When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." Mark 16:1-7 (NRSV)
The young man in a white robe said, "Go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: 'He is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him, just as he told you.'" Mark 16:7 (TEV)
THREE followers of Jesus go to anoint his body on the morning after the Sabbath. These women find an empty tomb and an angel who tells them that Jesus has risen. I had read this passage in Mark's Gospel many times before, but recently two words caught my attention. The angel concludes, "Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter, . . ." (emphasis added). "Including Peter" -- who cut off a guard's ear when Jesus was arrested and then cowered among the servants in the high priest's courtyard while Jesus was on trial inside. "Including Peter" -- who boldly proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah, the son of the living God, but then denied even knowing him.
What a profound message of love and forgiveness those two words hold! Peter was full of remorse and must have felt he could never undo what he had done that night in denying his master. But through this angel at Jesus' tomb, God made it clear that every human weakness, failure, and betrayal can be forgiven. God's love can redeem the mistakes and failures of even the most imperfect person. Including Peter. Including you and me.
