Disbelief

Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. ¹⁰She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

12 After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. ¹³And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Jesus Commissions the Disciples

14 Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.^{* 15}And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news^* to the whole creation. ¹⁶The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸they will pick up snakes in their hands,^* and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’ Mark 16:9-18

Mary's Journal

It is hard to tell such an unbelievable story. It's true, I touched my son with my own hands and held him again but the disciples don't want to believe us. They are so afraid. The authorities have sought them out to question them about his missing body. The disciples believe that the government will take them all away and kill them. They are in hiding for fear of their lives and have hidden us away also.

We women can't control our excitement and want to tell everyone, but we have been cautioned not to do so. We keep to ourselves as much as possible, but the folks in the market notice things are different. They expect women in mourning and we don't look like that. Fortunately, the local people here are all outcasts themselves and don't trust the authorities. We don't worry that they will turn us in.

My prayer today is that the despair and disbelief will turn into joy. May the light of new life somehow seep into the broken hearts and hurting souls of our loved ones and friends. May Christ reveal himself to those who desperately need to know that God's love has conquered death and that our joy will return again.