An Open Door...

Sunday, April 12...Mark 16:1 - 8

    Empty...not a word we like. We envision a lot of nothing. We see voids that need filling.

     But...a tomb that is empty is a different matter. Mystery surrounds it. AND if the tomb belongs to Jesus, the empty tomb cries out a message of fulfillment. Jesus' triumph over death. Jesus' triumph over sin. Words spill into and fill the emptiness: forgiveness...resurrection...eternal life... transformation...new life...new beginnings.

   On Easter we go from grief, to mystery, to "shoutin' time"!! So, come and let's shout together:  Alleluia! Glory! Praise be to God. Yahoo! Whoopee, Yee-Haw, way cool, slam dunk, touch down! Truly, all of earth and and all Heaven shout with triumph and victory!

    May you have a glory-filled Easter as we remember and celebrate Jesus' resurrection!

  Christ is Risen!...Christ is Risen Indeed!

Saturday, April 11...Mark 15:33 - 47

    Six hours. From nine in the morning when he was nailed put to the cross, to twelve noon when darkness descended over the land, to three when Jesus' body gave out, he endured. 

    Gratefully, the women remained, standing watch with him. They had followed him. They had taken care of him. Gratefully, Joseph of Arimathea, was also there to go to Pilate and claim Jesus' body. Gratefully, they did what they could before the Sabbath started, and made sure Jesus' body was wrapped and laid in the tomb.

    Final mercies and graces...

Friday, April 10...Mark 15:16 - 32

    Power can do what ever power wants. The soldiers, under Pilate's orders, took Jesus to be crucified. But, first, they made sport of him...mocking, spitting, hitting, bowing to him. As they led him out for crucifixion, they easily stopped a man, Joseph, and made him carry the cross. No one stopped them in their brutality and no one intervened. They were in charge. Power can do whatever power wants.

    How did Jesus do it? Once on the cross, Jesus continued to endure mocking while insults and dares were tossed at him. How did Jesus manage to not retaliate verbally to such taunts? He did speak from the cross, but never words of retaliation and never words to defend himself. Jesus showed a different kind of power...a power of will...to the end Jesus did no harm. Yes, power can do whatever power wants.

Thursday, April 9...Mark 15:1 - 15

    These days' readings are just hard. Listening again as Jesus has fake charges brought against him, is hard. Hearing the crowd and religious leaders cry out to free a murder, Barabbas, instead of Jesus is hard. Seeing Pilate give into pressure from the crowd is hard. Watching Jesus as he is flogged again by the soldiers is hard.

    I always want some 'super hero' to swoop in and rescue Jesus from the many injusticea piled against him. I want some brilliant, dynamic lawyer to plead his case and prove the others to be liars. I want some last minute epiphany moment of truth and justice to strike Pilate and give him the courage to face down the false charges and the pressure from the crowd. I want to see Jesus pull an 'Indiana Jones' and grab the leather flogging straps out of the hands of his captors. Instead, I stand unable to stop the events as they unfold once again in our readings. An innocent man will be crucified...such were Pilate's orders.

Wednesday, April 8...Mark 14:53 - 72

       He (Peter) broke down and wept.

    Poor Peter. He was so sure he would stand with Jesus even if it meant death (14:31). He was a fisherman...tough...strong. He was bold and daring. But the night had turned so quickly when Jesus was arrested. Peter wanted to be with Jesus. He followed and stayed in the courtyard where Jesus was being interrogated and accusations were being made. He wanted to be there. He wanted to stay strong and true, but he wasn't able.

    Peter broke his own heart that night as his courage broke down. The guards meant business. He didn't want to be beaten or die. Out came the words he swore he'd never say, "I don't know this man."

    Jesus had been right. Not only Peter, but all of them scattered that night in various ways. At his denial, Peter broke down and wept, so deep was his dissappoint in himself and so broken-hearted was his spirit.

Tuesday, April 7...14:32 - 52

      Statues, depicting Jesus' struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane and the disciples sleeping, are on the grounds of the Abbey of Gethsemane in Kentucky. When I was in class last year in Kentucky, we stopped at the Abbey and hiked to the statues. The brightness of the summer day on the statues was in direct contrast to the emotional darkness of the time Jesus spent in the garden. The struggle in the garden turned Jesus toward the facing of the betrayal and death. He left there with the God-given strength to face the next day.

