“They Took My Lord”: Mary’s faithful heart wept
Daily Scripture
John 20:11-13
11 Mary stood outside near the tomb, crying. As she cried, she bent down to look into the tomb. 12 She saw two angels dressed in white, seated where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head and one at the foot. 13 The angels asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” She replied, “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.”
Daily Reflection & Prayer
In John’s gospel, the details almost always mattered. John described Mary seeing angels in the tomb in a way that evoked the “mercy seat,” the Ark of the Covenant’s cover (cf. Exodus 25:17-20). “Why does John tell us…. the precise location where they were sitting (at the head and the foot of the place Jesus had been)? I believe these details are an allusion to the so-called mercy seat of God—that is, the lid of the Ark of the Covenant, as described in the Book of Exodus.” *
- Two angels (dressed “in white,” not the color of sorrow) asked Mary, “Why are you crying?” It may have seemed an insensitive question. She was there to finish preparing Jesus’ dead body for burial–why not weep? Expressing grief over a loss is healthy. Has God ever helped you see a painful or negative experience in a different light? What source of sadness are you facing now that needs the touch of God’s life and hope?
- Mary could only think of one explanation for the empty tomb: “They have taken away my Lord, and I don’t know where they’ve put him.” Have you ever faced a situation in which “they” (whether “they” were faceless and nameless, or very well known) have spoiled something or hurt someone you care about deeply? What helps you lift your focus from what “they” may have done to the living Lord of your life, letting him help you reframe the situation?
Prayer
Living Lord, keep making me a new creation, one whose God-given sense of self doesn’t let what “they” do and say hurt me so readily. Give me eyes to see people, situations and myself in the light of your eternal love. Amen.
GPS Insights
Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Leawood's modern worship services, as well as at the West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
There’s a quote from my favorite television show, Bojack Horseman, that talks about the anonymous “they” we use so often in our conversations:
“The last thing that my stupid brain could come up with before I died? ‘Won’t they be sorry.’ Cool thought, brain.… I don’t even know what ‘they’ I wanted to be sorry.”
The episode this comes from (Free Churro) includes a 20-minute monologue where the eponymous Bojack Horseman deconstructs his self-centered philosophy in the grander scheme of his mother’s place in the world, not just her place in his life. I won’t spoil the ending of that episode, but in Bojack’s pontificating on the universe’s possible intention to cause him harm, he misses a very important fact right in front of him.
Mary’s presence at the tomb similarly has her missing what’s right in front of her for the “they” she believes is out to harm her. Granted, Mary’s concern is a little more grounded than Bojack’s; however, the outcome is the same: she’s so concerned with the “they” she believes is working to hurt her that she misses the bigger picture, which is where the miracle was occurring.
My experience in the world is my story, and I am the protagonist in my story. If I’m not careful, I start thinking about myself as the protagonist of the whole world’s story. If I do something wrong, “they” will be unhappy. If something bad happens, “they” are working against me. I have to remember that even though I serve a God who sees and knows me, most of the world does neither. It’s a humbling but necessary thought to remember that even moments of great significance in my life may be background set pieces in the story “they” are experiencing—and that’s OK. I’m not supposed to be the protagonist of everyone’s story.
Mary’s story reveals that even valid and urgent concerns can cloud our view from the bigger picture of what’s happening around us. Mary wasn’t wrong to have that concern—it was a logical conclusion from the lack of a body in the tomb—but even during the worst time of her life, there was a greater story playing out, and it was a story with a happy ending.
Every life and every story matters, and the victories or defeats in our lives are worth focusing on. But it’s important to stop and look around at the other stories happening around us. To quote John Lennon, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” Others may be experiencing something totally different than us, or the story of all of us might be more important than any one person’s story in that moment. The more we see of the stories around us, the less the “they” interferes with our lives. There’s no sense in missing a miracle even in the face of hardship or loss.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* Hamilton, Adam, John: The Gospel of Light and Life (p. 150). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.
