0213 FEAR NOT

FEAR! NOT!

The final chapter of Mark’s gospel is given to some debate, as some of the earliest manuscripts do not include the final dozen verses. So scholars are not unanimous on whether to accept verses 9 through 20 as coming from Mark. Most likely, the scroll of one of the early copies of the text was missing the ending, so copyists had no choice but to stop writing when the original manuscript stopped. If so, it seems there were some other copies that were complete, because we have many manuscripts that are complete.

Nonetheless, we can be pretty certain that verse 8 would not have been the end of the book, since it ends with an abrupt and unfinished ending. If the book ended with these words, it would have been unfinished, indeed:

And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Seems awfully unfinished, doesn’t it? Do you think that “the good news” about Jesus, the Son of God, would end with the word AFRAID? I’m afraid not!

In fact, the experience of fear is mentioned three times in these few verses. Let’s explore the concept of fear and the gospel, shall we?

The three women who saw the crucifixion and burial of Jesus had come to the tomb, wondering who would roll the stone away from the opening, for it was very large. But when they arrived, they found that the stone had already been rolled away. Someone, or something, that was very, very strong had already been there. Was it still around?

What’s more, very likely, they also saw a bunch of Roman sentries lying unconscious on the ground. I don’t know about you, but that would be a little bit intimidating to me. No. It would be terrifying. What could have overpowered sixteen highly-trained, Jew-killing Roman soldiers? But they bravely kept going. And there they saw Fearful Thing #3.

And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. 

They weren’t expecting to see an angel, of course. But there was some being who looked like a young man in a white robe, sitting calmly where the body had once been. Had he somehow moved the stone? Had he overpowered the guards? Had he taken the body away? It caused the women to be alarmed. And the young man said, “Do not be alarmed.” It is what angels always say when they start a conversation with an earth-bound human.

The young man told the women that Jesus had risen, and that he was going before them into Galilee. But at that moment they were conflicted. Jesus had told them earlier that he would be raised from the dead, but for some reason they had not been anticipating that it would happen. They were overwhelmed, but not with hope and joy, but rather with trembling and astonishment.

And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

 They said nothing to anyone, at first. Why not? Why not go to where the disciples were in hiding and let them know that everything had changed? Why not say something? They did not say anything to anyone, because they were afraid. This was too much to process, it was an encounter with the supernatural, it was beyond any experience they had ever had, and it was completely beyond their control.

What would the disciples say if they told them about this? Would they believe? (They would not.) Who else could they tell? Pontius Pilate? Joseph of Arimathea? A Roman centurion? Jesus? And what would they say? How would they even begin to bring it up? They had no answers, but one. And who would believe them? And so, all three of them kept quiet, for they were afraid.

I’ve heard that there are two basic emotions or motivations in life: love and fear. We fear when we are not in control. But perfect love casts out fear, as we will see in 1 John.

So, let me ask you what I’m asking myself: What are you afraid of?