Lent
Good Friday
April 14, 2017
Scripture Reading: John 20:1-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? For whom are you looking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, “I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” ’ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’; and she told them that he had said these things to her. –John 20:11-18
Mary Magdalene is mentioned in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and John as having been present at the cross when Jesus was crucified. What better first witness to his resurrection could there be? Some most likely thought she was overwhelmed by grief, seeing things perhaps. Besides being a woman, an automatic downgrade in authority, she owned a sketchy past of possible mental illness. Both characteristics are appropriate for a witness of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus’ vision development continued through his chosen messenger. He was a respecter of women and an advocate as well as a healer for the mentally ill, a guardian of all oppressed people.
Today, we stand at the foot of the cross along with Mary Magdalene. We each have our own frailties and strengths. We are each called by God to be his messengers of love and grace. In my church there is a large, plane wooden cross hanging above the baptistery, and a more ornate smaller brass cross centered on the communion table, displayed as reminders of the events of this day in our faith history. Meditating on either of them is meaningful to me, but the most important reminder of the cross in my church is the sanctuary itself, crafted in the shape of a cross with a long center aisle stretching from back to front and the crossbeam at the head of the pews reaching from side to side. It illustrates for me that the followers of Jesus Christ are his Body engaged in fulfilling his mission throughout the world. We are each individually and all together called to be his messengers.
Prayer:
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,
Christ when I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me. Amen*
*From An Irish prayer by St. Patrick see at http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/413139-christ-with-me-christ-before-me-christ-behind-me-christ