Monday, April 13, 2020
The Rev. Rob Stevens
The Collect
Grant, we pray, Almighty God, that we who celebrate with awe the Paschal feast may be found worthy to attain to everlasting joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Reading
Matthew 28:9-15
Jesus met Mary Magdalene and the other Mary and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You must say, `His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this comes to the governor's ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.
Reflection
“Do not be afraid.” Jesus says that a lot. It is at the heart of the Gospel. For me it is much easier to say than to do. Fear is such a part of our life. Some fear is good. It keeps us safe and alive, but most fear is not necessarily helpful. Fear causes me to shrink back and to build walls (either real or imagined) to “keep me safe.” Yet, right now the world is kinda scary and yes there are real threats, like COVID-19, to heed. In spite of this, I encourage you to hear Jesus’ voice saying, “Do not be afraid.” This isn’t an invitation to some sort of Holy denial but rather a reminder that we are loved with a love that is stronger than death. It is a reminder, especially during a crisis such as this, that we are the beloved community of God and our job is to reach out in love, in whatever way we can, to remind each other that God is with us and that we will get through this together. Thank you all for being a calming presence this Easter. Seeing the “Community Alleluia” brought tears of joy to my eyes and a great reminder that I am not alone. Let us all do our part to continue to be safe and well. I also pray that we will work together to hear and live Jesus’ call to not be afraid.