Easter Timeline

From Acts 10 34 – 35 “I truly understand that God shows no partiality but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”  Every now and then a verse sticks out at me in relationship to my work.  This one did today.  Its not that it had anything particular to say about yoga philosophy.  It was just the open approval of all by God no matter what that I love, provided you are a good person in God’s eye. There is something comforting in the radical acceptance.  Especially in the world we currently live in.  One where people are in much anxiety about their religious life and the rest of their lives too.  At least we can rest at ease knowing God loves us all with no partiality. Rest in God.

Feeling comforted by this I began to do something I’ve always wanted to do.  I took all four gospels and compacted them as best I could into one timeline of events on Easter morning that makes sense, and all goes together.  Perhaps this is my form of Jnana Yoga, the study of classical texts: knowledge, wisdom, introspection. I’d like to think that my time spent here diving into the weekly biblical readings in the Episcopal Church as compared to Yoga Philosophy could be my own personal version of Jnana Yoga. 

So here is what I came up with. Combining the Four Easter Gospels into one Timeline…

John says Mary Magdalene went to tomb, Matthew adds Mary mother of Jesus and Marks further adds Solome went to tomb, Luke says they went to tomb. 

There was an earthquake, and angel came and rolled the stone back. The stone was rolled back. An Angel was in white, the guards were afraid, angel said to the women do not be afraid. Jesus is not here he has been raised come see. There is no body. Then two men in white appear the women are afraid. The men said why do you look for the living among the dead he is not here he is risen, remember he told you how he must die. They went back and told the 12 disciples. Mary gets Peter and the one Jesus loved and tells them Jesus is gone and they don’t know where he is. Peter and the other he loved run to tomb (Mary goes too), the other gets there first sees the linen cloth, Peter goes in the tomb first sees linen and head wrapping separate, the other went in saw and believed.  They return home amazed, but Mary stays at the tomb weeping, two angels ask her why she is weeping, Mary says they have taken my lord.  A young man in white tells her do not be afraid, Jesus was raised, tell others to go to Galilee and Jesus will meet you there. She leaves tomb. Then Mary turns see a man she thinks is a gardener, who asks again why she is weeping, Mary asks if he carried away her Lord, man says “Mary” she says “Rabbouni” She realizes this is Jesus. “Greetings” says Jesus. She takes hold of his feet. Jesus tells Mary to go tell the others but do not hold on to me I am ascending. Jesus says do not be afraid go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee where they will see me. At first, she was afraid and said nothing, but Mary Magdalene tells them she has seen the Lord.

Alleluia Christ is Risen!  The Lord is Risen indeed Alleluia! 

Happy Easter.