therefore, Mark doesn’t end with the appearance of the resurrected Jesus or the convincing of other disciples and the spread of the good news. Mark ends with the women’s fear. “Fear is the natural reaction to a discipleship whose content is the way of the cross,” Blount writes. “If you’re not afraid, you don’t understand.” (Blount & Charles, 2002)
Mark puts great emphasis on the call to discipleship and the challenges that it entails rather than focusing solely on the joyous and victorious outcome of the resurrection’s appearances, which could potentially replace feelings of fear and doubt. According to Ched Myers, the additional verses found in Mark 16:9-20 were likely added later as "imperial rewrites," with the intention of making institutional Christians feel more comfortable and less anxious about the sacrifices that come with following Jesus as a disciple. These fabricated additions to the gospel may have been intended to pacify the concerns of those who were not fully committed to the cause and to downplay the radical and challenging nature of true discipleship. (Myers , 2017)
Looking at it from this perspective, Mark's original conclusion may be a more potent ending, like the powerful "fade to black" of a movie that leaves us with unanswered questions and a sense of mystery, rather than a clichéd "happily-ever-after" ending. That Easter morning, standing alongside the women at the empty tomb, marks the beginning of a journey of discipleship, which is sure to be both challenging and rewarding. As we come to understand the significance of this event, we will experience a sense of both awe and fear, just like the women at the tomb did. It is this sense of wonder that will drive us on an incredible journey of faith as we seek to discover the answers to life's most profound questions.
Easter morning is a stunning reminder of how we can emerge from the darkest of times. Just as the world has begun to open up again after the pandemic, Easter morning brings with it a renewed sense of hope and an opportunity to set our intentions for the future. The morning's rising sun illuminates the beauty of springtime flowers blooming and butterflies emerging from cocoons, symbolizing the transformations that can occur in our own lives.
Reflecting for a moment on the promise of Easter and the resurrection of Christ, we are reminded that our lives can change for the better when we accept this promise as our own and embrace God's grace as children of God. Just as our morning routines may have changed since the world opened back up, so too did our lives change when we accepted Christ's promise. Let us turn our faces towards the rising sunlight and ask ourselves: how will we be in the work that lies ahead? Who will we be? Just like the blooming flowers and emerging butterflies, let us embrace this new beginning with open hearts and a willingness to grow and transform. The work that lies ahead is complex, and the problems we face are complicated and overwhelming. But the fear we feel is not a fear that can’t be overcome. It’s not a fear without faith or hope. It’s also not a fear without a guide and Savior in Jesus Christ. Instead, the fear should motivate us to, as Blount writes, “stop looking for happy endings, and, living a life of discipleship, start creating them.”
As a young man, I avoided the shorter ending of Mark because it didn’t make sense to me. With study and research, I have come to appreciate it. In light of reflecting on my own spiritual journey, I agree with Dr. Blount; I, like many Christians, may have been a little scared. So, I invite you to be scared with me because to claim Christ is not a promise of an easy life. To claim Christ is just the first step of the journey. Praise God that we have all the chance to be disciples of the Risen Christ.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Works Cited
(n.d.).
Blount, B. K., & Charles, G. W. (2002). Preaching Mark in Two Voices. Louisville, Kentuky, USA: Westminster John Knox Press.
Myers , C. (2017). Binding the Strong Man. Maryknoll, New York, USA: Orbis Books.
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