by Bruce Hanson
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.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).” John 20:11-16
I had an interesting but not so pleasing experience Sunday. For most, having church in the lobby due to a power outage was novel and maybe even sort of cool. Trouble is, I was stuck behind the pedestal with the coffee and bakery items. I could sort of hear Alex but couldn’t see him. I have hearing aids, but a part of hearing is seeing the mouth of the speaker. I know Alex said more than a few funny things. I heard others laugh, but I had no clue as to what he was saying.
Great Words, but for me, they were for naught.
“They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,…” Psalms 115:5-6
Now my problem was not my rebelliousness. I just can’t hear. What Alex had to say was significant, but I didn’t have the tools to interpret it. Mary was there to see Jesus’ body, but she could not. And then she could. “Rabboni.” Jesus’ voice opened her eyes. It reminds me of the later experience of the Apostle Paul.
Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again….” Acts 9:17-19
Ironically, that led me to an incident from Jesus’ birth rather than His resurrection.
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said,
“Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. Matthew 2:7-10
That wonderful star!! It lit the way for them, and did the same for me. Like Mary, I once could not see but now I can. Way Beyond Wonderful!!
Now it is my turn to be that star for someone else.
“Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-16
Be a Light (-B
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Red Couch Theology Podcast
Sermon Conversations with Alex and Aaron
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What can you expect? Pastors Alex, Aaron and the occasional guest, having a casual conversation diving deeper into ideas related to last Sunday’s teaching:
Light
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