Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ John 20:15
Gracious, Powerful, Startling, Risen Lord,
It is almost funny to think of how your unbelieving enemies
might have scurried around on that first Resurrection Day,
making last-ditch attempts to cover up the truth about the one who covers our sins.
We confess, we could have been them,
or we could have been Peter, who denied you three times,
or we could have mistaken you for the gardener,
or we might have had a long theological discussion
with you and not realized
you were the King of theology,
the walking, breathing, theology we always need.
Help us, we pray, to humble ourselves,
to be willing to ride on a donkey or in a thirty-year-old Datsun,
for love of our risen Savior.
Teach us the difference
between your righteous anger and our often self-righteous anger.
Free us to worship you with abandon,
anointing you with precious perfume or lavishing you with unending praise.
Work in us so that we may work for you,
washing dirty feet or changing smelly diapers.
Draw us daily nearer and nearer to you that we might live boldly,
as a resurrected people raised from the death of our sins
by the Savior who descended to the dead
to put them to death.
May we shout with triumph
on this marvelous day,
He is risen!
He is risen indeed!
In your transforming name. Amen.
Read John 20:13-29.
