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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: SURPRISE (07/25/19)
Slowly, she took a quick, furtive look around the corner. Seeing no one, she quickly resumed her journey. It was still dark and the reason for being so early was to slip through town before too many others were around. But she did need someone to unfasten and roll the stone. It was heavy and she had seen them seal it in place. It had to be moved for her to be successful today. Maybe she could persuade the guards to help. Hefting the jar of ointment, she turned the last corner and came up short.

Her bottom jaw dropped and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief. The stone door was already open. Turning to the women with her she whispered, “We saw them seal it. Quickly, let us get help.”

At a run, all thoughts of secrecy banished by the surprise of an open tomb, they rushed to tell the menfolk, who at once raced to see for themselves. Not only was the tomb open, but there was another surprise in store… the body was gone. Who had robbed the grave? What had they done with the body? Another dirty move on the part of the Sanhedrin?

“How can this be?” Peter shouted. “Not only did they close it up tight, but it has been under constant guard.”

Mary, her love for the Lord turned into grief and anguish, didn’t bother to hide her tears as the men investigated an empty grave. “Where do you think He is? Who’s taken Him?”

“How do I know!” Snapped Peter. “All I know is He is gone and it’s too late for me to make things right.” Peter’s earlier denial and self-disappointment swamped his thoughts.

“Come,” said John. “We need to get the others and start a search.”

Left alone, Mary entered the tomb and for the second time in one morning skidded on her heels. Sitting in the sepulcher were two strangers who had an odd glow about them. One sat at the place where Jesus’ head had once laid, and one where His feet once rested. Gasping, Mary was finding it hard to breath as she turned to leave, her tears flowing even faster than before.

“Why are you crying? One of the men asked. “Jesus is risen and is not here anymore.”

Mary sucked at the air and spun her head back. This man was talking total rubbish. Jesus could not even lift an arm, let alone get up. Who were these people? What were they doing here and what on earth were they talking about? More important, what had they done with His body? Finding Him was all that she could think of now.

“They laid my Lord here. I saw them do it, but now He is gone. Please tell me, I beg you, where have they laid Him?”

The unusual men just smiled and repeated, “He is no longer here. He is risen.”

Leaving the empty grave, she went to look for Him. But where to start? He could be anywhere. Seeing the gardener, she went over to enquire, but he got in first.

“Why are you crying? Who are you looking for?”

Between sobs, Mary formed the burning question in her mind. “I don’t know where you have taken Him, but please, won’t you tell me? I want to bring Him back, I need Him. Please tell me and I will go and get Him.”

The gardener looked at her with compassion filling His eyes. He smiled as He spoke. Just one word, but the most precious word of her life. And all the horrible surprises of the day vanished as the word was spoken, replaced by a different surprise, one she did not understand but gladly embraced. “Mary,” He said, and it was as if a thousand light bulbs exploded in her mind.

It was Jesus! But how could it be? She had seen Him crucified. She was here this morning to anoint His dead body. She ran forward to embrace Him, but He stopped her in her tracks. “No, Mary. Do not touch Me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father.”

This brought in surprise number five for the day. Everything made sense now. He was the first of all resurrections and her own eternity was now assured. As she raced to tell the others, her mind was full of wonder and love. “He lives!” she shouted at full volume. "He is alive, and all is well.”
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This article has been read 336 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Barbara Culler 
08/01/19
That had to have been the greatest surprise ever! Great job on bringing the biblical account to life.
C D Swanson 
08/06/19
I loved it!
Well done,
Blessings~
Jenny Fulton 
08/08/19
Beautiful retelling from Mary's perspective! It was fun to feel her emotions throughout the story and her final joy at the end.

Some red ink: keep an eye out for redundancy. For example, in this sentence, "Gasping, Mary was finding it hard to breath as she turned to leave, her tears flowing even faster than before" gasping and finding it hard to breath communicate the same idea. You could tighten it by writing, "Mary gasped and turned to leave, her tears flowing even faster than before."