“Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where He was laid.” (Mark 15:47)
The Marys (as I affectionately refer to them) stayed with Jesus until the very end. They followed Him until they could follow Him no farther. They spent all their energies looking for ways to serve Him. What an example for us! We never know where Christ-following will take us or what it may cost – but we are committed all the way to the end of our story.
Follow closely. Serve tirelessly. Repeat.
This is the life rhythm of a committed believer. The Marys weren’t put off by hardship, social pressure or emotional discomfort. They stayed close and served well until nothing else could be done for the cause of Christ. In the midst of that last task, they looked up and realize He had met their effort with His own. They had worked together on Kingdom things and God’s will was accomplished.
“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome brought spices so they might anoint Jesus’ body… But when they looked up they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” (Mark 16:1, 4 NIV)
The Marys were still doing what they could when they encountered the power and presence of the living God.
Lord, please give me the strength and courage to keep doing what we can for the Kingdom. Remake us as faithful: staying close and serving well. May we spend all our days attending to the needs of Your Body. And may, one day, we look up and see the glory of God accomplishing all the Kingdom things. We commit to following closely and serving tirelessly. Please overshadows our efforts with Your presence and power. Amen.