women. Peter did the same thing, revelation comes to him later. We must not think that if we come to church God will speak to us directly and give us an immediate answer to send us on our way rejoicing. Each of us must come and bow down, and wait, and watch, and trust the Lord will give light and guidance, and the confidence that we need. But the gift is a mystery of the king’s pleasure – as are the verdicts of all judgements.
peace and hope. They recognise a continuity with who Jesus was and how He operated, not least this primary process of new light coming from darkness, new life. As they go to share this amazing revelation with others, they find that no-one believes them, even their friends doubt their story, because women were not perceived as reliable witnesses and it probably seemed absurd anyway. Peter and the others do not believe them. Peter goes, as we know, to have a look for himself. He bows down but he does not hear the voice or receive the revelation until later. He too has been waiting and watching, and yet when he confronts the evidence of death and bows down in to the darkness there is no immediate insight or confirmation of the first apostles’ story. This is important for us to notice, because it reminds us that there is not some magic formula for Christians. We prepare, we pray, we come to face the evidence and in a while there is revelation – that is what happened to the
This encounter provides an outline of the trial offered to each human soul. We prepare by following the Lenten journey. Observing the trials of religion, politics, the crowd, the king who calls us. This last trial shows one lifted up – into darkness and death, Christ the Messiah, nailed to the cross, judged guilty – by religion, by politics, by the crowd, by people clinging to more worldly ways of citizenship. Now, we are on trial this day, we have seen the other trials, we have seen this man.
Personal reflection Spend some time by yourself thinking about your own life and this sequence of preparation, rest and reflection, owning our own vulnerability and limitations, humility to bow down in worship and willingness to wait and receive new light, new life.
Read or listen to these thoughts from Bishop Alastair recall what the women did so that their waiting and watching could be blessed with the gift of new life welling up inside them so that it could be shared with others. First, they took spices, that is, they prepared seriously for coming to the place where the evidence of the mortality of life is confronted, they prepared carefully, seriously and thoughtfully. They prepared to honour Jesus. Then they
The church is often the place we come to, we bow down and we look, but even for those who are Christians, we do not enter in, we just bow and nod really. In our own preparation for this ultimate trial, we must beware false starts and short cuts. Alongside the testing journey through religion, politics, public opinion and safe citizenship, we should 27