Jesus Speaks to Women: Action-Driven Nature

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words. 

Luke 24: 1-8

We have seen how, the first witnesses of Jesus' resurrection were women.  In Matthew, we find the account in chapter 28: 1-10.  In Mark we see it chapter 16: 1-8 and in John, we read about it in chapter 20: 1-18.  Four accounts of how women were the first ones to the tomb.  Four accounts about how women couldn't wait any longer, so, at first light, as soon as they were allowed to resume normal activities after the observance of the Sabbath, they hurried to the place where Jesus had been buried.  Four accounts that tell us a lot about the nature of women.

Today, we are going to look at the very first lines in the account of Jesus' resurrection:

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. Luke 24: 1

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. Matthew 28: 1

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb. Mark 16: 1-2

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. John 20: 1

Have you ever felt as if you move faster than anybody else around you?  I'm not talking about the "actual" speed at which one's body moves.  I'm talking about many other different things:  the speed at which your thoughts move...or the speed of your actions, and reactions...the speed at which your mouth moves, probably letting your tongue move faster than it should... 

I don't know about you, but I feel like I am constantly rushing through life and that those around me are just vegging around...wasting time...doing nothing...sigh...

The only thing that doesn't move as fast as it should is my ability to activate filters so my mouth doesn't just go wild.  Somehow, I lack the gene that contains the code for tongue control. 

My point is...look at these passages:  who were the ones getting up at the crack of dawn, loading up the minivan, to get the work done? Women... I can imagine the Marys, staying up all night in vigil...not being able to sleep, not even changing into sleeping wear, fussing around the house as soon as the hour marked the end of the Sabbath, piling up the stuff that they were going to carry to properly dress the body of Jesus...just waiting until that very moment when it was OK for them to just get going.

Have you done that?  Do you see yourself in a situation like that?  

And, what about the men?  I wonder what they were doing??? Well...let's not go there...

I don't want to make blanket generalizations here, because I know we are all different and unique, but in my case, I can see me being one of these women.  How can anybody sleep in such a night?  There is so much to do!  How can anybody be calmed and collected?  Is it time yet?  Let's go!  Let's not waste another minute!  Let's do this thing!  NOW!  C'mon!  We're wasting daylight!  Hurry up!  Move your sorry behind!  Let's go, let's go, let's GO!!!!

I think there is a chip in women's brains, at least in mine, that enables me to see all that needs to be done, which escapes the eyes of those of the male persuasion who live around me.  The garbage can is overflowing...nobody sees it.  There's only one ply of toilet paper left in the bathroom...nobody sees it.  There's dirty clothes (or maybe clean, who knows anymore?) laying around everywhere in each room of the house...nobody sees it.  There are dirty dishes that need to be placed in the dishwasher...nobody sees it.  The dog needs to go outside to do his business...nobody sees it.  Jesus' body wasn't properly prepared for burial...nobody seems to think of it...

Women do.  And for that, often, we are scolded and labeled as nags.  Well, as far as I can understand, this passages are the ultimate redemption of the nags!  Finally, the nagging was seen as diligence, and it was rewarded with the most amazing opportunity to be the first witnesses of the most important moment in the history of the world:  Christ as the Risen Lord!

I know...I'm too harsh.  I'm sorry...it's just that these particular verses hit me very hard on a very tender spot in my soul:  my action-driven nature.

I pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance on the way I move about my life.  May He make my paths straight and teach me how to be still when I need to be still and how to take action when the moment calls for it.  I don't want to rush through life, but I know that God didn't make mistakes when He designed me, so, one day, there will be a reason for my drive, other than to drive everyone around me, completely mad.  Amen!