The mere mention of Little League and outfields conjures up memories of that young family member gazing into the yonder while manning the position in brand-new baseball cleats. Inevitably, the child at bat, who has struck out the last three times, connects and sends the baseball directly toward our prospect. He redirects his attention, not because of the crack of the bat or the whizzing of the ball, but by the thud on the ground as it narrowly misses his forehead.
Often, our position, while proper, does not match our attention to the circumstances. After the disciples returned home from an empty tomb, Mary gazed into the place where Jesus should have been. Dead bodies do not move themselves. When she pivoted, Mary unknowingly encountered the resurrected Jesus while she wept. Jesus then identified Himself by calling her by name and relayed her instructions to inform the brethren of His soon ascension.
Despite Mary’s close relationship with Jesus, she eyed an empty tomb while she wept. Spiritual audits reveal our tendency to focus on apparent emptiness. Instead of recognizing our Savior’s presence enthroned at the right hand of the Father, we fixate on sickness, depravity, lostness, unconcern, and death—the empty tomb. These everyday sepulchers evidence the frailty of the flesh but can also distract us from absorbing our hope in the Sunday resurrection—our present view.
Our Savior often reminds us of our identity in Him and our relationship with Him. We then recognize His call to action as duty and privilege. A Christian can often be caught looking into the tomb by our unconscious testimony, painting gloom and doom while we survey the condition of the world.
Jesus once said that no one who puts his hand to the plow should look back. If they do, they are unfit for service in His kingdom. Our histories contain the tomb’s emptiness and separation from the Savior, but more so, encompass our testimony of transition into life through His grace and mercy.
Learn to cultivate your spiritual gardens by turning to Christ’s presence as you relay His position and plan to others. Your service is not in the sepulcher.
While an attorney by trade, Chad’s passion is filling the pulpits of local churches when needed and engaging a broader audience with his writing. He enjoys running and golf while completing a master’s degree at Dallas Theological Seminary. Chad lives in Jonesborough, Tennessee, with his wife Brandi and one-year-old Welsh Terrier, LuLu.