Today’s Reading: Mark 16: 1- 20
A cup of coffee. The warmth; both the feeling of warmth in your hands and the warmth that you get as you take that first sip. The taste of the coffee. The mellow notes of woody and berries of the coffee. The taste of the cream. Delight of the cream, the body of the cream, the hints of French vanilla. The body reacts to the coffee: the mind is awakening, the warmth of the body from the heat of the coffee, the stirring of the whole being. And, there’s more… As we drink this coffee we are reminded of the ones who made this coffee for us. If at a café, a barista makes the coffee for you. At home, we think of the coffee brewers and the dairy farmers and the sugar farmers. We think of their families in the process that these individuals had to bring us to this one moment in time to enjoy our coffee this morning.
In the simplest of daily tasks, we can see how just in a moment so many individuals are connected to us. This one moment in time we can see how families and generations are connected to us through this simple act. In our reading today we see the resurrection of Christ but through different lenses.
In the original text, we see the three women are coming to prepare a Jesus body on the first day of the week. Mark 16:1-3
When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, 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 And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?”
And, there’s more…Next we see the women are greeted by an angel who gives instructions to go tell everyone. Mark 16: 5-7
And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 6 And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him.
And then there’s more… The three women are given instructions to go and tell Peter and the disciples that Jesus is risen. And, this is the last of the original text. But through recent findings we have found additional text for the Gospel of Mark.
In these additional texts we see three additional appearances of Christ to his followers. Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. Mark 16:9-11
9 [[Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
And there’s more… Jesus appears to two of his disciples and followers on the road.
Mark 16: 12-13
12 After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13 And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
And there’s more… Jesus appears to be 11 and gives him the great commission. Mark 16:14
Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.
And there’s more… With the resurrection we are not at the end of our journey, but we are at the beginning of my journey. From this passage we find that even after the original text was documented there was more found that gives us even a better glimpse of Christ after the resurrection. And every day we can get more glimpses of Christ through everyday living.
And there’s more… Christ is not finished with us. Christ is continuously remaking us and conforming us for his glory. The glory that started on the resurrection, but continues to us through this help of the spirit of God. Have a blessed Easter season.