Thoughts on Today's Gospel Reading

Folks,

Today's Gospel reading is from Matthew 28:8-15. Reading this account of the angel who told the women about Jesus' Resurrection, and about the Jewsih religious elders bribing the soldiers to lie and say the disciples stole Jesus' body while they slept reveals certain interesting things:

(1) Jesus' Resurrection was announced to women first. This is a stunning rebuke to all those modernists who decry the patriarchal Church. While Jesus chose only men to be be His disciples (and likewise deacons, priests and bishops), women have always been there first. Eve born humanity. Deborah, Judith and Esther - all of Old Testament fame - did wonders to save the Hebrews from calamity. The Blessed Virgin Mary bore the Messiah. And once again, women (Mary Magdalene and the other Mary) were first to receive the announcement of the Resurrection.

(2) Jesus' command to these women was simple, "Go tell my brothers...." The command wasn't, "Go tell the Chief Priests..." Jesus wasn't interested in shaming His enemies, but in comforting His friends.

(3) The Chief Priests and elders gathered the soldiers under whose watch Jesus rose from the dead to bribe them with a large sum of money to lie and say Jesus' disciples stole Him while they slept. The Chief priests and elders loved their money more than anything and were always loathe to part with it. Yet here to discredit Jesus and hide the truth they would spend any sum. This is ironic since many of us are equally loathe to spend even a small amount of money to spread the truth. Here a lie would be disseminated by spending a large sum of money, but many begrudge the truth even a small sum. How sad that misers part with wealth for a lie, but Christians can't be bothered to part with a dollar for the truth.

(4) Jesus' work was finished on the sixth day of the Jewish week. Jesus rested in the bowels of the Earth on the seventh day. Jesus rose from the dead to new life without end on the first day of the following week, having created in effect a new world.