EASTER GOSPELS: WHAT IS MISSING FROM THIS PICTURE?

The Gospel from the Easter Vigil (since this is Year C, the “Year of Luke”) came from Luke 24:1-12; the Gospel for Easter Sunday is always John 20:1-9. They have interesting points of agreement even if they were written by to different people in two different places, at two different times.

They both agree that it was the women who came to the tomb at early morning of the first day of the week. They both agree in naming Mary Magdalene; they (or she, in John’s Gospel) reported to the disciples to tell them what they found at the tomb (most importantly, that the tomb was empty), and they were disbelieved. Yet Peter (and the Beloved Disciple, in John) ran to the tomb to see for himself; he found the burial cloths but no body.

The two Gospels we have for this year’s Easter celebration have one other detail in common—a surprising one (and this is true of the excerpts from Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospels for the Easter Vigil, as well): in no case is an appearance of the Risen Lord recounted!

We are in such a position as the women, Peter and the Beloved Disciple. Their reactions can be summarized as remembering, doubting, believing.

The women, Luke tells us, remembered Jesus’ words (and the Scriptures) and so put their trust in the truth of Jesus risen. What they remembered was that Jesus taught this “must” happen (the Greek word deî is a crucial word in the Gospels and early preaching as recounted in Acts).

Peter, while he makes the supreme effort of running to the tomb, leaves confused/amazed. He does not believe at this point (John tells us “they did not yet understand the Scripture”)—perhaps because he was still guilt-ridden over his denials?

The Beloved Disciple is presented to us in the Fourth Gospel as the ideal of what it means to follow the Lord. He also ran to the tomb; he got there first. Unlike Peter, “he saw and believed.” So, it seems, love not only covers a multitude of sins, it enables the eyes of the heart to see truly.

There are surely elements of all three of these responses in us: we want to come to understand, we want to believe, we want to love, and we hesitate in doubt. For us today the message is the same as the message the heavenly messengers gave the women: He has been raised! I doubt this message was given to them with a backdrop of the “Hallelujah!” chorus from Messiah—more likely, it was the quiet whisper in their ears and hearts: “Yes! It’s true! He is still with us!” In our own Peter-like doubts and worries and sense of guilt and shame, let’s remember the women, let’s remember the Beloved Disciple; let’s remember the words of the Lord: “Behold, I make all things new; peace be with you.” Happy Easter!