Daily Worship

Unnoticed Angels

Albert Bogle April 19, 2022 0 1
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John 20: 11-14 (NRSVA)

11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ 14 When she had said this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

I was thinking what did Peter and John say to Mary as they left the garden? Why did they not look about? Did they need faith eyes to see? Maybe they did? One thing we do know Mary stayed on. She wasn’t leaving. She stood outside the tomb bewildered. Then she stooped down looked in and everything changed.

Had Peter and John not noticed the angels? They speak to her asking her why she is crying, and as she starts to answer, she feels someone at her back. She turns from angels and meets Jesus, but thinks he’s the gardener. I wonder how many unnoticed angels we’ve missed. I wonder how many times we’ve turned from angels and addressed Jesus as a gardener.

 

PRAYER:

 

Lord,

Forgive my earth bound eyes

And my limited vision

Forgive my graveyard camping

And the negativity that cramps my faith

Lord speak my name

Let me hear you say it

Release me from my darkest thoughts

So that I too can recognise

Your resurrection power

Stone rolling Spirit of God

Roll back the stone from my tomb

My imprisoned hurts and grudges

Like Lazarus call my name

Let me walk out into the Sunlight

A new creation

Earth bent but heaven bound.