They were being unreasonable.  Illogical. Wasteful. Why spend a lot of money doing something that was already done? Why jump into a project that was ill-planned?  One of them was so emotional that two extra-terrestrial beings didn’t get her attention. She even made an outlandish offer to singlehandedly carry a grown man’s dead body plus 75 extra pounds. Ridiculous.
So why did the women who had traveled with Jesus want to add more burial spices to his dead body when others had already carefully wrapped it with linen strips of cloth and 75 pounds of spices?  And how were a few women going to move the large stone that covered the opening to the tomb that normally required several men to push aside?
On a practical level, their actions were unnecessary. Perhaps they hadn’t asked the men in their group of Jesus’ followers for help with the stone because they were afraid the men wouldn’t see the need to supplement what had already been taken care of. Jesus’ body had been attended to. He was dead. What more was there to do but regroup and try to decide what to do next without their leader? The hurting men might even have told them to leave the dead alone. He was a disappointment. They had dedicated three years of their lives to him for naught. Their hearts were broken, they were disillusioned, and they may be the next targets of the murderous religious leaders. So much for their lofty dreams of ruling with him over a restored kingdom!
But the women wanted to pay him homage no matter that all hope had been dashed of him being the King. They were doing what they could. They wanted to express their love to the Man who had loved them. Having cared for their Rabbi in life, they would also care for him in death. They would simply do what they could. They would honor him in the only way they knew. Following in the footsteps of the woman in Bethany who had anointed Jesus with very expensive perfume, they were prepared to do the same. It had seemed wasteful to others, but Jesus received it gladly as the lavish act of love that it was. The women knew the gracious heart of Jesus. He would never spurn their act of devotion. They just couldn’t tear themselves away from him even in death. They wanted to visit his grave with gifts, to spend time mourning, to support each other in their grief, and to remember.
But that morning nothing went as planned. The first problem – the rock preventing them from entering and caring for the body- was to their great surprise already moved. Check one problem off the list. But, to their horror, the one thing they had to remember their Hero by was gone. His body was gone. What mischief was afoot? Who would rob the tomb? What should they do about it? One of them ran immediately for help while the others stood dumbfounded gaping at the empty hole in the rock.
Until yet another unimaginable thing happened. Oh, what could it mean that angels made themselves visible? Why were the women entrusted with the important message that Jesus is alive? Shouldn’t news this earthshaking come first to the three favored followers- Peter, James, and John? They may have felt like Mary, the mother of Jesus, thirty-three years earlier when an angel informed her of God’s plan. It was a heavy responsibility to receive God’s words. Why would others believe their story of angels?!
As if it wasn’t enough that angels should appear and give them a message, the most remarkable, unbelievable, happy, shocking thing happened on their way to tell the others the angels’ message. Their beloved, dead Lord suddenly appeared in front of them quite alive! Yes, his normal greeting! Yes, his real body! They ran to him and were holding onto his scarred feet as they worshiped. They could hardly soak it in. But again they were commissioned to tell the others. This time by their Lord himself. So on they went knowing their message would be hard to believe. They would do what they were told.  After all, they were privileged messengers, the first to see and hear the good news!  Their joy bubbled up and wouldn’t be stopped.
Meanwhile, the woman who had run to get help convinced two of the men in their group to come investigate the tomb robbery. Running ahead of her, they found it all as she had said. His body was gone indeed. But the linen grave cloths remained. Surely no one would have bothered to unwind the strips before stealing the body. What if this was evidence that the prophecies were coming true? Mystified, they went back to where they were staying.
Arriving after their departure and not finding the other women, the woman gave herself over to her emotions. She stood alone, weeping bitterly. With tears blinding her eyes, she stooped to look into the empty tomb. Not one, but two angels asked her sympathetically why she was crying. Seemingly unalarmed at meeting two angels she simply repeated the same refrain she had told the two disciples earlier, “They have taken away my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.” And without waiting for a reply, she turned to leave. How many of us wouldn’t react to seeing angels?! She wasn’t in a logical frame of mind. She could only entertain one thought- they have taken away my Lord.
Jesus sees our heartache and he always draws close. As she turned from the empty tomb, she realized someone was behind her, but was still too distraught to pay close attention. The person addressed her kindly and she sobbed, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.” Now we all know that a woman couldn’t ‘go get’ a grown man’s dead body that had been wrapped with 75 pounds of burial spices. (It had taken two men to carry Jesus’ body from the cross to the tomb. She had watched the whole gruesome episode and had seen his body being prepared for burial and knew the large amount of spices.). She wasn’t being realistic about her capabilities. But the kind Man didn’t laugh at her. Instead, she heard the familiar voice of her Lord lovingly saying her name. In an instant, she was holding onto him as if she would never let go. But he had a mission for her to complete and she was his faithful servant. ““Don’t cling to me,” Jesus said, …”But go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

So the next time we feel foolish for trying to do something for the Lord that is too small, or too hard, or against odds, let’s remember Who we’re giving to. Remember that he notices what we do in his name. Remember that he happily receives any act of love. Remember that he knows the cost. Remember that he is pleased. Remember that our acts of love bring us close to the Lord. We get to see what others don’t. We get to hear what others don’t. We get to tell others.

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