Hi My name is Rev’d Jane Bearden. I am the pastor at Trinity Episcopal Church in Haverhill Massachusetts. As you can probably tell by my sweater – it is still winter here. But Easter has come and I know that warm weather is on its way to New England. In these videos I offer meditations based on our lectionary readings for parishioners who might be traveling or homebound, for those who are searching for a parish, and for those of you who just might be seeking a closer relationship with God. I hope that you find some insights or inspiration in my words and that more importantly it is God’s word that finds its way into your heart. I invite you to join us for worship at Trinity. We are located on White Street in Haverhill and our principle service is at 10 AM on Sunday mornings. My text for this meditation is taken from the 20th chapter of John where Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb early on the morning after the Passover and is surprised to find the tomb empty. You might like to read the lesson before continuing.
We have a custom in Louisiana. Whenever a friend or a merchant goes a little bit beyond what we might expect in helping us out - we say that we have received Lagniappe! Lagniappe is a little something extra. It is not planned, it is not expected. It is a surprise and it is more than we deserve. Easter is the ultimate Lagniappe. We have an assortment of stories about Jesus’ ministry between Christmas and Easter – the baptism, the journey in the wilderness, Nicodemus coming to see him in the dark of night and a scadanlous conversation with a Samaritan woman at a well. And of course there are sermons preached and people healed of disease. And now on Easter Sunday - lagniappe! the story of God’s decisive action over all that holds humanity captive – even death…. that is more than we could have ever expected or even hoped for.
When I began to prepare for this morning I was captivated by one character I have not heard about in these weeks building up to this story – at least not by name. And yet this character – a woman – appears at least twice in all four gospels. We hear nothing of her in Mt, Mk, or John until Jesus is hanging on the cross - only Luke makes a sort of aside reference to her earlier in Jesus’ ministry. Luke tells us that she and some other women had been cured of demon possession and that they traveled with Jesus and supported his ministry financially. When I was on retreat in New Mexico there was a large bronze statue of Mary Magdalene – prominent in the sanctuary. Her face was contorted in grief as she looked up from the foot of the cross and yet it had a quality of beauty that captivated me.
Mary Magdalene is a mysterious figure. There are traditional stories that associate her with prostitution and as having an intimate relationship with Jesus. Most of these stories have been debunked though. In 1896 a document was discovered in Egypt - a gospel attributed to her. It is a mystical document, that is not consistent with most Christian writings that we have today. It speaks of secret revelations to Mary and how Peter challenged her and the controversy that developed over who was to be the leader of the disciples, who was to have authority. It’s worth googling just for the insight into the group dynamics.
What I think is key here is that in all of the information we have - there is a picture of a woman who was a devout follower of Jesus. She was so committed that when all of the others ran away and hid for fear of their lives, she stayed through the gore and blood and grieving mightily. She did not desert Jesus – rather she stayed with him until his lifeless body was placed in the tomb. And then on the morning after Passover, she returns to anoint his body with spices and oils and everything changes. What she discovers is and empty tomb, but she does not know what to make of it.
It is not until she encounters Jesus, perceives him to be the gardener, and then recognizes him as he calls her by name. At first Mary does not understand. She reaches out in some way to hold onto the Jesus with whom she was familiar, the human Jesus – but he stops her and gently tells her that things are different now. Humankind tried to take away what God had given, tried to overpower the Creator. They had failed to defeat God, but things could not go back to the way they were before. Now she was to be the teacher and the proclaimer.
Why on earth did Mary stay the course when everyone else ran? I think it has to do with the difference between belief and faith. One is in the head and one is in the heart. When we open ourselves up to hear and to be changed by our experience of Jesus loving us - then being faithful to God and a disciple of Christ becomes possible. Mary had not just heard Jesus’ teachings on all of those dusty roads and backwater towns. Mary had been changed / transformed by them and through her witness the disciples also came to see that God has overcome death.
When Jesus instructs Mary to go and tell the others the gospel of John comes to an end. But just like all those other stories that build up to this extraordinary event, the story does not end here. Jesus will breathe the Spirit of God into the disciples and they will also be transformed. For those with Easter faiths there is no resisting the Spirit of God. There is no satisfaction for the hunger for God once we have experienced that Love.
In this season of Easter it is clear that the same divine wind, which at first took Christ out of the grave, is available here and now providing hope and salvation to us. Therein lies our faith. Therein lies our hope. It not only gives us personal hope but also transforms and makes holy a broken humanity. It is this spirit of God flowing from the power of the resurrection that gives us the strength to speak out and to work against unjust systems, systems of oppression and violence and speak the truth of the Gospel wherever we can. The power which on Easter Day shattered death is now given to us to live and to proclaim. This vitalizes the most fearful and defeated into a resurrection personality - an Easter Faith. This is the Spirit that inspires our mission as a church and empowers our witness. The same power that rolled away the stone that day is the power available for us for living each day.
Christ has risen. Hallelujah! God has given us lagniappe!
Let us pray.
Eternal God, in this Easter season, give us a renewed faith and vision of the hope of new and resurrected life in you. Let this story of Mary who responded to your act of love for her with steadfast faith and fearless acclimation inspire us to continue like her in the apostles teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers. We pray in the name of the resurrected Christ. Amen.
Thank you for listening. If you want to know more about Trinity or about the Episcopal Church, drop my an email. The lonk is on the website home page. God’s Peace and Blessing be with you and with those you love this day and always.
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