Sermon: "A Stone's Throw"

The Rev. Maureen R. Frescott

The Congregational Church of Amherst, UCC

Easter Sunrise Service – April 1, 2018

Mark 16:1-8

“A Stone’s Throw”

As each of you arrived here this morning, you were given a stone with a single word written upon it – HOPE.

It’s not a large stone, but as you hold it, I invite you to feel the weight of it in your hand.

Now flip it over in your palm or between your fingers so the blank side is visible - and imagine that it’s just an ordinary unmarked stone.

Now imagine carrying this stone with you – in your hand – wherever you go.

You might imagine that even though it feels light in your hand right now, if you never put it down and had to carry it everywhere, it’s heaviness would surely increase over time.

Back in the early 1980’s, I participated in a charity walk-a-thon with my younger brother, Larry.

We decided it would be cool to carry a portable radio so we could listen to music along the way (yes, I am dating myself here).

It was a small boombox and only weighed about 3 pounds, so we thought we could easily carry it the entire 15 miles of the walk.

At mile one we were happily bouncing along to REO Speedwagon and Supertramp.

By mile five our arms had gotten so tired we were trading the radio back and forth every few minutes, saying “You carry it” “No, You carry it.”

By mile eight we were on the phone to our mother begging her to pick us up because we were so exhausted from carrying that 3 lb radio. 

(and yes, we had to find a pay phone to make that call)

So you might imagine, how even this small stone would seem to grow heavy if you had to carry it wherever you went.

Not only that, its sheer presence in your hand would make it difficult to go about your daily routine.

If you think about all the things you do with your hands during the day – brushing your teeth, eating multiple meals, folding laundry, driving a car, working on your computer, washing your face – and then think about how you might accomplish all those tasks while trying to also hold onto this stone – you would soon see how even a small stone can become a burden if we’re forced to carry it with us – everywhere.

Now imagine this stone is an actual burden that you’re carrying.

A worry - or regret - or fear.

Perhaps an unhappiness or issue that you’re dealing with at work or school.

A decision that you’re reluctant to make.

A broken relationship that you don’t know how to fix.

Perhaps it’s a mistake you made years ago that follows you and keeps you anchored in the past.

Or a hopelessness about the current state of the world that has you immobilized in the present.

Or a deep concern about money or security that has you anxious as you look ahead to an uncertain future.

It may not require a huge leap of your imagination to see this physical stone that you hold in your hand as the manifestation of a very real burden that you’re carrying.

And while you may be tempted at this point to just throw the stone away,

as a symbolic ‘letting go’ of whatever it is that is weighing you down,  

I ask you to resist that urge.

(especially since you’re all facing me I don’t necessarily want to get hit by all those stones)

Instead, keep holding that stone, and step with me just for a moment into the story we just heard from Mark’s gospel…

Where Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and a woman named Salome – are walking into a graveyard at daybreak on a Sunday morning.

They’re headed towards the stone tomb that held the lifeless body of their teacher and friend, Jesus.

The body was put in the tomb after being removed from the cross late in the day on Friday – and a large stone would have been rolled across the entrance of the tomb to protect the body until it could be anointed with oils and properly prepared for burial.

There was no time to do this on Friday, before the Jewish observance of Sabbath began at sunset, so the women came on Sunday,

after the Sabbath was over, carrying their special oils and perfumes –

and as they walk towards the graveyard we hear them wonder aloud to one another –

“Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

The stone would have been much too large and heavy for the three women to move on their own, and they were likely hoping that some of Jesus’ other followers might be there to help.

So when they arrived at the tomb and saw that the stone had already been rolled away, their initial reaction was probably one of relief –

“Oh, thank God, someone knew we were coming and got here early to make sure the stone was moved for us.”

But this relief quickly changed to confusion, and uncertainty, and even fear – when they looked in the tomb and saw that Jesus’ body was not there.

Instead, they saw a mysterious young man, who told them,

“Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised up; he is not here….

Now go, tell the others that Jesus has gone ahead of you to Galilee;

there you will see him, just as he told you.”

Now, our other gospel writers – Matthew, Luke and John –

have their own versions of this resurrection story –

where Jesus physically appears to the women at the tomb.

But Mark chooses to end his gospel here,

with the women fleeing in amazement and fear,

carrying only the HOPE of seeing Jesus in Galilee –

letting the joyous mystery of the empty tomb speak for itself.

If you read the Gospel of Mark you will find additional verses that talk about sightings of the resurrected Jesus, but must biblical scholars agree these verses were added on many years later by some future editor,

Perhaps because the story seemed unfinished or unsatisfying with its original ending – as it left us staring into an empty tomb with only HOPE to hold onto.

But as I sat in our sanctuary on Palm Sunday and again on Maundy Thursday and listened to the story of Jesus’ last night with his disciples in the garden – where we’re told “he withdrew about a stone’s throw away” from them to pray, I was reminded of the hope that rested on that mysteriously moving stone in Mark’s gospel.

Whether Jesus is praying in the garden - while we, his disciples, struggle to stay awake - or arising from the tomb pushing aside the heavy stone that stands in his way, he is never far from us.

The invitation that Mark leaves us with still stands.

“Jesus has gone ahead of you, and is waiting for you to join him.”

Now I invite you to flip over that stone in your hand,

and run your finger along the engraving –

literally feel the hope that has been impressed into it.

I encourage you to take this stone with you -  

not as a reminder of the burden that you carry – whatever that may be,

but as a reminder of the hope that you have been given –

in the life and eternal presence of Jesus –

in the unconditional love and grace of God –

in the power that LOVE has to release all burdens, and conquer all fear.

Regardless of what you do or do not believe about how the tomb came to be empty, or how the stone was mysteriously rolled away, know this…

The GOOD NEWS is that Jesus is alive and moving in the world.

And he is beckoning for us to join him. 

Carrying HOPE wherever we go.

      Thanks be to God, and Amen