John 20:1-18 by verse:
General References
Frederick Buechner, “Mary Magdalene,” Peculiar Treasures, p. 101-103
Dan Damon, “Woman Weeping in the Garden,” Faith Will Sing, p. # 24
Jaroslav Pelikan, The Illustrated Jesus through the Centuries, p. 93
Imaging the Word, Vol. 1, p. 182-187
George Herbert, “The Dawning,” Selected Poetry, p. 164
“The Dawning”
Awake sad heart, whom sorrow ever drowns;
Take up thine eyes, which feed on earth;
Unfold thy forehead gathered into frowns:
Thy Saviour comes, and with him mirth:
Awake, awake;
And with a thankful heart his comforts take.
But thou dost still lament, and pine, and cry;
And feel his death, but not his victory.
Arise sad heart; if thou do not withstand,
Christ’s resurrection thine may be:
Do not by hanging down break from the hand,
Which as it riseth, raiseth thee:
Arise, arise;
And with his burial-linen dry thine eyes:
Christ left his grave-clothes, that we might, when grief
Draws tears, or blood, not want a handkerchief.
3-9 R. S. Thomas, “The Answer,” Divine Inspiration, p. 529
5-7 Alfred Corn, “Deuteronomy and John,” Communion, p. 393-415
“Deuteronomy and John”
John portrays the angels as seated where Jesus’ head and feet had been, with his discarded linen shroud between them. (One medieval term for “book,” incunabula, means, literally, “swaddling clothes,” which Jesus’ discarded linens recall.) … But Jesus’ “ark” is not empty, empty as the debir or Holy of Holies, just at the moment when the Covenant is gathered to all faithful people who remain on earth. (p. 415)
1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10 Then the disciples went back to their homes.
20:1 τη δε μια των σαββατων μαρια η μαγδαληνη ερχεται πρωι σκοτιας ετι ουσης εις το μνημειον και βλεπει τον λιθον ηρμενον εκ του μνημειου 20:2 τρεχει ουν και ερχεται προς σιμωνα πετρον και προς τον αλλον μαθητην ον εφιλει ο ιησους και λεγει αυτοις ηραν τον κυριον εκ του μνημειου και ουκ οιδαμεν που εθηκαν αυτον 20:3 εξηλθεν ουν ο πετρος και ο αλλος μαθητης και ηρχοντο εις το μνημειον 20:4 ετρεχον δε οι δυο ομου και ο αλλος μαθητης προεδραμεν ταχιον του πετρου και ηλθεν πρωτος εις το μνημειον 20:5 και παρακυψας βλεπει κειμενα τα οθονια ου μεντοι εισηλθεν 20:6 ερχεται ουν σιμων πετρος ακολουθων αυτω και εισηλθεν εις το μνημειον και θεωρει τα οθονια κειμενα 20:7 και το σουδαριον ο ην επι της κεφαλης αυτου ου μετα των οθονιων κειμενον αλλα χωρις εντετυλιγμενον εις ενα τοπον 20:8 τοτε ουν εισηλθεν και ο αλλος μαθητης ο ελθων πρωτος εις το μνημειον και ειδεν και επιστευσεν 20:9 ουδεπω γαρ ηδεισαν την γραφην οτι δει αυτον εκ νεκρων αναστηναι 20:10 απηλθον ουν παλιν προς εαυτους οι μαθηται
Wendell Berry, Collected Poems, p. 210
Collected Poems
John Burnside, “Witness,” Poetry Daily (February 16, 2010) from The Hampden-Sydney Poetry Review
“Witness”
In the small hours, the smallest of rain
and that animal joy of being abroad in the dark
with something unseen.
He said he would come again
in altered form:
the palest trace of smoke, or touch-me-not,
a charm of finches dipping through the meadows,
and something was there, when the first light
bloomed on her hands;
something was there, like a shadow
unpicked from the shadows.
Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 145
Alfred Corn, “Deuteronomy and John,” Communion, p. 393-416
“Deuteronomy and John”
Geoffrey Hill, “Ezekiel’s Wheel, IV,” Canaan, p. 59
Denise Levertov, “The Son,” Poems 1960-1967 (The Sorrow Dance), p. 168
“The Son”
Denise Levertov, “Genesis (Abraham) and Gospels,” Communion, p. 479-492
Virginia Stem Owens, “Faced with Nothing,” Looking for Jesus, p. 225-231
Marilynne Robinson, “Gospels,” Communion, p. 133-150
John Shea, “The Resurrection Prayers of Magdalene, Peter and Two Youths,” The Hour of the Unexpected, p. 38
Franz Wright, “Dawn Moon Over Calvary,” F/poems, p. 63
Dawn Moon Over Calvary
The prostitute who loved Jesus so much, and the woman ashamed in the act of adultery, and the girl whose brother he had brought back from the dead, and the stranger to whom he had spoken at the well, the one who had not heard of him, unable to lower her eyes in his presence, so startled had she been to hear a male stranger’s voice addressing her personally, asking if she would not like a drink from the water that would quench her thirst forever: so lonely and desolate had they been in the first days of the life they would have to live without him; what a relief it was to find each other at the place of his tomb, just as it was beginning to get light out. … All the while Jesus, unnoticed, or mistaken for the gardener, had been waiting for her.
from Divine Inspiration
11-15 Wendell Berry, “2003 – V,” This Day, p. 242
“2003 – V”
The politics of illusion, of death’s money,
possesses us. This is the Hell, this
the nightmare into which Christ descended
from the cross, from which also he woke
and rose, striding godly forth, so free
that He appeared to Mary Magdalene
to be only the gardener walking about
in the new day, among the flowers.
13 Jane Kenyon, “Woman, Why Are You Weeping?” A Hundred White Daffodils, p. 205-209
15 Wendell Berry, A Timbered Choir, p. 43
A Timbered Choir
17 Jorie Graham, “Noli Me Tangere,” Odd Angles of Heaven, p. 122-126
17 Denise Levertov, “The Poem Rising By Its Own Weight,” The Freeing of the Dust, p. 92 f.
“The Poem Rising By Its Own Weight”
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” 18 Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
20:11 μαρια δε ειστηκει προς το μνημειον κλαιουσα εξω ως ουν εκλαιεν παρεκυψεν εις το μνημειον 20:12 και θεωρει δυο αγγελους εν λευκοις καθεζομενους ενα προς τη κεφαλη και ενα προς τοις ποσιν οπου εκειτο το σωμα του ιησου 20:13 και λεγουσιν αυτη εκεινοι γυναι τι κλαιεις λεγει αυτοις οτι ηραν τον κυριον μου και ουκ οιδα που εθηκαν αυτον 20:14 και ταυτα ειπουσα εστραφη εις τα οπισω και θεωρει τον ιησουν εστωτα και ουκ ηδει οτι ιησους εστιν 20:15 λεγει αυτη ο ιησους γυναι τι κλαιεις τινα ζητεις εκεινη δοκουσα οτι ο κηπουρος εστιν λεγει αυτω κυριε ει συ εβαστασας αυτον ειπε μοι που εθηκας αυτον καγω αυτον αρω 20:16 λεγει αυτη ο ιησους μαρια στραφεισα εκεινη λεγει αυτω ραββουνι ο λεγεται διδασκαλε 20:17 λεγει αυτη ο ιησους μη μου απτου ουπω γαρ αναβεβηκα προς τον πατερα μου πορευου δε προς τους αδελφους μου και ειπε αυτοις αναβαινω προς τον πατερα μου και πατερα υμων και θεον μου και θεον υμων 20:18 ερχεται μαρια η μαγδαληνη απαγγελλουσα τοις μαθηταις οτι εωρακεν τον κυριον και ταυτα ειπεν αυτη
Walter J. Burghardt, S.J., “Shake the Spirit Loose!,” Lovely in Eyes Not His, p. 59-64
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 107 ff.
