This morning I watched Jesus on the cross. He looked up to survey his surroundings and spots his mom, aunt, Mary of Magdala, another Mary, and his beloved friend and disciple, John. I could not help but wonder where all the others had gone.
Where is Peter? How about the thundering James or wondering Thomas? Andrew, Matthew, the Zealot, or the truthful Nathanael? Martha, Mary, Lazarus?
My own instinct would be feelings of abandonment, grief, and even betrayal. I know this because these are the common feelings of pastors who look out on Sunday mornings and see many missing faces post-COVID. Where are they? What happened?
But Jesus shows us something very different. He looks at his friend and his mother and instructs them to care for each other. From this core group, the church will be birthed.
Some of these women will be the first resurrection witnesses. His friend would teach and evangelize and love for many years (according to tradition, the last of the twelve to die). And some of those missing faces would return, and under the power and guidance of his Holy Spirit change the world.
We are to learn from Jesus in his darkest hour; stay on task and love to the end! (Or is it “the beginning?”)
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