Lent Day 50: The rolling stones

We all go through tensions and problems in our life. We walk with them, sit with them and sleep with them. They are there and it is a mental block. We even pray for overcoming hurdles and blocks in life. Easter presents such a tension, block and hurdle. The hurdle of the closed tomb. 

In St. Mark 16: 1, Mary Magdalene, the apostle to the apostles, Mary the mother of James and Salome walk to the tomb with spices to anoint the body of Jesus. Their faith, concern and love is immense. This could also be a special characteristic of women. They go to any length when it is something that touches their heart. The risk, danger and uncertainty were huge and yet they go. 

All through we are wondering about the close disciples. The twelve minus the one who was tempted to betray. They are no where near the tomb and yet God takes care of the burial in the most honourable way. Perhaps something for us to think too when we worry too much about our death and what will happen then. Someone will be there to take care of everything in the best way and they need not be those close to us!

The women were walking very early after the Sabbath on the first day of the week. Suddenly they think of something. Verse 3 says, “And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the door of the tomb?” Now this could have easily been a reason for them to walk back. But they carry on. We usually falter, stop and move back when we are faced with an adversity. But we can also look at it and say that we will anyway have a look and return if we can’t get our work done. 

The women reach and verse 4 says, “ And looking up, they saw that the stone was rolled back;- it was very large.” The very large is an indication that by themselves, they wouldn’t have managed to remove the stone. Just imagine. The resurrection wouldn’t have been witnessed and reported without a rolled back stone. Our life is basically a bag of plans. But we usually plan through till the end. The plan of the women though ended at the door of the tomb. This is when God’s plan is revealed. An open tomb is an open God, a revealed Jesus and hope for humanity. We are all weary of approaching doors because we are not sure whether the stones will be rolled away. But Easter is not our plan and our execution but God’s way of showing the rolling stones in our life. Christ is risen. The large stone has been rolled back. Amen.

Lent Day 20: Knowing God enough to not ask

How easy is it to ask something to a loved one? Even though many think it is easy, that is not the case. We will be reluctant on two counts. One, we won’t ask because we don’t want to trouble them. Two, we won’t ask because we know that they are not in a position to give. Contrary to what we think, the more we love a person, the less we would want to ask. We also care a lot about the person close to us that we always want the best for them and we also wouldn’t want them being troubled by anyone else as well.

St. Mark 11: 24 reveals a difficult verse for us. It says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” The problem with this verse is the problem of expectation. Since there is a promise in the prayer, when someone prays and still does not get an answer, it can be felt and argued that the priest or person praying does not have the gift to pray, ask and receive. Since Jesus’ words are very assuring the prayer is as good as being answered.   

There are two kinds of children. The ones who will keep asking even though they know that their parents either do not want to buy them something or have other pressing concerns and the ones who understand the situation their parents are in and are therefore very empathetic and understanding in their approach. Lent is a time for developing this understanding. Being a child of God does not just mean that all our prayers will be answered. A child should have the maturity to know what and when to ask. Some children gain this maturity at a young age and take up the responsibility of the house along with this.

We can ask for something and relentless asking will also lead to God accepting. But during lent, if we consider ourselves part of God’s plan for the kingdom of God, we will become part of God’s solution for the world. We will brainstorm along with God, provide food for the hungry on behalf of God and worry about the world along side God. Lent is a time to develop a spiritual maturity which will take us to higher heights of renunciation which will mean being closer to God than we ever were. Amen.