One Alone

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. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. 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. And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they 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.’ So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it. Mark 16:9-20

This is the "longer" ending of Mark's gospel. We know the first to see Jesus were women, whether it was just one or several, they were there. They returned to the disciples who refused to believe. Yet the women or woman continued to tell the story. Over the years we have honored the many men who were early adopters and believers in the resurrection, but we forget the women who were the first evangelists, the first believers in the resurrected Jesus. Too often, the story is not real until someone of importance tells the story. It reminds us today to listen to the stories of the outsiders, the rejected, the women and children for there might just be new and real evidence of the love of God in Christ.

Blessed Creator, who shares your wonders with us

you make children to restore hope in the elders

and give vision and wisdom to the least likely.

We refuse to believe those who stand alone

we ignore those who do not have power and money

yet you put your heart in the least among us.

List us today from our ignorance and blindness

give us new hearts and new minds to see you

and help us to hear your beautiful stories of the outcasts. Amen.