A Large Stone in the Way

It was early in morning when the women made their way to the tomb. As they wiped sleep from their eyes, they shuffled through the garden, whispering to one another in hushed tones. So much had transpired over the past days; it felt like a bad dream. Oh! How they missed their Jesus, but now was their last chance to show Him honor. But an obstacle stood in the way. A large stone.

“… and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away” (Mark 16:3-4).

The women had a choice as they went out to serve their crucified Lord. They could have slept in. They could have decided that the task to roll away the stone would be too overwhelming, and just given up. They could have stayed back in fear of what they would have to contend with, perhaps confrontational Roman soldiers. But they went out. They knew that there was an obstacle in the way of their ministering to Jesus, but that did not stop their love for Him.

As we set out to seek and honor Jesus, do you ever feel like there is a “large stone” in the way? An obstacle -- something big in your life that seems to be standing in the way of you moving forward in your relationship or service to the King. Perhaps you can’t imagine that you will ever be able to serve and love Him, in view of what is standing in the way. It is too big. Too hard to move on your own. Impossible. Maybe it is a health issue. Maybe a marriage that is under duress or has ended. Maybe it is a wayward child, an abusive spouse, lies about you or difficult relationships. Maybe it is the loss of a ministry, the loss of a dream, or the loss of a job.

And we think to ourselves, “How in the world are we going to get past this large stone?” I’ve had a number of large stones in my life, and I’ll be honest with you, some have moved, and others have not. I’ve turned the corner, with sleep in my eyes, on more than one occasion, and there it is – still trying to obscure my view of the Savior. The thing with “large stones” is that we have no control over them. Only God is in control. We are called to get up, step out and trust that He will provide us with what we need, when we need it. He may move the large stone right away (although I rarely find this to be true). He may move it in a different way than we expect, or He may not move it at all, but rather move our heart (which can be like a rather large stone, at times).

Regardless, nothing can hold us back from our Jesus. There is no obstacle too large to keep us from Him. He rose from the dead, conquered the grave, and He lives for you and for me. As you celebrate this Easter and reflect on the power and beauty of the resurrection in its every detail, remember that there is nothing too large for God in your life. He is in control of all things and loves you with an unfailing love.

Blessed Easter, dear readers!