Why are you Crying?

"Why are you crying?" John 20:15

 

It's fascinating to read the narrative of what happened after Christ resurrected from His tomb from all 4 Gospels. It's like trying to piece together the whole story from 4 witnesses who focus on different aspects of the events as they unfold. 

What scholars agree on is that even with other historical events, you can have irreconcilable discrepancies in secondary details, and yet the core of the story is present. What I particularly like in the Gospel accounts is that it was women who discovered the empty tomb, frightened, anxious women who got over their fear in order to serve Jesus at the very crack of dawn. 

It is always emphasized that women were on the lowest level of Jewish society during Jesus' day. Records will show that Josephus, a first-century historian, stated, “Let not the testimony of women be admitted because of the levity and boldness of their sex,” and this is repeated in the Mishnah (a Jewish legal text written in 220 CE)!!!

So why did all accounts put them front and center of the resurrection story? Because that was the truth! If there was any connivance as the Jewish high priests of the day claim, the writers would not have claimed that it was women who found the empty tomb! 

Jesus asked Mary Magdalene, "Why are you crying?" She did not recognize Him. Perhaps we are in a terrible situation right now, someone very close to us is sick, we don't have a job, we have to find a place to stay, whatever it is, we can be sure, Jesus is near. We just don't recognize Him. 

Lord, may we see Your face. I know You will never abandon us, even when it sometimes feels like that. And sometimes, You give us opportunities to be You to others. May we not pass by but be the good Samaritan to others in need.