Bible Readings: See BibleGateway.com.

Listed in the

Revised Common Lectionary (Year B). 

*Acts 10:34-43  or  Isaiah 25:6-9

Ps. 118:1-2, 14-24

I Cor. 15:1-11 or Acts 10:34-43

John 20:1-18 or  Mark 16:1-8

There were women around him

in various ways.

They came to the tomb

to look after Him.

They found that

the tomb was empty.

They left to tell others.

Lessons:

Spikenard = giving

Herbs = hospitality

Questions = integrity

Blood = empathy

Rocks = we should instead have a heart of flesh

Dressings (for the body) = honouring through our lives

Stone rolled away = freeedom

(Lilly = whiteness)

(Chocolate = indulgence)

+++++ The Women of Easter (C) Brooke Thomas +++++

Sunday

Mark 16: 1-8

Women preparing to bury Jesus - Danni

(prop – large piece of folded linen)

Women given the resurrection message – Robyn

(bunch of lilies)

The women preparing to bury Jesus

I am almost paralysed by my emotions. There is a part of me that does not want to confront the reality of his death. To see him lying there, wrapped in simple linen on the carved out shelf of the tomb. To think that he is no longer in the world, will no longer travel through our villages, call at our homes, sit and talk with us of love and hope and justice for all.

But another part of me knows it is a sacred and honourable duty to tend to the dead in preparation for burial. Our law teaches us that performing the rites of burial makes us unclean but Jesus never placed much importance on such laws. A pure and clean soul is what matters, not restricting rules that get in the way of connecting with each other or being emotionally and spiritually whole.

I have seen how he cared so completely and compassionately for the people he encountered. How he ached for the poor and downtrodden. How he felt the pain and anguish of the sick and injured. How he celebrated with the joyful. How he cried with the grieving. How he railed against injustice of every kind.

I can’t believe he is gone.

At least I will be able to mourn privately in the tomb while we do our duty. Then he will be moved to his family tomb. We didn’t have much time two nights ago to look after his body as the Sabbath was beginning but we had to make sure he wasn’t buried in a common grave with the criminals. I’m so angry that the Sanhedrin let him die that way and would have had him remembered that way, had Joseph not stepped in and used his influence to let us bring him here.

We were in such a rush on Friday night to get hold of the linen and some dry spices and to get permission to take his body that I don’t think we had time to stop and let our feelings catch up with us. But the Sabbath was an achingly long bleak day. The world is grey. Something incredibly good and beautiful has gone out of it and I don’t know how we can go on.

I tried to distract myself by planning ahead for what needed to be done to properly prepare Jesus to be buried. As soon as the Sabbath was over we would need to buy the perfumes and ointments we needed to properly anoint the body. I could at least think that far despite my dread at having to face that fact that he is dead. To see and tend to his bruised and battered body. To acknowledge once and for all that he has been taken from us.

But now, as we draw near the tomb, something is different. Where are the guards who were sent here to make sure we would make no trouble? How has stone been drawn back from the entrance? And who is this strange young man here to greet us? My heart leaps in trepidation and expectation. What can possibly be going on?

Reading: Mark 16: 1-6

The women given the resurrection message

I may not have the words to explain what has just happened. There are moments in life when words fail in the face of complete amazement. My heart is so full! My mind is reeling! He is not here!

I have seen the tomb stone rolled away and a young man of strange radiance sitting by it. He told us not to be afraid and invited us to step in to the tomb with him. It was all so strange that none of us had time to think twice.

Once inside, when my eyes had adjusted to the dark, I gasped at the sight before me. Jesus was gone! And there is nothing left inside the tomb but the linen we wrapped him in two nights ago.

A thousand questions suddenly raced through my mind but the calm assurance of the young man who had led us inside left me with only one conclusion – Jesus is not dead. He has risen and walked out of here, away from the darkness of these past days. Death could not hold him nor silence his message.

Before I could even think what to do with this information, the man, who I have no doubt was an angel of the Lord, told us to go and find the disciples and give them the message that Jesus has risen and will meet up with them soon.

Now we stand on the roadside, looking at each other in bewilderment. We have set down our bundles of cloth and jars of oil – they are not needed now. None of us has the words to really describe how we are feeling. My mind is so full of excited thoughts about what might come next for us, for Jesus and his ministry, for all his followers, and for the people who are yet to meet him, no single coherent idea will form to sum it all up! People walking past us look at us strangely in our silent awe but I don’t care. Jesus is alive! He walks among us again and we have been given a precious message to pass on. We must go. We must find Peter and the others and tell them what we have seen and been told. I can’t wait for what comes next!

Reading: Mark 16: 7 - 8