What About Saturday?

We celebrated Good Friday yesterday, and now are waiting for Easter (Resurrection) Sunday tomorrow. But what about Saturday? Is there nothing special about the next-to-last day of Holy Week?

Jesus is dead. We saw him die yesterday. His blood stains the cross that is still standing on a nearby hill. We saw his body wrapped in linen and placed in a cave with a large rock rolled in front. A Roman guard is stationed in front of the cave to prevent any of us, Jesus' followers, from breaking in and stealing the body.

Jesus' followers. What a laugh. We followed, all right. Followed Jesus away from our families, away from our friends, away from our jobs. and for what? We were promised a kingdom, but now the king is dead and we are wanted men. We are in hiding, staying out of sight of the Pharisees. If they find us now, well, they will ask Pilate for more crosses. But if we can stay hidden for a while, maybe they will forget about us. There will be another claiming to be something special, another so-called Messiah, and the Pharisees will chase after him and his followers.

But what about us? We left all to follow the one we really thought was different. We saw what we thought were miracles--but Jesus couldn't even save himself. What miracle worker lets himself be killed? We heard his words about love, about going farther than we are asked to go, about trusting God. We stuck with him when he said we would have to eat his flesh and drink his blood. We didn't understand it, but we stood by him. And now he has deserted us.

He said to trust him, and we did. But now he's gone, and he has taken with him our lives. He has taken our families and our livelihoods. He has taken our freedom (at least for now) and our courage.

He has taken with him our hope.

We are, of all men, most miserable. We have no where else to turn. Peter says when it is safe to leave the room where we are hidden, he's going to try to start his fishing business again. We don't really care. We don't care about anything. We just sit and think. That is the hardest thing--we are trapped in here with all of our thoughts, all of our memories. We can't escape them.

There is nothing left. Darkness has become our friend, but now even the darkness is starting to fade.

The sun is coming over the hill.