A hospital Easter: Part one

A hospital Easter: Why are you crying?

“Why are you crying?” the angels ask. THEY know that there is no reason for sad tears, they know the whole story. But Mary doesn’t. With the single-minded focus of a grieving person on a mission, she has one question. Where is his body?

She’s not interested in explaining her tears, in stopping and taking a breath. Her question matters. It’s the thing that is on her mind.

She turns from the tomb to keep looking. She sees someone that she can’t recognize in her tears and in the dimness and in her pain-focused distraction.

“Why are you crying,” he said.

 “Where have you taken him?” Mary assumes that this is the gardener, someone who might know. “Tell me where he is and I’ll go take care of the body.”

“Mary,” Jesus says.

And she suddenly realizes who she is talking to, who is in front of her, where the body is. The living breathing talking body of Jesus is right in front of her.

“Teacher,” she says.

And there are stories in three of the gospels about how others realize that he’s alive, how others realize what happened. As we heard in Peter’s words, Jesus tells stories for the next few weeks about what it all means, again. He reestablishes relationships, he offers direction, he talks to individuals and groups. He comes and goes as he wishes, but isn’t a ghost. He eats. He is touchable. He is alive.

But. For those of us in this hospital on this morning, there is something else.

After the Resurrection, Death didn’t disappear. Followers of Jesus were themselves crucified. Others fell ill and died of whatever diseases moved through Jerusalem. The good news this morning is NOT that all illness is abolished, that everything we ask for will happen.