Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, April 5, 2026
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Several of Jesus’ disciples went to the tomb to witness Jesus’ absence. Jesus reveals himself to the one who took the time to stay and grieve.
None of Jesus’ disciples had any frame of reference for considering that Jesus may have risen from the dead. Such a thing was unheard of. Despite the raising of Lazarus, which was a miracle Jesus performed on another, they never would have considered that Jesus himself could be raised spontaneously and apart from the hands of another miracle-worker.
When the disciples observed the linens, they believed that Jesus had been raised from the dead, but it still did not enter their minds that the resurrection was literal. Sure, Jesus’ body was no longer on this earth. But to have the body return to the earth with life in it? Unthinkable.
John and Peter returned to their homes after what they witnessed, presumably to continue on with whatever it was they had been doing before this unexpected news. But Mary remained. Mary had been assigned the task of preparing his body for burial and she had fully committed to the role of the grieving follower. (Yes, they grieved with intention—a practice modern cultures might do well to adopt.)
It was because of Mary’s commitment to taking the time to be still and to grieve that she was at the tomb when the angels arrived and that she was in the garden when Jesus appeared. Mary’s willingness to take the appropriate time to contemplate, consider, grieve, be still, sit in the uncomfortable place of grief—all these led to her being the first to witness the resurrected Christ.
We live in a time of immediate gratification. Even 50 short years ago, if we wanted to learn a new piece of information, it took time to find a library, retrieve a book, and research the answer. Now we can find information on nearly anything within a few seconds on our smartphones. 10 years ago we watched TV in 30- and 60-minute segments. Now we scroll 3-minute videos on social media and even then often scroll past because 3 minutes is too big a commitment.
Besides cultivating a culture of impatience, our stumbling into such a fast-moving culture also prevents us from taking the time to be still and receive the blessings and gifts of this world in the time it takes to be offered them. There are some gifts worth waiting for. A newborn baby requires nine months of waiting and preparing. A wedding can take a year or more to plan. Milestones such as getting a driver’s license or having our first legal drink also cannot be rushed. They take the time they take.
What blessings might we receive if we were more often more intentional about waiting, being still, preparing our bodies, minds, and spirits to receive the things that God takes time to offer! Consider on this Easter Sunday (when you likely have visitors that are not necessarily familiar with what the church has to offer) offering the gift of presence. Do a full 3-minute silent prayer or meditation. Alert guests ahead of time that they will be given the gift of quiet and that it will be long. It may be the first 3-minute block of quiet time many have taken for themselves in a long time. That is a gift they will not soon forget.
