Matthew 28:1 After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to keep vigil at the tomb. (The Message Bible)
How would you like to go down in history as “the other Mary?” Those of you who are familiar with Mark’s or Luke’s account of Easter know that they call this woman “Mary the mother of James.” This is much more of an identity than “the other Mary.” We have a woman named Mary in our congregation whose brother married a woman named Mary. In many conversations she became the other Mary. Here, this woman was at the decisive event in all of history but in Matthew she is known only as the other Mary. Maybe she is us. Most of us won’t be the star of any show. We won’t be ones whose name will be remembered and repeated as important. Mary Magdalene is famous. The other Mary is… well, the other Mary, another who happened to be there, a member of the supporting cast, lucky to be mentioned at all. Like I said, she is us. And we were there too. The song asks, were you there when he rose up from the grave? Yes, we were there in the other Mary, in the fact that Jesus rose for the millions and billions (and trillions?) who are barely mentioned but known to God and changed by the resurrection. Happy Easter to all you others! Christ rose for you!
Logan Memorial Presbyterian Church 