PsalmTree

 John 20:1-10

The Resurrection

“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.”

😇 I’m interested in the face cloth, neatly folded and placed by itself. Why does scripture offer this seemingly insignificant vignette? Perhaps it isn’t so insignificant. commentators suggest it symbolizes the fact that urgency has passed; Jesus, or the angels, took their time before they left the tomb. No more hurry…everything had been accomplished. It could be Jesus was still exhausted by his recent ordeal and was taking His he time. At any rate, it tells us Jesus pays attention to the smallest details. This is important; we often believe our problems in life…or the daily conduct of our lives…are of little note in the grand scheme. I suggest this is untrue. Jesus loves us enough to die for us. Since this is the case, we shouldn’t be surprised that he may be interested in the details of our life. I imagine Him asking me ”Lee, how is it you decided to buy a house in South Carolina?” Not in a challenging way but in an interested way. I believe He loves to communicate with us about what’s going on…not to control our decisions, but to hear our thought processes. I believe, if we make a habit of talking with Him, we will hear him reply. Rarely with demands…most of them have already been made clear. His replies will be patient. They will often affirm our thoughts, will sometimes fine tune them, and will occasionally say “if I were you…” it’s good to hear from someone who loves us unconditionally, has nothing to gain but the joy of the relationship and is uncommonly patient and kind(1 Corinthians 13).

🙏🏼 Lord, God…thank you for wanting a relationship with me. I need you. I need your patience. I need your wisdom. I need your love. Mostly, I need someone I can trust unconditionally. Thank you for listening and give me ears to hear you speak. In Jesus’ name…amen.