19-21 Ephesians 2:17
21 Luke 10:5; 22:29
22-23 Mark 3:28-29
22 Genesis 2:7; 1 Kings 17:21; Ezekiel 37:9; 2 John 12
23 Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 16:19, 18:18
19-20 X. J. Kennedy, “Walking Through Walls,” Divine Inspiration, p. 555
19-20 Theodulf of Orleans, “Wherefore the Scars of Christ’s Passion remained in the Body of His Resurrection,” Divine Inspiration, p. 552
19-20 Ole Wivel, “Weep for Balder,” Divine Inspiration, p. 554
21-22 Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love, p. 159
The Violence of Love
21 Simone Weil, Awaiting God, p. 177
Awaiting God
22 Denise Levertov, “Ascension,” Evening Train, p. 115
“Ascension”
22 Ronald Parker, “Don’t Hold Your Breath”
“Don’t Hold Your Breath”
22 John Shea, “A Prayer to the Mad Dollmaker,” The Hour of the Unexpected, p. 37
“A Prayer to the Mad Dollmaker”
22 Flora Slosson Wuellner, Prayer and Our Bodies, p. 60 f.
23 Richard Foster, Prayer, p. 42
Prayer
23 Elaine Pagels, The New Yorker (April 3, 1995), p. 59
The New Yorker
[quoting the Gospel of Thomas (70)] “If you bring forth what is within you what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”
[Thomas O. Lambdin translation: Jesus said: That which you have will save you if you bring it forth from yourselves. That which you do not have within you will kill you if you do not have it within you.”]
23 Blaise Pascal, “# 869,” Pensées, p. 260
“# 869”
23 Chade-Meng Tan, Search Inside Yourself, p. 207
Search Inside Yourself
Tonglen literally means “giving and receiving,” willingness to receive the suffering and pain of others, and giving relief, well-being, and peace in return—thereby experiencing our ability to be transformers.
By breathing in negativity, we can use the heart as a filter. Breathing out, the dark clouds can pass through us, and transform into acceptance, ease, joy, and light/radiance.
19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
20:19 ουσης ουν οψιας τη ημερα εκεινη τη μια των σαββατων και των θυρων κεκλεισμενων οπου ησαν οι μαθηται συνηγμενοι δια τον φοβον των ιουδαιων ηλθεν ο ιησους και εστη εις το μεσον και λεγει αυτοις ειρηνη υμιν 20:20 και τουτο ειπων εδειξεν αυτοις τας χειρας και την πλευραν αυτου εχαρησαν ουν οι μαθηται ιδοντες τον κυριον 20:21 ειπεν ουν αυτοις ο ιησους παλιν ειρηνη υμιν καθως απεσταλκεν με ο πατηρ καγω πεμπω υμας 20:22 και τουτο ειπων ενεφυσησεν και λεγει αυτοις λαβετε πνευμα αγιον 20:23 αν τινων αφητε τας αμαρτιας αφιενται αυτοις αν τινων κρατητε κεκρατηνται
Thomas Aquinas, “Adoro Te,” Divine Inspiration, p. 557
Frederick Buechner, “Thomas,” Peculiar Treasures, p. 165-166
Dan Damon, “Blessed Is the Body and the Soul,” Faith Will Sing, #3
Andrew Greeley, “A Question of Love,” When Life Hurts, p. 109-112
“A Question of Love”
[Thomas] had become reluctant to believe again because he didn’t want to become vulnerable again. (p. 110)
The doubter is someone who does not believe that he is loved. Indeed, all of us are doubters some of the time … We may masquerade these doubts as propositional and cognitive; but in fact they are deeply emotional and affect the total personality. The doubter in each one of us, like doubting Thomas in today’s gospel, is lonely, cut off, isolated, not wanted, unloved. (p. 111)
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 166 f.
Today’s Spirituality
Denise Levertov, “On Belief in the Physical Resurrection of Jesus,” Sands of the Well, p. 115
“On Belief in the Physical Resurrection of Jesus”
It is for all
‘literalists of the imagination,’
poets or not,
that miracle
is possible,
possible and essential.
Are some intricate minds
nourished
on concept,
as epiphytes flourish
high in the canopy?
Can they
subsist on the light,
on the half
of metaphor that’s not
grounded in dust, grit,
heavy
carnal clay?
Do signs contain and utter,
for them
all the reality
That they need? Resurrection, for them,
an internal power, but not
a matter of flesh?
For the others,
of whom I am one,
miracles (ultimate need, bread
of life) are miracles just because
people so tuned
to the humdrum laws:
gravity, mortality—
can’t open
to symbol’s power
unless convinced of its ground,
its roots
in bone and blood.