    

Monday, April 6...Mark 14:1 - 11 (OOPS!! Sunday & Monday's scriptures are swapped)

    A beautiful thing...

    As things heated up around Jesus and the religious leaders sought to have him arrested and killed, a beautiful thing was done for Jesus. After dinner at a friend's home, a woman poured v-e-r-y expensive perfume on his head. The rich aroma filled the room. Amid the harsh criticism of others in the room, Jesus spoke in her defense. She had done a 'beautiful thing' for him. He considered it an anointing ahead of time for his burial.

    Her act was beautiful. She gave an extravagant gift worth a year's wages. I can't imagine taking a year's salary, purchasing fine perfume and pouring it over someone. Her action was too much. She was not doing this because she 'thought' Jesus was a great teacher. No, her action had to come from a deeper place...a place of love, joy, generosity and delight for that is where 'beautiful things' originate.

Sunday, April 5...Mark 14:12 - 31

    We never know when the 'last' will occur with those we know and love...the last conversation, last visit, last meal. The disciples didn't know that they were celebrating their last Passover with Jesus let alone last meal with him. They didn't know to pay closer attention to him in order to hold in their memories every last detail of that meal...the sounds, aromas, sights and emotions while with Jesus at that table.

    Jesus was talking really weird. He spoke about difficult things. He told of their betrayal and of not drinking the fruit of the vine again. He spoke of them falling away and disowning him.

    He talked even 'weirder'! He spoke of rising from the dead and going before them into Galilee. They wondered what was going on...and yet the night had just begun...

Saturday, April 4...Mark 12:20 - 37

    I hope the info yesterday was helpful in understanding the categories Jesus was talking about which continue into today's reading. I find it helpful to know that many things he talked about have already taken place and even took place within a few decades of his earthly ministry. The task now left to us is to remain watchful and ready.

    I appreciate those who study and write about eschatology...the “discourse about the last things,” the "doctrine concerning life after death and the final stage of the world" (Encarta Encyclopedia). Many people have been drawn closer to Jesus through such studies and books. I am grateful for them.

    I tend to take Jesus quite literally in this...he said he didn't know when he would return. So, I figure if he doesn't know the date and time for his return, how can any of us know it? Truth is...none of us know it either. Therefore, I take Jesus' advice to watch and subsequently to be ready. I figure my job is to stay in relationship with Jesus and to discipline myself to keep that relationship current and vital daily.

Friday, April 4...Mark 13:1 - 19

To help us begin to understand today's and tomorrow's readings, I offer this bit of information from the Daily Bible Study Commentary Series by William Barclay:

"In this chapter there are various strands of thought. The gospel writers had a way of collecting Jesus' sayings on any subject. It was a wise way to write and excellent for teaching purposes. Here Mark, as it were, collects Jesus' sayings about the future. Now even a cursory reading, with no special knowledge, shows that, though all these sayings were about the future, they were not all about the same things. There are in fact in this chapter five different strands.

There are prophecies of the destruction of Jerusalem. We get them in verses 1 and 2, 14-20. Jesus foresaw the end of the holy city. As we shall see, Jesus was right. Jerusalem fell in A.D. 70. The Temple was destroyed and the most terrible things happened.

There is warning of persecution to come. We get that in verses 9-13. Jesus foresaw that his followers would have to go through the most heart-breaking and soul-searing experiences, and he warned them in advance.

There are warnings of the dangers of the last days. We get them in verses 3 to 6 and 21 and 22. Jesus saw quite clearly that men would come who would twist and adulterate the Christian faith. …He wished to defend his people in advance from the heresies and lies which would invade the Church.

There are warnings of the Second Coming. Now, these warnings of the Second Coming are dressed in the language which has to do with the day of the Lord. We get them in verses 7 and 8 and 24 to 27. The imagery of the day of the Lord and of the Second Coming are inextricably mixed up.

There are warnings of the necessity to be on the watch. We get them in verses 28-37. If men live in the shadow of eternity, if they live with the constant possibility of the intervention of God, if they live with the prospect of the consummation of the coming of Christ ever before them, if the times and the seasons are known only to God, there is the necessity ever to be ready."