John 20:1-10: The Impossible as Reality
Thursday, May 5, 2023
A Favorite from May 5, 2008.
For some reason this chapter has popped up at Noontime several times. Today, as always when this happens, we can look more closely at this reading, and this is what comes to me.
Today’s morning scripture reading is from Hebrews.
Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. Because of it the ancients were well attested. 11:1-2
I have often tried to imagine the rainbow of emotions which swept through Mary, Peter and John when they saw the empty tomb. There were so many explanations of what might have happened.
This is the time of year in which we always re-live the Resurrection story. Two thousand years after the fact, we are still experiencing the mix of doubt, fear, hope and joy which swept through the early apostolic band. They had been accompanied by Jesus in life. Now they would be accompanied by him and the Spirit for eternity.
We are surprised by the absence of something we thought existed, someone who once was a foundation, some idea that gave us meaning. We see, hear and feel the emptiness and sorrow of that loss. Slowly, and painfully, we explore the possibilities. Little by little we come to the realization that our existence is paradox. We are divine, we are human. We are human, we are divine.
We are slow to believe. We see the empty tomb. We know that our eyes do not deceive us. We can imagine the possibilities, and we dare to hope, we dare to dream, we dare to live in a way we have never lived before. The impossible becomes reality.
Images from: http://www.robinweinstein.net/blog/our-grave-clothes-for-his-glory and https://www.youngisthan.in/opinions/lord-jesus-tomb-and-the-resurrection-theory/27956
The Noontimes 