Day 72 of 90 Devotion

Dearest e-votees-

Day seventy-two of our cover to cover voyage through the Bible. We have completed Mark (41 down, 25 to go). If you want to see the readings for our trip through the Bible you can follow this link:

www.christthegoodshep.org/biblein90days.html

Peace,
Karl

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Day 72 Readings: Mark 9:14-Luke 1:80

Mark wraps up abruptly. Scholars tend to think that Mark originally ended with 16:8: "Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid." (NIV)

There is a type of fear that is like terror. There is a type of fear that is like awe and reverence of being in the presence of something much greater than yourself. Perhaps being alone in a graveyard on the way home from a scary movie is more like the former. Standing in the ocean and feeling the outgoing tide tug at your ankles and realizing that you aren't as big as you perhaps thought you were is more like the latter. These women in Mark 16:8 were probably experiencing both types of fear and it was overwhelming.

Scholars think that someone may have added the next 12 verses to Mark to smooth out the hasty, abrupt ending and to bring it more into line with the endings of the other gospels. (Although that drinking poison and snakehandling verse perhaps missed the mark were those the goals) What if the gospel had ended as some suppose with the fear and trembling?

We would be reminded that God's story is bigger than ours and ends as it will, or not, on God's terms. There is a promise of resurrection but not everything has settled out completely yet (nor has it yet from our day-to-day perspectives) Yet God's promises are still spoken and reliable. Perhaps our awe of God and God's presence might be a little more heightened while waiting for the other shoe to drop (theological, narrative or eschatological - your pick). Sometimes things would be better if we would leave well enough alone.


God, help us live into your mystery. Teach us to trust you amidst the loose ends and hovering shoes. Your promises are sure and certain. Amen.