January 23, 2009
Rolled Away
After the crucifixion the two Marys and Salome bought spices to anoint Jesus’ body. I find it so strange that on their way to the tomb they were asking one another, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” You’d think if they planned ahead enough to purchase the spices, they’d also have thought to ask a few strong disciples to meet them at the tomb. This is probably a good faith lesson for those of us who want to know that the door is going to be open before we start walking. Mark 16:3
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Gail;
-----Please allow me to differ a bit. If the Mary’s and Salome were acting in faith, without planning, that the stone would be rolled away for them somehow, then their question was posed from contemplative curiosity. Otherwise the question was addressing a known obstacle and was in search of a solution. Either way you are right, their going to the tomb not knowing how the stone would be moved was an act of faith. But whether or not they had planned for the removal of the stone, we do not know. At this time, the disciples were hiding in a closed room because they were scared. They were a pretty hard headed bunch. I could see them refusing to go along and open the tomb, especially if they had somehow learned that Nicodemus had applied a hundred pounds of myrrh and spices to Jesus’ body the night of His burial. But the women’s effort to anoint the body with spices and the apostles’ disbelief of their report that Jesus was alive reveals that everyone’s faith was still limited.
-----The women certainly stepped forward in faith, for they did not know how the stone would me moved while they went. I marvel at my brethren who do the same. Sometimes their paths seem to assemble right under their feet like they could walk through any obstacle. But other times, I watch them trip over the weeds and brush where they expected a path to appear, but found none. This is usually what happens to me when I try to walk the presently appearing path. And this is what happened to the women in their preparation of spices to anoint a dead body they believed would be there.
-----I believe faith needs knowledge. Jesus had been telling His apostles beforehand that He would suffer death and rise again. But they failed to use this knowledge, hid in a closed room, and didn‘t believe the report of Jesus‘ resurrection. And the women would have saved the price of the spices. If they had applied their knowledge to their faith, they all would have gone to the tomb that morning with party whistles and celebration. And the matter of stone removal would have been a moot point in their minds. Yes, the two Mary’s and Salome had faith that the stone would be removed, but that faith belonged to the wrong frame of reference and the wrong set of circumstances.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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