While the men were sleeping, the women went to the tomb very early in the morning and witnessed the first appearance of the risen Jesus. This is perhaps the first surprise of the resurrection of Jesus—the first witnesses of the resurrection were women.
All 4 gospels recount that women were the first witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. Mark narrates that “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him” (Mark 16: 1). Matthew relates that “After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning; Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb” (Matthew 28: 1). Luke presents us with a number of women at the empty tomb: “The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Mary the mother of James,” as well as the unnamed “others who accompanied them” (Luke 24:10). While John tells us that the risen Jesus appeared only to Mary of Magdala (John 20: 14 – 17).
Why would Jesus first appear to women at a time when women were not considered credible witnesses? This difficulty perhaps confronted the early Church. At least for the apostles this was a problem as Luke writes, “Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them” (24: 10 – 11).
What does this overlooked detail about Jesus’ resurrection tells us about how to live the Easter spirit?
The first hard lesson of the resurrection of Jesus is that we are all called to witness the resurrection. True, we have not seen with our eyes the resurrection of Jesus but as the risen Jesus said to Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe” (John: 20: 29). This is the whole purpose of our 40 days of preparation in Lent—to rise up with Jesus and made new again in God’s abundant grace and thus become true witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.
The second lesson concerns the fact that it was to women that Jesus first appeared after his resurrection. There must be a good reason why God made his risen Son known first to women and only later to the Apostles. This challenges us to take a hard look once again at women’s place in the church. Even as Pope Francis asks us to develop a deeper theology of women, the Church still struggles today to give women their due voice as witnesses to our risen life in Christ.
The attitude of Mary of Magdala and the other women may also teach us something about witnessing to the resurrection. The women witnesses who have no status, no power, and no wealth perhaps made them more open and receptive to the great mystery of Jesus’ resurrection. After all it has been shown in God’s story of salvation that it is to the weak and humble, like Mary, that God first reveals and acts out God’s mission. Witnessing to the resurrection does not involve status, power and wealth and calls us to embrace the women witnesses’ disposition of humility and willingness to God’s intervention in our lives.
The third lesson has got to do with the difficulty that the women encountered in testifying to the risen Lord—they were met with scepticism and rejection even by the apostles themselves. The difficulties of the women in giving witness to Jesus resurrection are also experienced today by many Christians who are persecuted because of their faith. They are experienced by Christians who stand up for truth, justice and peace in the midst of complacency, violence, falsehood and injustice. They are also experienced by Christians who lead simple, selfless and authentic connections in the midst of the consumerist, selfie and shallow connections of digital culture. They are also experienced by Christians who demonstrate their Christian identities and values in the midst of the secularized and capitalist world. They are also experienced by Christians who sacrificed their lives for their loved ones, friends and even to strangers without receiving any reward in return.
Witnessing to the resurrection of Jesus will always be difficult. But like the women in the gospel today, we do not need to have power, status, nor weath. We just need to be constantly open to God’s surprise.
Copiosa 