Who Will Roll the Stone Away?

Mark 16:1-8 

"But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away."

So, I heard once, and just remembered, that the stone was not rolled away so that Jesus could get out--He later disappeared and reappeared in different places in the blink of an eye. No stone could keep Him in that grave.

The stone was rolled away so that the women and other disciples (anyone, the world really) could get IN... so that they (we) could see evidence of the resurrection. The stone was rolled away to reveal the resurrection of Jesus. The rolling away of the stone was a divine miracle.

Their savior was dead. Their only hope was buried in a tomb, sealed with a bolder, guarded by soldiers. Their future was bleak. They must have felt abandoned, deserted, cheated, defeated, lost and hopeless. They had staked their future on this man. They had washed his feet with their tears, they had given Him their lives. They had left everything for Him, sacrificed for Him, risked their lives by following Him. And now it was over... dead and buried. Though He was dead, their love for Him was not. They couldn't stay away.

That's what women do... they faced their pain, their fear. They took a risk. They bought the spices and went. Knowing the guards would be there didn't phase them. They didn't even mention them. Their only concern was the stone--How would they move the stone? Who would help them?

Peter? He wasn't with them. John? He too, was nowhere to be found. Where are all the big strong burly fishermen? Cowering in fear? Reeling in disappointment, confusion, hopelessness, grief?

Not the women. Not even in the midst of their confusion and hopelessness, they did what they knew needed to be done. They bought the spices and went. They didn't stop caring about this man who changed their lives. Even in His death, and the death of all they had hoped for, they continued caring. They went and bought spices to anoint his dead body, knowing that they would face temple guards and Roman soldiers and a ginormous stone--all in place to keep them from Jesus. But that didn't stop them. They spent their hard-earned money on spices anyway and began their journey. They fully intended to get to Jesus one way or another. Whey weren't sure how that would happen, they knew the stone was there and that they couldn't move it, but they went anyway. They bought the spices anyway. They knew the guards were there. They knew the stone was there--both great obstacles, but they went anyway. They went by faith and their obstacles were miraculously moved out the of their way.

What is keeping me from Jesus? What stands between me and the resurrection What is the stone in my life that can only be moved by an act of God? What step of faith am I to take? What is it that I need to do to show my love for Jesus?

What is keeping me from Jesus? Busyness? Addictions to facebook, email, food, pleasures, entertainment, hobbies, work, laziness, selfishness?

What are the spices I need to buy? Where do I need to go? What steps of faith do I need to take in order for these obstacles to be miraculously removed?

How do I need to show my love for Jesus--even when He disappoints me? Even when life doesn't go the way I believe it should? Even when I feel confused and hopeless? Even when my future looks dark and scary?

It takes time to hear from Jesus. It takes stillness, quiet and solitude. I need to put down the phone, the ipad, the laptop. Turn off the TV, close the refrigerator, put away the "stuff."