Mary Weeps...and Sometimes We Do, Too

The Rev. Kathi Johnson

Easter 8am – 16 April 2017

Text: John 20: 1-18

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Grand Prairie, Texas – Outdoor Chapel

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The resurrection story as John tells it (which we just heard) has two parts. The first part is verses 1-10 – it’s the part with all the rushing around. Mary Magdelene, upon finding the empty tomb, runs to tell Peter and another disciple. Then Peter and the other disciple run back to the tomb to see what she’s talking about. They inspect the tomb briefly, and then return home.

The second part of the story is verses 11-18 – the part that begins with the heartfelt words that “Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.” Her sorrow and bewilderment is hitting her full-on, and so, she stands and weeps. She talks with a couple of angels who appear, and then with Jesus himself, whom she believes is the gardener. At this point, she’s only trying to figure out where the body of Jesus is.

Then Jesus says her name: “Mary.” And she knows it is Jesus – she has no doubt. Jesus then sends her to tell the others, and she does just that. “I have seen the Lord!” she announces to them.

Our Easter story seems to wrap itself up pretty nicely at that point, right? Mary’s done her job and shared the good news.

Except that this isn’t where the story of Jesus’ resurrection ends. In the Gospel of John alone, the risen Jesus keeps showing up to his disciples: in a locked room and on a beach, cooking breakfast. In the Gospel of Luke, he appears on the road to Emmaus, walking with some of the disciples. Even risen from the dead, Jesus stays busy.

One question I’ve been asked before is “Where is God when things are going wrong?” In other words, it may be very easy for us to recognize the presence of God when everything is great and life is going along just fine. But – where is God when things are going wrong? Where is God when I feel like I’m sinking – or when it looks like the world is? Where is God when I’m in hell?

The Easter story doesn’t end on Easter – it can’t end on Easter because we don’t live our lives here, all the time. Our lives are lived in all kinds of circumstances on all kinds of days. And our hope as Christians comes again as we realize – again – that the same Jesus who rose from the dead – that Jesus is with us always.

It may be more difficult for us to see God at certain times. There may be times when we are like Mary, standing there, weeping. But I know that Jesus, who has been to hell and back, can and does accompany me to hell and back, too. This is part of the joy of the resurrection story – that Jesus is risen from the dead, not for his own sake, but for my sake, for your sake, and for the sake of the whole world.

Amen.

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