On the Third Morning
(John 20: 1-18 & Luke 24:1-12)
On the third morning
The women came first,
Somehow knowing in their
wisdom
As women often do!
Anxious with sorrow,
Walking in the stillness
of night
Just Before dawn
And the movement of day.
They came,
Looking for their Lord.
Where they found the
stone turned,
Rolled from His tomb.
Their Lord’s body gone,
Taken away!
Two disciples came later,
to learn
That this was more than
an “idle tale,”
Of women, unbelieved.
When entering the tomb,
they too saw
The linens that once
wrapped His body,
Lying where he was laid. Then
Returned home in
amazement,
Not recalling the
scriptures
Or the words of Jesus,
Even the one whom he most
loved.
While Mary stayed,
weeping outside, to
See angels sitting in the
tomb
Where once her Lord’s
body lay.
Jesus speaks, calling
Mary by name after asking;
“Woman, why do you weep?
Whom do you seek?
The living
are not
Among the dead.”
She sees him now,
Rabbouni, her teacher,
Moving to embrace him, at
last knowing his face and voice.
He says; “Hold me not,
for I must ascend to my Father.
Go, and tell my brothers,
what you have seen and heard.”
He has Risen, He has Risen!
He has risen from the
places of the dead and dying,
He has risen from the
solitude of the tomb.
He has Risen,
to his Father and our Father.
He has Risen,
to his God and our God.
Hallelujah, Christ is Risen!
Let us rise as well,
above the noises and distractions of life
to understand that God
calls us too to death and resurrection.
Calling us to die
immeasurable times;
To die daily in
ourselves.
Let there be a death to
our egos and selfishness,
A death to our poverty of
spirit and faithlessness,
A death to doubt,
hopelessness, and sorrow,
A death to grief where
grief can no longer be borne,
A death to intolerance and
“the wish to kill,”
A death to violence and
war, and fearful hearts,
A death to abused and
unloved hearts.
Let there be a death to
it all!
Let the illusion and
suffering of life be washed away
by the Passion of Christ,
creating in us the mind of Christ!
So that we me may join
with Him
In many Resurrections,
Let there be
Resurrections upon Resurrections
One after another and
another,
Let there be
Resurrections without end.
R.P. Starbuck
Copyright 2007