Friday, April 7th
Devotional written by Pastor Sarah Czerwinski, Associate Pastor to Young Adults
SATURDAY: THE DISAPPOINTMENT
Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
John 20:11-15
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Mary had watched Jesus crucified, waited a day to rest, and finally arrived at the tomb on the third to find… nothing. Well, not nothing. Just angels, but that wasn’t what she was looking for. I would have reacted differently to angels if I were her, but that’s beside the point. She was looking for Jesus’ body, His dead body. Instead, there was an empty tomb with two angels and a living man nearby.
She was so fixed on looking for what was dead she missed her teacher right in front of her. This man she was asking about Jesus’ body was Jesus Himself, resurrected.
I, too, have been so distracted by circumstances not turning out as I had imagined that I missed the tree for the forest. This story is a beautiful example of how things “not going our way” can be the best-case scenario. Jesus was not there to be anointed with burial spices because He was alive and ready to embrace Mary!
Reflection: Take a moment to consider how your disappointments may be redirections to something better that Jesus has for you. Ask Jesus to reveal whether you’re missing the good (or better) in front of you!
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