ROLLING the STONES away.
How can you not be moved with emotion when you hear this resurrection story from Mary Magdalene’s perspective? Despite the bad press she has received over the years, we really know very little about Mary – however, what we do know is that she was part of Jesus inner circle of followers – some would even say that she was a disciple. From Matthew, Luke and the longer ending of Mark, and then following on from our readings at the Good Friday service, Mary Magdalene was consistently the first person to discover the truth of the empty tomb, and to share the news of the resurrected Jesus. But can you imagine the emotions she would have gone through? On Thursday night the man, who we are told in Luke’s Gospel exorcised her of 7 demons, was arrested for no apparent reason. On Friday, she was witness to a travesty of Jewish and Roman justice as her friend, teacher and mentor, was condemned to death, and then we are told, that she was at the cross for the duration as her Lord hung there, was mocked, suffered and died.
Who knows how she, and the other women spent their Friday evening and Saturday. We can assume that she would have been in a daze – a mind and senses numbing daze – her grief would have been overwhelming – it was easier not to think about it – the pain was too much. But the ever practical Jewish Mary, would have been mindful that the body of Jesus probably still needed to be embalmed correctly, or at least checked that it has been done the proper way because she was confident that Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus wouldn’t have done it right – never trust a man to do those sort of jobs right the first time! So, early in the morning, on the first day of the week – Sunday – she heads off to the tomb, where only 2 days earlier her world had been destroyed, to find that the new stone that covered the tomb, not yet covered with moss because it was so new, had been rolled away. Without actually going into the tomb to look for herself she raced back to the disciples to tell Simon Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved what she had seen.
This revelation jolts the boys into action, and they ran together towards the tomb. The faster of the two, Jesus closest disciple arrived first, stuck his head in to the empty tomb saw the burial clothes, but no body – then Simon Peter, no doubt puffing from the early morning exertion of energy, bursts – in try true Peter style – into the tomb and feels the emptiness – a feeling he had no doubt been experiencing since his denial on Friday – and he sees the grave clothes lying there. The other disciple enters, sees and believes – then they returned home – which for me, is an odd response.
Mary who had followed, was left all alone – now over come with grief again – and she wept openly at the empty tomb – when all of a sudden she sees two angels sitting where the body once lay. “Woman, why are you weeping they ask?” to which she responds with her suspicions about grave vandalism. During her response she most likely sensed movement behind, and turns around to find a fairly agricultural looking bloke, who asks her the same question as the now absent men in white. Her response, to a man whom she believes to be the gardener, is at the same time part accusation and part pleading for understanding, but when he spoke to her again, when he said her name – her eyes were opened to the truth. The Good Shepherd spoke, and one of his closest and dearest sheep heard and recognised his voice.
“Rab boū̕ nī!” she exclaims. Can you see the tears filling her eyes? Can you see all her worries evaporating? She had thought things were always going to be different now that Jesus has died – but he isn’t dead – he’s back! The one that we had lost is now found! Our lives can continue as they were – our relationships, our journey, our lives as disciples – it can all go on – Jesus is back. I wonder whether Mary’s future life flashed before her eyes – she could see the disciples and the followers travelling around Judea, preaching, teaching, healing – but now with more impetus – because Jesus is back – but it is so good that Jesus is back! Oh happy day!
“Rab boū̕ nī!” she exclaims. Which means much more than simply teacher – the word Rabbi means teacher - “Rab boū̕ nī!” means Greatest One. Then Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me.”
One of my favourite quotes, comes from the 20th century philosopher Jagger, who is remembered often and in many ways as saying, “You can’t always get what you want.” You may be more familiar with his work as lead singer of The Rolling Stones. I bet you never thought you’d see the day when a sermon would contain a reference to Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones – but I am going somewhere with all this – trust me. There is another saying, which although we can’t directly attribute it to Mick Jagger, it has always reminds me of him and his group of mates – the quote is ‘A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss.’
Are you lost? Here is the connection – Jesus said to Mary, “Do not hold on to me” and what does Moss do to a rock? It holds on. But in its holding on to the rock, it begins to break it down. Its roots grow into the tiny fissures, which allow water to enter, which with changes in temperature expand and contracts, beginning the process that will inevitably destroy something that was once strong, and slowly over many, many years it will turn the stone into dust.
Jesus said to Mary – “Do no hold on to me” – I’m different, you’re different – what has come before, cannot be again – we cannot go back to the way things were – do not hold on to me.
If we hold on too tightly to a living thing, it will die – those of you who remember reading George Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, will only remember this too truly. If we hold on to tight to Smartie, it will melt in our hand – and despite the advertising about M&Ms, they will melt in your hand if you hold on to them long enough. If you hold on to the edge of the swimming pool – sure you’ll be safe, but you’ll never experience the thrill and freedom of swimming. If we hold on to tightly to a belief, we may miss exposure to a new truth. If we hold on to tightly to what we know, we may never find out how much we have yet to learn. If we allow moss to hold on to tightly, it will break it all down into dust.
Jesus said to Mary, “Do not hold on to me – I am alive, but am going back to the Father – you go and tell the others what you have seen and heard – do not hold on to me” Jesus calls Mary to go and bring others along on the journey.
Do not hold on to your petty differences, or squabbles – do not hold on to your need to always be right – do not hold on to the way things have always been done – do not hold on to what you think you know about me – do not hold on to your belief that you have nothing left to learn. Do not hold on to where you are, and allow comfort and familiarity cover you like moss covers a stone – slowly, and surely, breaking it down into dust – to be blown away with the first breath of wind. Do not hold on – let go, and get out there. Do not let Moss, be the end.
And that is a big part of the Easter message – Jesus is far too big for us to hold on to, and keep safely for ourselves. Often, we are more inclined to hold on to the edge of the pool – stay in the safety of the church, a place where we feel we have a good handle on who this Jesus character is, and what he is always on about – But Jesus says to us, “Do not hold on to me” – get out there, where the rubber hits the road, explore with each other and with your neighbours around you – who perhaps do not know anything about me, what it means to be a disciple – and love others as much as you love yourself.
I think Jesus knew the danger that faced Mary, and the disciples and us – she had found her Lord and Saviour again. No longer was the body missing, no longer did she need to face a future of tending a grave of a loved one, she had Jesus back – she had her life back – but Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me – go and share with others what you have seen and heard” In the immortal words of that 20th century philosopher, “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need.”
Jesus said to the disciples earlier, that “I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly.” The resurrection is all about new life, new opportunities – it is a time to stop holding on to the past, and take that first step out into the future, following the Risen Lord Jesus towards the heart of God. We serve a Risen Saviour who is in the world today – let’s make sure that everyone we come into contact with, knows – without us even having to say a world, they know by our actions, and by our attitude that we have heard the words of Jesus, we’re not a group of people covered in moss, stuck in our ways we are the people of God, the people of the Risen Jesus and are no longer holding on – but we are venturing out into the great unknown as humble disciples.
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on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 at 3/25/2008 06:45:00 pm.
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