Mark 15:43-16:8, 2025/5/04, Osaka Church
Christ is Risen!
The story of love told in the Gospel reaches its climax today in the image of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, who went to the tomb of Jesus on the morning of the third day, carrying spices.
As soon as the Lord Jesus was arrested, the male disciples, who had been proud and confident up until then, ran away secretly and trembled in hiding. In contrast, the female disciples unflinchingly witnessed the death of the Lord on the cross, and as soon as the Sabbath was over, they hurried to the Lord’s tomb. This “noble faith” is often praised. But did they have faith? In fact, they did not believe in the resurrection either. Indeed, it was they who hurried to the Lord’s tomb to find it empty. However, we must not forget that they did not rush to the tomb to confirm the Lord’s resurrection, but went to anoint His body with spices. They went to anoint Jesus with funeral spices and seal him in eternal death. They did not go to see the resurrected Lord.
However, there is a big gap between the female disciples who ultimately had the honor of being the first witnesses to the Lord’s resurrection, and the male disciples who were skeptical and confused when the female disciples told them what they had seen, even though they were both the same in that they did not believe at all the Lord’s own prediction of resurrection.
The female disciples have love. Because Jesus had been buried hastily due to the approaching Sabbath, they wanted to properly anoint His body with spices as soon as possible—quickly, quickly. Whether Jesus was the Savior or not, they loved him more than anyone else as Jesus. They loved everything about him – his appearance, his warm voice, his gentle gaze, his smile, the clear sadness he sometimes showed, and his fists trembling with anger at the hypocrites. It was because they loved him that they truly mourned his death and wanted to at least anoint his body with fragrant oils… We too would cover the coffins of our loved ones with beautiful flowers.
This love led them to find the empty tomb left behind by the resurrected Christ. Love discovers the resurrection.
The male disciples may have also been amazed at the Lord’s miracles, and had plenty of hopes for a “hero of salvation” who would liberate their nation from the Roman Empire, but not the love the female disciples had. That is why, when their expectations were betrayed, they could only be devastated and crushed. They only saw their own selfish assumptions about Jesus. They were no different from Judas. And when they realized that their belief were nothing more than an illusion, they sank into a sense of failure and wept…
Brothers and sisters, be like the Myrrh-Bearing Women—fall in love with Jesus first. Read the Gospels over and over. Think about many things, such as “How did Jesus look back at the woman with the issue of blood?”, “What voice did Jesus use to speak to the sinner?”, “How warm was his hand as he placed it on the young blind man’s eyes?”… And then I want you to touch Jesus’ body.
But where is that body?
…The Church; the Church is that body. Surrender your mind and body to the mystery of Christ, the “Church” that God shows you and makes visible in the Eucharist, and there you become one with the Lord, entrusting your body and soul to His love. At that moment, together with the Myrrh-bearers, we too will encounter the Lord of the Cross and the resurrected Lord. This Lord is no longer the one coldly placed in the articles of faith. It is our “beloved” Lord, Jesus, who promised us when he ascended into heaven, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the world.”
Christ is Risen!