Here I Am!
The Resurrection of Jesus
I remember hearing a story about a mother and her two daughters. The mother and older daughter were talking in the kitchen when the younger daughter came into the room, waving a dollar bill. “Look what I found when I was cleaning my room!” “Well, you better keep cleaning,” her mother told her, “You might find more money!” The young girl ran out of the room to continue her cleaning and search.
The mother turned to her older daughter and confided, “I hid that money to encourage her to clean her room thoroughly.”
“Why didn’t you ever do that with me?” the older daughter asked. Her mother turned to her with a smile. “I did!”
Hard work, doing what is required and expected of you has its rewards. Sometimes the reward is just the good feeling that comes from doing a job well. Sometimes, the reward is even better than anything we could ever expect or hope for.
Jesus mother, Mary and two women made their way to Jesus tomb early Sunday morning following His death. Jesus died at sundown. The Sabbath began at sundown on Friday and ended sundown Saturday. Mary did not have time to prepare her Son for His entombment before the Sabbath began and Hebrew law prohibited her from doing it on the Sabbath. So Jesus was put in the tomb and plans were made by Mary and the other women to go to the tomb to do this one last act of love, compassion, and faith for Mary’s son.
The women knew a large stone had been placed before the opening of the tomb. They knew a large group of Roman soldiers were guarding the tomb. They hoped the men would move the stone for them so they may fulfill their obligation.
The women arrived at the tomb, the ground began to shake, the stone rolled away and the soldiers ran off. An angel came down and sat on top of the stone. And that was just the beginning of the excitement! Before they left the area, Jesus appeared to them. They were the first ones to see Jesus following His resurrection!
Mary had an obligation to tend to the body of her Son. She had to be in emotional pain, grieving the loss of her Son. However, just like the younger daughter in the story above, she and the other women were rewarded for doing their job. The women tended to their business while the men huddled in an upper room and for their faithfulness, for their dedication, the women were the very first to hear the Good News that Jesus had risen from the dead!
There are rewards when we take care of things, fulfill our obligations. Just remember those women at the tomb.
Discussion Questions
1. How do you motivate yourself to fulfill an obligation when your heart just isn’t in it?
2. How do you encourage your children to fulfill their obligations?
3. Fulfilling your obligations may be an act of kindness for another person. What are some examples?
4. Discuss times when an obligation earned you a reward you never thought possible.
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