Who?
“And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James,
and Salome, bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week they went to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?”
Mark 16:1-3
Every time I read these lines from the Gospel of Mark, I find myself at a “fork in the road” in my mind. On the one hand, I am drawn into the power of the story of the resurrection. In my mind’s eye, I see the night fading away as the first rays of light break above the horizon. Sometimes, my mental vision includes a slight fog or mist hovering over the ground. I hear the women speaking in sad hushed tones as they go to anoint the body of their friend, their master. And, since I know the rest of the story, I find myself leaning forward to hear the power and majesty of rest of the chapter. Yet, at the same time, my mind is drawn in a very different direction as I pause to remember those in my life’s journey who “rolled away the stone” so that I could come to know Jesus, the one who is risen.
We know Jesus as our Lord and savior because of people in our lives who took the time to care and love us in God’s name. For me (outside of my family), the list includes my wonderful first-grade Sunday School teacher, who sat on the floor as we huddled around while she told us the stories about Jesus’ miracles, His ministry, and His death and resurrection. I also remember our youth group leaders and their love and patience in shepherding a small and somewhat unruly group of teens. And there was Father John, who sought to explain the depth and breadth of God’s love from Genesis to Revelation in his sermons. These folks were just some of the many people who took the time to point to Jesus as “the way, the truth, and the life” as I navigated the highways and byways of my adolescent years. And the list continued into adulthood with many others who mentored me in the faith.
So today, I invite you to take some time to prayerfully reflect on those in your life’s journey who “rolled away the stone” so that you might encounter the risen Lord.
