Matthew 28:8-10 (NIVUK)
8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshipped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’
As we reflected during our Good Friday service, the Easter stories are packed with emotions. Here are more – the women are rushing, adrenaline coursing through them. They’re both afraid and joyful, I imagine full of adrenaline and nervous excitement, having seen an angel and heard that Jesus is alive. Then Jesus appears and they clasp his feet. I wonder what emotions are behind that? Is it a desperate holding on so he can’t leave them? Is it yearning for reassurance, that physical touch reassuring them that he has indeed risen? Is it simply a touch born of love? The emotion wells up in them, becoming worship. Then Jesus tells them not to be afraid – fear is the only emotion he dismisses – and to go (a touch of urgency there?) and tell the disciples to head to Galilee to meet him.
Take a moment to enter this story, to experience its emotion and listen to your own responses. Offer them as worship.
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