We must feel
the pulse in the wound
to believe
that ‘with God
all things
are possible,’
taste
bread at Emmaus
that warm hands
broke and blessed.
Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: The Man Who Lives, p. 188 ff.
Virginia Stem Owens, “Too Good to Be True,” Looking for Jesus, p. 232-239
Ronald Parker, “Followers of Thomas”
“Followers of Thomas”
Thomas doubted that his friends had seen the Lord,
would not believe until he’d seen and touched,
confirmed the resurrection
by his own crude science.
His test was adequate to feed his faltering faith,
but not enough to prove to me
beyond my infinitely reasonable doubt
the unlikely claim that Jesus Christ is risen.
…
So thank God I was not there
to see and touch with Thomas on that night;
I might not have joined him in belief.
I’m blessed by living in another time,
too far removed to look for solid evidence.
I’m blessed by having noticed first
that flowers grow upon a grave
and bravery is transformed from fear by faith.
I’m blessed by having seen those who believe
love in the face of hate,
go on when others quit.
Any one of these would be enough
to stir in me this far-fetched faith that
Jesus Christ is risen!
R. S. Thomas, “Via Negativa,” Divine Inspiration, p. 559
Simone Weil, Awaiting God, p. 35
Awaiting God
Sometimes it is easy to deliver the afflicted from their present affliction, but it is difficult to liberate them from their past affliction. Only God can do it. Yet the grace of God Himself does not heal the nature of the irredeemably wounded here below. Even the glorified body of Christ bore the wounds.
28 Psalm 5:3, 35:23, 84:3; Hosea 2:23
26-29 Dan Damon, “Not with Naked Eye,” The Sound of Welcome, p. 6
“Not with Naked Eye”
Not with naked eye, not with human sense:
through the eye of faith observe omnipotence.
God is always near, but is never seen:
Source of heaven and earth and all that lies between.
Children learn of God trusting what they feel;
touching, tasting, seeking, finding what is real.
Thomas saw Christ breaking earth’s routine;
blessed are those who trust the Holy One unseen.
Not with crafted scope, not with crystal lens:
vision of the Christ begins where seeing ends.
29 Francis Patrick Sullivan, “The Power of Fragile Things,” A Time To Sow, p. 97
29 Imaging the Word, Vol. 2, p. 186-189
24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and place my finger in the mark of the nails, and place my hand in his side, I will not believe.”
26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. The doors were shut, but Jesus came and stood among them, and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”
20:24 θωμας δε εις εκ των δωδεκα ο λεγομενος διδυμος ουκ ην μετ αυτων οτε ηλθεν ο ιησους 20:25 ελεγον ουν αυτω οι αλλοι μαθηται εωρακαμεν τον κυριον ο δε ειπεν αυτοις εαν μη ιδω εν ταις χερσιν αυτου τον τυπον των ηλων και βαλω τον δακτυλον μου εις τον τυπον των ηλων και βαλω την χειρα μου εις την πλευραν αυτου ου μη πιστευσω
20:26 και μεθ ημερας οκτω παλιν ησαν εσω οι μαθηται αυτου και θωμας μετ αυτων ερχεται ο ιησους των θυρων κεκλεισμενων και εστη εις το μεσον και ειπεν ειρηνη υμιν 20:27 ειτα λεγει τω θωμα φερε τον δακτυλον σου ωδε και ιδε τας χειρας μου και φερε την χειρα σου και βαλε εις την πλευραν μου και μη γινου απιστος αλλα πιστος 20:28 και απεκριθη θωμας και ειπεν αυτω ο κυριος μου και ο θεος μου 20:29 λεγει αυτω ο ιησους οτι εωρακας με πεπιστευκας μακαριοι οι μη ιδοντες και πιστευσαντες
31 John 3:16
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.
20:30 πολλα μεν ουν και αλλα σημεια εποιησεν ο ιησους ενωπιον των μαθητων αυτου α ουκ εστιν γεγραμμενα εν τω βιβλιω τουτω 20:31 ταυτα δε γεγραπται ινα πιστευσητε οτι ιησους εστιν ο χριστος ο υιος του θεου και ινα πιστευοντες ζωην εχητε εν τω ονοματι αυτου