Monday within the Octave of Easter
I am sure many of you have heard the saying “Seeing is believing”, but sometimes this is not always the case. I have had the experience many times in my life where several people are present at the same event, but what they “see” is very different. Our impression of a particular happening is influenced by many things. Our past experiences, our emotions, our expectations, our openness and trust all affect our individual experience of a particular event. Several years ago I had the opportunity to go zip lining. After the initial fear of trusting the equipment, I was able to take a “leap of faith” and travel above the tree line to see the amazing sights of the rainforest below me. There was another woman in our group, who was so fearful that she was having difficulty not only jumping off the platform, but she was completely unable to enjoy and appreciate the scenery because of her worry. We both did the same thing, but what we saw and experienced was completely different. I think the readings today describe 3 different groups of people and what they “saw” when they encountered the empty tomb. Because of their previous experiences, their openness and their expectations, each of the groups relate a different understanding of what they saw.
In the first reading, Simon Peter relates that the empty tomb indicates his belief that God raised Jesus from the dead “releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2: 24) Peter also sees this resurrection as the fulfillment of the promise that David was given regarding his offspring being placed on the throne. Because of the time spent with Jesus during his time of ministry, Peter has particular expectations about what had been foretold. These shared experiences increased His faith in Jesus as the Christ, but it is definitely the work of the Holy Spirit that is “poured forth” allowing Peter and all the disciples to not only have the faith to believe, but also to witness in word and deed to the people of Jerusalem.
The women (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) have a similar yet somewhat different viewpoint of the “empty tomb”. They “went away from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed.” (Matt 28:8) They also had shared much with Jesus during his ministry, and therefore they were excited and hopeful that the empty tomb meant that He was indeed alive. A meeting with Jesus along the way allowed them the opportunity to express their love and devotion to Him, as they “embraced his feet, and did him homage.” (Matt: 9) Their openness and faith In Jesus allowed them to see the Risen Christ.
The third group of people encountering the empty tomb was the guards who had been keeping watch. They went “into the city and told the high priests all that had happened.” (Matt 28: 11) They were told to tell others that the disciples had come by night and stole him while you were sleeping. And the soldiers “took the money and did as they were instructed.” (Matt 28: 15) They had no previous experiences with Jesus, no expectations to influence their understanding of this event, and no grace to give them faith to believe. The empty tomb for them was sign of their failure to perform the task they had been assigned. There was no indication that a miracle had occurred, just a messy situation that needed to be “cleaned up.”
Today I would like to invite each of us to reflect upon “What do we “see” when we look at the empty tomb?” Do we see the Father’s love for Jesus in the resurrection? After spending time walking with Jesus during our Lenten journey, do our experiences help us to understand that through His passion and resurrection Jesus has brought us salvation and healing? Are we open to the grace of the Holy Spirit, so we can not only have a stronger faith in the Risen Christ, but also proclaim Him like Peter and the disciples in our words and deeds? Because of the experience of Jesus’ great love for us, are we able to express our love and devotion to Him like the women? Since each of us is unique- different past experiences, different expectations, and a different awareness of the world, our “view” of the empty tomb will not be completely the same. But hopefully, each of us will be able to see with an “open heart” the miracle of God’s love that is outpoured on us and made visible in the empty tomb of the Risen Christ.
Father we pray that we may be able to “see” your great love shared with us through Your Son, Jesus. May His resurrection bring us hope as we recognize the “empty tomb” as a promise of our future resurrection. May your Spirit fill us, so we may be strengthened in our faith and go forth to proclaim the Risen Christ to all of the world.
- Marylynn Herchline