Where Is Jesus?

"On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him…” (John 20:1A and 2-8).

Today’s Gospel celebrates the apostle John as the “Feast of Saint John, Apostle and evangelist.” The beginning of today’s reading mentions Mary of Magdala (Mary Magdalene).  Her introductory remark to Peter and the other disciples is brief but important because what she witnessed and then did made her the apostle to the apostles.  She is the first apostle.  That’s made clear later on in John 20:11-18 that reads:

But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” 

She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” 

She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” 

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 

Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her. These passages from John about Mary Magdalene and Jesus remind us of Mary’s concern expressed in the dark: “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”  They remind us of Jesus asking, “Whom are you looking for?”

The time between Christmas and New Year has us wondering if we know where “they” put the Lord.   Better stated, where did we put the Lord?  First and foremost?   Dead center in our lives?   Put away in a manger to be revisited next Christmas?  Does Jesus know we are looking for him in the people we meet and in the choices our political leaders make?

As I write this blog, I read that evangelicals of the prominent Christian magazine Christianity Today published an editorial saying President Trump has a “grossly immoral character” and should be removed out of “loyalty to the creator of the Ten Commandments.” Of course, far more evangelicals favor Trump.

As noted in a Cape Cod Times article, “…the president often mentions his political support among Christians.  He makes a show of saying 'Merry Christmas' and contends falsely that previous presidents did not.  He has installed Paula White, a televangelist who preaches the 'prosperity gospel,' as one of his key religious advisors – concerning some in the evangelical community.  Trump has spoken at religious events and likes to be photographed at the White House with pastors laying their hands on him in prayer.  He called for Christians to pray for him this week amid impeachment.”
   
With no offering of apologies to most evangelicals and those who preach prosperity gospel while still strongly support Trump, I ask, “Where is Jesus? Where have you put him?”

Deacon David Pierce