PEA RIDGE — In celebrating Easter, many of us have read Scriptures as Mark 16:1-8, telling how three women came early in the morning on the first day of the week, bringing spices, intending to anoint the body of Jesus for burial. They came questioning how they could roll away the heavy stone from the door of the sepulchre. But upon reaching the place, they found that the stone was already rolled away and that the body of Jesus was gone.
Then a young man clothed in white appeared, saying, “You seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is risen; He is not here!”
The main message of these passages, is that Christ is risen. In Him, death is overcome by life, and in Him we may have everlasting life. The sepulchre is not the place to go looking for Jesus. For this column I want to look at these Scriptures while reflecting on a topic that caught my eye in a recent newspaper article and a letter to the editor. It seems certain law enforcement officials were considering ending the practice of escorting funeral processions across the city, citing the cost to their departments and the manpower demands of this responsibility. The letter to the editor, unlike the intemperate and disparaging tone of many letters, was kind, thoughtful letter from a funeral director expressing appreciation for the police who offer this considerate and respectful service for grieving families.
There have been numerous discussions about funeral customs, the practice of funeral processions and the practice of family visitations and viewing of the body of the deceased. Some have advocated changing certain customs, some have even argued for eliminating funerals altogether.
Some of these arguments come from atheist perspectives which disparage the Christian hope of eternal life. However, even some Christians hold that our funeral customs focus too much on the body of the deceased at a time of death, holding that we should let that go and focus on the life to come.
So, what shall we draw from the example of thewomen who went to the tomb of the Lord Jesus that Easter morning, bringing spices to show him honor by performing a traditional anointing service?
One thing we might note is that funeral customs as observed in “Bible days” are quite different from our practices today. We don’t do burials exactly the way they did back then. That may say to us that there is no one set way of doing funerals and burials. Some differences are not only permissible but may be positive and valuable.
Considering the women’s intended gesture of respect and honor toward Jesus, do we see their intentions as appropriate and meaningful? Or are we to say that they should have known that they wouldn’t need to do such a service for him?
Were they misguided in coming to the tomb? Jesus affirmed the intention of anointing by the woman at the banquet, seeing her kindness as an anointing for his burial and urging that she be remembered and appreciated always (see Mark 14:3-9). Jesus never disparaged the women for coming to the tomb with anointing spices on Easter morning, even as he led them to understand his resurrection.
Do our customs of pausing traffic for funeral processions say something good about our regard for one another? Something of meaningful respect for people as they pass from this life? Something of caring and kindness as families and friends say solemn good-byes to loved ones? I believe our humanity is enriched and ennobled by such respectful gestures. We become a better people in such customs. In these civilities our civilization is uplifted.
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Jerry Nichols, a native of Pea Ridge, is a retired Methodist minister with a passion for history. He is vice president of the Pea Ridge Historical Society. He can be contacted by e-mail at [email protected], or call 621-1621.
Church, Pages 2 on 04/14/2010