On the Sabbath after Jesus’s death, all that remained of his once large entourage was two women: Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James of John…two souls that knew the chaotic and unsettling depths of grief. But even in their sorrow and confusion, we still find them walking to the Messiah’s tomb. And in so doing, they provide us with a wonderful picture of godly grief. They reveal that godly grief consists not necessarily of great theological depth but of obedience in accordance with one’s knowledge of the Scriptures. In other words, to know whether we have handled or are handling our grief well, we need to only answer one simple question: “Am I obeying the Lord in accordance with my understanding of the Scriptures?”
What the Women Did Well
Though the women’s presence at the tomb proves quite commendable, it also reveals a noticeable kink in their theology. They do not expect Jesus to rise “After three days” even though the Lord predicted just that several times (Mt 27:63). Their theology was as incomplete as that of the disciples who had all run into hiding when Jesus was arrested and wrongfully convicted.
What set the women apart from the apostles and the many others who missed that narrative arch of Old Testament would be completed in Jesus was the women’s willingness to act on what they did know. Without question, they believed that Jesus was the Messiah who would accomplish, “the resurrection on the last day (Lk 11:24).” Though they did not know how a dead Messiah would triumph over death and most likely possessed more questions than answers as the moved along that first Easter morning, they never doubted the coming resurrection. And until that day came, the women would continue to worship Jesus, beginning with the preservation of his corpse. In so doing, they reveal that what glorifies God in our grief is not necessarily the development of theological papers derived from years of academic reading (though such papers certainly have their place in Christendom and even in grief) but profound obedience in light of what one does know. J.C. Ryle noted, “As a father delights in the first daisy that his child picks up and brings him, even so the Lord is pleased with the weak attempts of his people to serve him.” God delights in our expression’s of true faith however small.
Application for our Grief
When we lose a grandparent, close friend, a child, or a spouse, our souls will often melt into a puddle of confusion. During those first long days, most can barely manage to put together a funeral and navigate all the paperwork that floods their phones. At such times, most do not have enough head space or energy to discuss the ins-and-outs of divine simplicity. When we grieve, our minds often stop answering questions and start generate thousands of new ones such as, “Why?” Why did they die? Why this disease? Why this end?
But thankfully as these women at Jesus’s tomb reveal, we do not have to find answers to all of these questions to grieve well. Though we should long for a deeper knowledge of the Scriptures and should aspire to never be called “spiritual infants (1 Cor 3:1),” we do not have to read a systematic theology to survive grief. We need only to act upon what we do know. When are faces are stained by tears and our stomach muscles pulse, we need to only place our hope in the most basic and fundamental of truths, beginning with: Jesus is the resurrection. He is good. He who died for me loves me and will support me. As the psalmist, we need only realize that, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life (Ps 119:50).”
Act
Then equipped with these promises, we act. Admittedly, none of us will get the opportunity to physically care for Jesus on this earth like these ladies did. But we can still care for Christ by caring for our brothers and sisters. When explaining the final judgement in Matthew 25, Jesus equates caring for the least of these with caring for him. Matthew records Jesus saying, “And the king will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me (Mt 25:40).” In other words, when grieving believers care for their fellow church members they care for Christ.
For some of us, that care might entail leading family devotions with our kids. For some of us, that might mean going to church and worshiping. For others of us, that might mean watching our grandkids or continuing to serve in the church nursery. For some of us, that might mean preaching sermons or teaching Sunday school classes. For others of us, that might mean visiting homebound members or bringing meals to a sleep deprived new mom. For some of us, that might mean discipling the young, single man who just joined the church. And for some of us, that might mean continuing to pray over your church family for an hour each day. Even though we might not understand all that is happening when a loved one dies, we understand enough to know that Jesus saved us from our sins and will come again, and that he should be obeyed. We know enough to act. In other words, we should go to the tomb.
Conclusion
When all seems dark and confusing, we don’t need to craft new ministries or redraft our life goals. Nor do we have to be the sharpest tool in the theological tool shed. Rather, we do need to act upon the essential gospel truths that we do know. If we do, we too shall experience Jesus’s goodness again and behold the favor of his face. Joy will come in the morning. The tomb is empty. Go and serve the risen Christ.
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