As we come to the final episode of our series, Who dunnit?, it’s time to wrap up. Ending a story is a challenge all storytellers face. How should we end our mystery?
Our investigation into the case of who killed Jesus concluded last week with naming the governor, Pontius Pilate, as the person guilty. He was the only suspect with both motivation and means. It was the governor who made the final decision.
But along the way, we discovered a lot of guilt and very little innocence. This means the mystery mirrors many destructive decisions in life.
In our next series, Lifeboat, we learn about a group of people desperately clinging to life after the yacht they were on sank. Three days after the accident, after drifting a considerable distance from where the boat sank, they pull a stranger into the lifeboat. The stranger claims to be the Lord.
They were in disbelief, although each showed it in a different way. “If you’re really the Lord, save us,” sums up their collective response. Things didn’t add up.
Meanwhile, in our story for this week, Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb where Jesus was buried and discovers that His body is missing. Two angels ask Mary why she is crying. “They have taken my Lord away,” she responds.
As she turned around to head away from the tomb, Jesus is standing right in front of her. But she did not know that it was Jesus.
Mary isn’t in a lifeboat clinging to life, but she is wondering what will happen now. Although she was a devoted follower of Jesus, she didn’t recognize Him at the moment, even though it had been only three days since she had seen Him.
Had Jesus changed? Perhaps it was Mary who wasn’t quite ready to see Jesus alive.
A lot is going on in the world. Many of us feel a connection with the survivors in the lifeboat. Most of us can identify with Mary, too. Even if Jesus is standing among us, we either don’t recognize Him or don’t believe He’s around. Because, if he is here, why won’t He save us?
The global trade war will raise prices substantially and result in substantial layoffs. The real truth is only bad news. The lies coming out of Washington and Fox News are sickening.
People are being arrested and sent to a foreign prison without due process. And when the truth is uncovered, the administration stonewalls, lies, and continues on its way.
Universities and law firms are under attack if they don’t fall in line behind the rhetoric. We’re learning what it’s like for people living under authoritarian dictators, like Putin.
Worse, Republican legislators are afraid to push back. The Supreme Court set us up for a disaster when it ruled that only Congress can rein in the president.
I feel like I’m clinging onto life in terms of the future for myself and my family. Nevertheless, I know Jesus is in the lifeboat with us. But God has a track record of allowing us to suffer the consequences of our collective decisions. And we’re all suffering from the mistakes made during the last election, regardless of our role.
This is the way lifeboats work.
She turned around and saw Jesus standing there but did not know it was Jesus.
John 20:1-25
But Mary had a revelation when Jesus said her name. Something very familiar was present, perhaps the way He said it, the reflection, or the tenderness. I believe Jesus knew what Mary was going through, and she felt it in His voice.
Mary was in a transitional period in her life. So much had changed, so suddenly, that she couldn’t be sure what tomorrow would bring. Mary didn’t play a role in the arrest and death of Jesus. But she suffered from decisions made by others. Now what?
Mary’s revelation is our revelation. The tomb is empty because Jesus is alive. Once we empty ourselves of our need to cling to life as it may have been or as we believe it should be, Jesus fills us with the joy of life as God intends it to be.
Happy Easter! May you hear Jesus call your name and recognize that He is always with you.
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This is a reminder that we publish this newsletter, called the Circuit Rider, each week. You can request this publication by email. Send a request to FlintAsburyUMC@gmail.com or let us know when you send a message through our website. We post an archive of past editions on our website under Connect – choose Newsletters.
Pastor Tommy
Our series was inspired by The Reverend Jeremy Peters of Court Street United Methodist Church, Flint, Michigan, in collaboration with several United Methodist Pastors serving the Flint area. Pastor Jeremy wrote some of the content.