Where is Jesus?
When all is despair, there just might be something else coming.
John 20:1-10 | 1 Timothy 4:7b-10
Honestly, we could stay in John 20 & 21 for days and days, reaping the goodness of the stories. The Bible is important from beginning to end. But if we’re called to the Resurrected Christ and to live our lives in direction toward him, there’s much to be formed and shaped by the post-resurrection Christ in the gospels.
While it was still dark. Hope is birthed in darkness. Perhaps you can have hope when everything’s good and bright, but hope does her best work when it’s dark. She is most present in absence. Her strongest delivery is when you would least expect it. Isn’t that how hope works?
Mary Magdalene is so strong. Whatever kind of life Jesus saved her from, she apparently had little fear. Interestingly, unlike the other gospels, John does not mention her at all until the cross. She’s at the cross and at the tomb. This really can’t be overstated.
Here she is at the tomb in the darkness, finds the stone has been rolled away, and runs to Peter and the other disciple to tell them.
Where is Jesus? This is the moment of despair. Everything was already bad. And now even his body is missing. We, with the benefit of hindsight, might immediately think of the stone rolled away at Lazarus’ tomb and what happened there. But this is apparently not on Mary Magdalene’s, Peter’s, or anyone’s mind. We’ll soon see Mary’s continued despair and the disciples’ continued fear.
Sometimes the world just feels like Jesus is missing. Too much despair. Too much pain. Too much violence. Too much infighting and griping and power-grasping. Too much. It’s just too much.
Who can blame some people for giving up? Judas already had, before things even got their worst. Most of the rest of the disciples were soon to follow. Peter himself was in denial.
We’ve all been there, right? Maybe you’re even there right now. It’s not too hard if you’re paying much attention at all that’s happening in the world.
Many people in recovery from addiction use hope as an acronym. It’s a bit hokey to those who don’t think they need it (hope, that is). But it’s a rope of possibility for those who know what it’s like to have nothing left.
H ang
O n
P ain
E nds
If Jesus taught us anything, he taught us the story isn’t over when we might think it is. Hang on. Something else is coming.
Jesus is not missing.
John 20:1-10
Early in the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. She ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him.” Peter and the other disciple left to go to the tomb. They were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and was the first to arrive at the tomb. Bending down to take a look, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he didn’t go in. Following him, Simon Peter entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. He also saw the face cloth that had been on Jesus’ head. It wasn’t with the other clothes but was folded up in its own place. Then the other disciple, the one who arrived at the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. They didn’t yet understand the scripture that Jesus must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to the place where they were staying.
1 Timothy 4:7b-10
Train yourself for a holy life! While physical training has some value, training in holy living is useful for everything. It has promise for this life now and the life to come. This saying is reliable and deserves complete acceptance. We work and struggle for this: “Our hope is set on the living God, who is the savior of all people, especially those who believe.”
Prayer
God,
Thank you that Jesus is not absent, despite how I often feel.
And I do feel that way sometimes. I’m just being honest. If he is Lord of the Earth, he either doesn’t have enough to go around or his aim is bad. Or, there’s something else I’m not seeing or understanding. I’m actually sure this is it: I just don’t know everything.
So, Lord, is he - are you - just more present with those who are suffering the worst? Is my privilege to sit here, from a distance, watching what’s going on from the safety of my phone…is that actually a blinder?
Yikes, now I’m feeling badly about it, God. So I choose to keep praying, keep searching your good word, and keep doing what I can with what’s within my influence and power. I trust in you, that you are very present in those situations with people, even as the world is in peril.
So help me, God. Give me vision. Give me hope.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.