- Jun 27, 2003
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*** WARNING TISSUES NEEDED ***
What did Mary See?
The pale rays of early morning sun filter through the still mist hanging in the shadows of the thick green trees. The promised warmth of daylight brings to life the sounds of singing birds, a dog sporadically barking in the distance, and throughout the hills surrounding Jerusalem a far off bleating echo can be heard from a small number of sheep. Despite the pain her thoughts evoke, the loving memory of Jesus compels Mary to walk back to the grave this morning, with her friend who is also named Mary. There exists no other priority but to finish anointing the body of her once closest friend, with preserving spices for an inevitably decaying body. Years earlier she had been a hard, calloused human being with no hope, but this man had changed her into a compassionate, empathetic, selfless woman, never again to practice the prostitution which brought her so much pain and misery. Now, because Jesus was gone, the same feeling of depression and hopelessness was infiltrating the deepest part of her soul again. She would not be able to live as she did before with the memory she had of Him, because He and her past life had no connection. All she knew was to go to where he was, even though he was dead.
As Mary and her friend come to the site of the tomb, she abruptly stops and gasps and then begins to cry.
"Grave robbers! Can't they leave him alone - even in death?"
Her anger turns into bitter sobs of anguish, not being able to take advantage of the emotional defense that her once hardened heart knew. In this emotionally crippling moment that brought her to this point of tears, Mary gathers her wits, whirls around, and runs frantically to find the close friends and companions of her lost and greatly loved friend Jesus.
"Peter!! John!! They've taken our Lord's body out of the tomb! We don't know where they've put him!"
Together and without acknowledgment to Mary's gasping breath Peter and John run toward the property of Joseph of Arimathaea.
Too tired to run any farther, and no where else to go, this lonely woman walks slowly back to the garden tomb, still slightly whimpering, trying to endure the shock of the stolen corpse of one that she had loved so dearly. Peter and John had come and gone. Her friend, the other Mary, had waited. Together they peer into the damp, chilly, dark tomb.
In the dim darkness within the tomb sit two angels in the form of common men enveloped within a fiercely bright, pure light painful to the eyes. In astonishment, both women cover their open mouths with their hands, gasping. They try to adjust to this intense light, and shield their eyes from the brightness, wanting to turn and run, but this stunning moment is too sudden for them to react in this instinctive way.
The deafening silence is broken as one of the angels speaks: "Why do you seek the living among the dead? You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen as he said."
In almost a frantic whisper of pure terror, Mary utters, "Risen!? Wait!! How could He be alive? I helped bury Him!"
Could she cling to something this wonderful, only to have her hopes dashed once more? If it were true, then the one who healed her tormented spirit was the Messiah after all. He had conquered death itself.
Along with these overwhelming mixed emotions, Mary senses that someone is very close to where she is standing. Glancing up she notices the silhouette of a man that must be the gardener of this property.
"Woman, why are you weeping?" He softly questions Mary. "Whom are you looking for?"
Doesn't he know who had been buried here?
"Sir, if you took away his body, please tell me where you've put him, so I can bring him back here."
"Mary.," Came the voice so loving and sensitive.
She knew that voice! She remembers her best friend's words, "My sheep hear my voice."
She strains her eyes through her tears, looks into His face and shouts, "Teacher! You're alive!! You're alive!"
Author Unknown
Submitted by Richard
What did Mary See?
The pale rays of early morning sun filter through the still mist hanging in the shadows of the thick green trees. The promised warmth of daylight brings to life the sounds of singing birds, a dog sporadically barking in the distance, and throughout the hills surrounding Jerusalem a far off bleating echo can be heard from a small number of sheep. Despite the pain her thoughts evoke, the loving memory of Jesus compels Mary to walk back to the grave this morning, with her friend who is also named Mary. There exists no other priority but to finish anointing the body of her once closest friend, with preserving spices for an inevitably decaying body. Years earlier she had been a hard, calloused human being with no hope, but this man had changed her into a compassionate, empathetic, selfless woman, never again to practice the prostitution which brought her so much pain and misery. Now, because Jesus was gone, the same feeling of depression and hopelessness was infiltrating the deepest part of her soul again. She would not be able to live as she did before with the memory she had of Him, because He and her past life had no connection. All she knew was to go to where he was, even though he was dead.
As Mary and her friend come to the site of the tomb, she abruptly stops and gasps and then begins to cry.
"Grave robbers! Can't they leave him alone - even in death?"
Her anger turns into bitter sobs of anguish, not being able to take advantage of the emotional defense that her once hardened heart knew. In this emotionally crippling moment that brought her to this point of tears, Mary gathers her wits, whirls around, and runs frantically to find the close friends and companions of her lost and greatly loved friend Jesus.
"Peter!! John!! They've taken our Lord's body out of the tomb! We don't know where they've put him!"
Together and without acknowledgment to Mary's gasping breath Peter and John run toward the property of Joseph of Arimathaea.
Too tired to run any farther, and no where else to go, this lonely woman walks slowly back to the garden tomb, still slightly whimpering, trying to endure the shock of the stolen corpse of one that she had loved so dearly. Peter and John had come and gone. Her friend, the other Mary, had waited. Together they peer into the damp, chilly, dark tomb.
In the dim darkness within the tomb sit two angels in the form of common men enveloped within a fiercely bright, pure light painful to the eyes. In astonishment, both women cover their open mouths with their hands, gasping. They try to adjust to this intense light, and shield their eyes from the brightness, wanting to turn and run, but this stunning moment is too sudden for them to react in this instinctive way.
The deafening silence is broken as one of the angels speaks: "Why do you seek the living among the dead? You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen as he said."
In almost a frantic whisper of pure terror, Mary utters, "Risen!? Wait!! How could He be alive? I helped bury Him!"
Could she cling to something this wonderful, only to have her hopes dashed once more? If it were true, then the one who healed her tormented spirit was the Messiah after all. He had conquered death itself.
Along with these overwhelming mixed emotions, Mary senses that someone is very close to where she is standing. Glancing up she notices the silhouette of a man that must be the gardener of this property.
"Woman, why are you weeping?" He softly questions Mary. "Whom are you looking for?"
Doesn't he know who had been buried here?
"Sir, if you took away his body, please tell me where you've put him, so I can bring him back here."
"Mary.," Came the voice so loving and sensitive.
She knew that voice! She remembers her best friend's words, "My sheep hear my voice."
She strains her eyes through her tears, looks into His face and shouts, "Teacher! You're alive!! You're alive!"
Author Unknown
Submitted by Richard
