ASLC Devotions - Wednesday

Mark 16:8  So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.  

Mark invented the literary form of Gospel. Such a thing never existed before he sat down to write the book we know as Mark. He wrote it like an adventure story, like a hero story. He tells us about the wonderful things Jesus did and taught. Then he tells us about the end of Jesus' life - he tells us about the arrest and about the cross: in great detail.

Then he tells us about the empty tomb, but he never shows us the risen Jesus. He never has Jesus appear - we know some of those stories, but they're in different people's story. Mark ends with this strange statement that the first witnesses chose not to be witnesses: they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Now of course we assume they changed their mind and told someone - otherwise we wouldn't know about it. But I love this ending. I love hearing that the first witnesses were too afraid to say anything. Because it puts the question to us: are you afraid? Will you tell? Whom will you tell? What will you tell them? What have you seen this week? And who needs to hear about it?

In Christ,
Pastor Seth

Come and see and hear more of the Easter story this Sunday at 8:30 and 11. Visit http://www.allsaintspalatine.org