September 28th, 2024

If you have been following these writings, or if you have simply been going to church, you might guess that this coming Sunday is called the “Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost”. And you would be somewhat correct.

There is another significant point to be made. Since, on this particular year, this Sunday is also September 29, the Day of St. Michael and All Angels is also being celebrated. And since the word “angel” has the meaning of messenger, it is closely related to the work of Christ, the one who was anointed for an extremely important message to give. A special celebration that points to Christ will probably occur this Sunday.

So, if you have been following these writings, you might also guess that there is a celebration to be had with the writing for this Sabbath Day’s journey. We recently finished with the life and death of Jesus, and in the writing of last week we finished with what has been called the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark. Now, with this final chapter, there is a celebration of his resurrection. And this next chapter is a very special one. And a few comments will be made regarding its special ending, after the translation below.

The following may be called a “somewhat-literal” translation of the so-called sixteenth chapter of the Gospel according to Mark (verses 1-8; it may be helpful to look at other translations and/or a study bible to see a more detailed and clearer understanding of the text; it should also be mentioned that the words in bold print are historical presents, when a past tense verb is expected but a present tense is given):

And having happened-through, the Sabbath, Maria, the Magdalene, and Maria, the one of the Jacob, and Salome, they bought aromas, that having come, they may anoint him. And very early, in the first of the Sabbaths, they come upon the tomb, having risen, the sun.

And they were saying toward themselves, “Who will roll away for us the stone, from the door of the tomb?” And having looked up, they behold that it has been rolled away, the stone, for it was mega, exceedingly.

And having come into, into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting in the right, having been thrown around a robe, white; and they were marveled out. Now the one says to them, “Stop being marveled out. Jesus, you are seeking, the Nazarene, the one, having been crucified; he was raised, not he is here; see the place where they put him. But on the contrary, go away, tell to the disciples of him and to the Peter, that he goes before you into the Galilee; there him, you will see, just as he said to you.”

And having come out, they fled from the tomb, for it had them, trembling and ecstasy; and to no one, nothing they said, for they were afraid.

Should the Gospel according to Mark end in such a way? That is an important question to ask. And it may take a while to answer.

That may take a while to answer because others have answered that question already. There has been the idea of a missing last page. There has been a much longer ending to this gospel account that does not end so negatively. If there is time, the longer endings may be examined in these writings.

People these days are so used to a so-called “happy ending”. And some people are also used to hearing that the Gospel according to Mark was written by itself, without any connection to the other writers. Many consider this gospel account to have been written first. With that additional piece of information, such an ending does not make much sense.

These writings take the perspective that the four gospel accounts were designed to work together. If someone ends reading this particular gospel account, there may be a time of sadness or a feeling of isolation. But that is not the end. That is not the end of the story, even taking into account the promises that appeared earlier within this gospel account.
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Earlier in this account, Jesus said he would die. Jesus predicted that he would die. Jesus also said that he would live again. And, taking into account all the other deaths and all the other negative news that has happened since, the fact of Jesus’ death and resurrection does not contradict the words that Jesus said. Jesus said he would live again. He also said that he would come again. And we continue to remember his words.
The women who were at the tomb were not so afraid that did not eventually pass on what was said to them by the young man, so that these words could be read by countless generations after them. And that good news continues. The Gospel continues.