This Sunday’s text can be found at Mark 16:1-8, and the commentary from WorkingPreacher here.
On the day Jesus died, the state-run newspaper ran the headline “Fringe Group Leader Executed.” The Religious Daily News posted “Temple Cloths Torn by Invisible Hand.” The local radical weekly posted “Disciples Denied while Doyen Crucified.”
Over the weekend, the paparazzi stalked the disciples in their hiding places. They took pictures of all who entered the upper room, and noted some interesting things. They noted that Mary leaned upon John like he was her son. They noted that the mood of the disciples was somber. They noted that the raucous partying of the previous months was subdued.
But the day that Jesus resurrected? The papers were suspiciously quiet. When asked why, the local editors stated that the news of Jesus’s resurrection was not any news as all, that it just didn’t matter enough to report it. The said it was Fake News. They said that the reports of the women were unsubstantiated and not-to-be-believed.
It was the biggest news of the day, perhaps of the month, the year, and the century, and yet, there were no headlines.
Only a small band of grieving women heading to a tomb to wash a body, to prepare it for burial.
The news today has headlines of coronavirus, of death and destruction, of massive layoffs and financial ruination. And all of these things are terrible, indeed. We are sober and somber, and worried about what’s next.
But like the work of the cross, we know that something positive will come from this. Yes, it’s horrible. Yes, it doesn’t take away the pain. But something good will happen in the near future. Something that will change our lives for the better.
It must. Otherwise, like the disciples, we may not find a way to live.
So look towards the resurrection, y’all. Whether it’s the resurrection of Spring where you are, whether it’s the absence of air pollution and noise pollution in your locality, whether it’s the solidarity of your medical workers or delivery people, whether it’s the connections you have made with old friends or new friends…
Where will you go this week? How will you look towards the resurrection? And God’s peace upon you and your sermon preparation.
Rev. Lia Scholl is not-that-kind-of-Baptist preacher and pastor in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (U.S.) and is the author of I Heart Sex Workers (Chalice Press, 2013).
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I’m attempting (badly at this point) to talk about the good news of the “emptiness” of the tomb. Our churches stand empty so we can live, but how to get there without too much comparison of the church AS A TOMB, well, that’s another problem.
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Is it a tomb or a womb? Makes me think of the Valerie Kaur speech.
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