They Stayed
Mark 15:42-47 NRSVUE
42 When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council who was also himself waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead, and summoning the centurion he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. 45 When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Then Joseph bought a linen cloth and, taking down the body, wrapped it in the linen cloth and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn out of rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
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I want to ask you a question… Have you ever thought about what would have happened if the women didn’t stay behind? Like really thought about how our Christian faith might look if the women had left the scene… just like the men.
The women, the most vulnerable in society, not counting children, were known followers of Jesus. There was potential violence for them for simply being there. Their own lives were on the line… But they stayed. They. Stayed…They stayed until the very end. Fade to black…
They stayed and watched the credits roll at the end of the last scene…
Perhaps they had seen Black Panther or another Marvel movie and remembered that after the credits, there was the potential for a surprise or one more miracle. They stayed and risked their own lives for the one called Teacher… they stayed, being consistent in character… remaining faithful, just as they had been when Jesus was ministering in Galilee. They tended to him, looked out for him, and ensured he could do his life’s work.
Because of their laser focus on Jesus, they stayed... They remained with their eyes fixed on Jesus. Alone and without protection. No men. No bodyguard. No security. No weapon. No mace. Nothing to guarantee their safety.
These ordinary women stayed and watched. And watched and stayed. Eyes wide open…Until a member of the Council did what Jewish law commanded and asked the magistrate for Jesus’ body. (I wonder what happened to the others who were crucified… were they still alive? Sorry, that’s for another time.) Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate if he could have the body. (I don’t think he was confident that Pilate would allow him to have it because he didn’t go shopping for the grave cloth until after he was granted permission. Just sayin’.)
Jesus was dead, the centurion said. You only bury dead people… Thus, they handed over the body.
The women still watched… at a distance. They stayed put. They watched this man take down Jesus’ limp body by himself. (I have more questions…) They watched him take the body, struggle with the body, carry the body. Jesus’ body. I imagine they wanted to go help, but that would have really been out of order. They saw that he was truly dead.
The credits had finished. The music had stopped. The veil in the temple was ripped. Jesus said it himself… it is finished.
The. End.
Yet… they stayed… The women kept watching, for they had one more job of faithfulness to fulfill. They needed to know where his body was going to be held. They wanted to make sure his body would be secure, until they could come back after the Sabbath. On the third day they would be able to anoint his body. On the third day they would be able to clean him up and treat him with dignity… because he deserved it. He deserved better… so much better.
So, they watched, taking note of which tomb he was laid in. The women, all alone, with no men to protect them, as the sun was going down… they watched the stone be rolled in front to secure the body.
These women had no idea that they were the very witnesses that allowed the Gospel message to be secured. Their staying put changed the history of the world. These bold, courageous, silent women are essential to salvation history… just by staying.
Bold, silent, and courageous like Darnella Frasier, who changed history by silently recording George Floyd’s last breaths at the hands of those assigned to protect and serve. Darnella stayed put for over ten minutes. Ten long minutes. And just like Mary and Mary in our text, she made sure someone else knew. She made sure the whole world knew by posting his death on social media.
Many say if she hadn’t recorded, George Floyd’s death would have been just one more Black man lynched by the empire. There would have been no social unrest all around the world. No indictment. No conviction. No jail sentences.
She stayed. She recorded… And she shared.
So, sis… in those uneasy moments in your life. You know, those times that make you want to throw in the towel and just say, “Forget it!” Those times when all hell is breaking loose, and you are unable to can. Yeah, those times.
Sis… remember the two Marys. Remember how they stayed just like Effie White? They stayed and completed their assignment, not realizing it was way bigger than they thought.
Listen to Spirit. What is She saying? Sometimes the moment calls for us to sit in the messiness of life… the messiness of being human. Be in the moment. See things for what they are.
Sometimes… sometimes… there is purpose in the staying.[1] You never know what is on the other side of the staying… You just might make a difference in someone’s life… maybe even your own.
Mary and Mary stayed until the body was secure. Then they left.
Again…the credits had finished… the screen had faded to black…but the movie wasn’t over. Stay tuned…
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[1] Let me be clear. I am NOT advocating staying in toxic, violent, abusive spaces. If you are being abused, sis… get help. Get out. Here is the National Domestic Violence Hotline 800.799.SAFE (7233).
Rev. Moya Harris is an itinerant elder in the African Methodist Episcopal church, most recently serving as executive minister at Metropolitan AME Church in DC. She is the fellowship director and church network coordinator at Sojourners. Throughout her 15+ years in ordained ministry, she has served in women’s ministry, health ministry, youth ministry and Christian education. She believes that justice and faith are inseparable and is quick to challenge theologies that oppress and marginalize. Through her scholarship, she is interested in the intersection of womanism, hip hop, homiletics, and rhetoric, hoping to share the genius of Black preaching and oratory with a womanist hip hop sensibility. She earned a Bachelor’s in Science Degree in Nursing from Towson University, a Master of Divinity Degree from Payne Theological Seminary and is currently a fourth year Ph.D. student in the African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric program at Christian Theological Seminary.