Title: Roll the stone / Mark 16:1-6
Content Roll the stone / Mark 16:1-6 Daegu First Church
1) After the sabbath passed, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went and bought spices to anoint Jesus. 2) On the first day after the sabbath, they went to the tomb very early at sunrise. Shall I roll you a stone from Esau?” 4) He looked up and saw that the stone had already been rolled, and it was very large. 5) When he entered the tomb, he was surprised to see a young man in white sitting on the right hand side. 6) The young man said, "Don't be surprised. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified! He has risen and is not here. Behold, the place where I put him.
On October 14, 1947, a historic experiment was underway in the Mojave Desert, California, USA. The Bell X-1, piloted by US Air Force Captain Charles E. 'Chuck' Yeager, was the world's first flight to break the speed of sound. As the plane flew from 0.7 to 0.9 of sound, it began to tremble. The speed of the plane increases from 0.92 to 0.97 at the speed of sound, and the plane shakes so much that it is difficult for the pilot to move the control stick properly. The plane was more likely to crash. A child rides in the situation room below. Then, at some point, a loud “bang!” was heard. "Ah! You failed!” Everyone in the party sighed and fell into despair. The plane, nevertheless, was deeply saddened by the thought of the loss of a competent pilot. But what does this mean? A plane thought to have exploded was flying over their heads. They couldn't believe their eyes. But the plane was flying at great speed, emitting white clouds. I realized later. The roar was a very loud sound that was made when the plane broke through the speed of sound and the sound gathered at a point.
The moment we experience something new, we often experience phenomena that we had never thought of before. The moment that was considered an explosion was the moment that opened a new chapter. The very moment I thought was despair soon turned into a new hope. The moment I thought was death was rather a moment that opened the way to a new world.
We live in this world suffering from despair. I am living in this world with all my heart shaking and suffering as if my legs are broken. We live in a state of uncertainty because we do not know the future. So there are many times when we live in a situation where we feel like we have no choice but to give up. So we say, “Oh! There are times when I think, “This is the end!” There are also times when a lot of people look at us and think we're done. That is the moment when we need to depend more on Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Such were the women in today's text. They were Mary Magdalene, Salome, and Mary the mother of James. They were objectively weak women. As they headed to the tomb to anoint the dead body of Jesus, they felt emotionally terrified. Still, they overcame their fears and went to the tomb of Jesus without hesitation. But they had a greater fear. It was a real fear. It was their fear of doing more than they were capable of. The big stone blocking the door of the tomb was the problem. It was a stone that only two or three strong men could move. The fact that they could not move on their own strength became their fear. So they talked to each other like this. “Who will roll a stone for us from the door of the tomb?” This reflects that he was well aware that he couldn't do it. Nevertheless, they went to the tomb.
But something completely unexpected happened before them. This completely relieved their concerns and fears. The stone in the tomb had already been moved. Their concerns were just addressed. Their fear has already been dispelled by someone else. This is God's work and grace. God had already done the work of opening the stone door. God moved the stone to open them to a new world beyond fear.
This was not done to solve the concerns and fears of women. Because God was already planning the resurrection of Jesus, he opened the stone door. It was only then that the women came to the tomb, only to find out that their concerns had already been resolved. Even though Jesus had prophesied about his resurrection, the women forgot it and were worried and anxious. Had they remembered the resurrection event that Jesus had foretold, they would not have had to worry and have to go to the tomb.
Our lives are like that. We often fall into great fear because of the big stone that stands in our way. What stone are we concerned about? What is that big stone that stands in our way? For the philosopher Sartre, it could be a ‘wall’ This means a severance that prevents us from being aware of our existence. For the literary writer Camus, it could be the ‘absurd’. Heidekker describes this as ‘desperation’. Kierkero would refer to this as “the disease unto death.” All of these can be stones that block us.
What is standing in the way of life for you? is it money? Or is it a social reality that prevents us from making our dreams come true? Or look at a close family member or neighbor sitting next to you? Is it that person? Or look at the person on the other side? Is it that person? If not them, aren't you yourself? I may be the biggest stone to myself. When I don't have the courage to overcome myself and I don't have a dream, I myself can become an obstacle like a big stone.
I decided once again to walk that path. About two years have passed since I was called to Daegu First Church. As someone who is just starting out in the ministry, I don't know what to do and I don't know if I've just been vaguely doing it. I don't know how to deal with fears and worries, but I don't know how to just walk. I don't know if I walked even though I knew it wasn't obvious. Anyway, I walked. That was the big stone that was placed in front of me. It was an obstacle.
But now, God has spoken to me once again through these words. God has promised to open the way. Right at the moment when you thought you were blocked, God showed you the way was opened. The moment he realized that man could not do it, he made him see the hand of God. He made us know that life, not death, lies in that path. This is the work of God who caused the work of resurrection. The work of the resurrection is actually working and being shown in our lives today.
This made me think again about the words of Jesus. It is as if women were reminded of the words Jesus had prophesied recently through the declaration of a young man. God reminded me of the things He had said to me one by one. I knew that God was still waiting for me to open a new chapter without giving up on me. It's just that I forgot about it and didn't even try to look at it. I also realized that this was my fault, not God's. God is not giving up, but it is the mistake of thinking that I have already given up. God is telling me a very big mission, but it's so grand that I can't even put it into words. God wants to push away the obstacles of the church and open up a new world like the world of resurrection. looking forward. I also want to be a tool for that job.
We live with great concern and worry about the world's affairs related to us. There are many times when I feel even more frustrated knowing that I can't get it out on my own. Yet, there are many times when we find ourselves in a situation where we have no choice but to go to work.
In times like these, let us not be discouraged. The important thing at this time is to think whether we are really walking according to God's will. God doesn't just make the way we go. However, we can experience God's work in the life we walk according to God's will. The road is huge for us, and the road is open even if the situation seems beyond our control. In other words, it is at this time that we consider whether we are living according to what God has already foretold.
Or maybe, the moment we walk with love for Jesus can become our way of living according to God's prophecies. Don't worry too much. Seek God's guidance and help. And expect how God will make things happen. With such expectations and hopes, we will experience the wonderful work of God. Perhaps we are also concerned about what God is supposed to do.
At that moment of despair, he experienced an amazing history, and that history has come down to the church today. Today, this history continues. Because as long as the promise of resurrection lives on, God keeps that promise.
Today, especially on Children's Day, this principle can apply. The same is true when it comes to raising our children. Our children are in a position to leap into a new chapter. They are not under parental care forever. It is the responsibility and duty of parents to make this leap forward so that they can become independent and lead their lives. What would you do to pave the way?
Many parents are trying to raise their children in the values that are already woven into the world. Then, there are many times when they are bound to the worldly standards and values and rush to raise them. The world's standards and values are often like stones blocking our graves. Too many times we just live in worry and fear without being able to get rid of it.
But we Christian parents must be different. God is opening a chapter like a life of resurrection for his children, but there are many times we do not know it. Look to the new chapter God is opening for your children. On Children's Day and Children's Sunday, I sincerely hope that you will become parents who once again explore the new possibilities of God.
Dear saints,
Whenever we feel like we are in an impossible situation in our lives, we must not give up. God's people should not live such a life. Because God wants to open a new way for us. Because God wants us to lead a life that is like a miracle. This is not a miracle. Because God has already promised this. Because he made the promise of the resurrection, it is just a form of fulfilling it. Looking back, I hope you will remember what God has already said to us and look forward to it. God will make this happen.