Trembling and Astonishment
April 21, 2017
"And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid."
- Mark 16:8
To be seized by trembling and astonishment is no small thing. It is fearsome, but it is not to be avoided ... no indeed ... no more than it is to be sought as a thrill for its own sake. When we see or experience something for which we have no language or frame of reference, we are thus seized and that seizure of self propels us to a new level of faith and gives us that new language we need to proclaim that which is too awesome for mere words.
Some ancient manuscripts of Mark end there.
Somewhere in church history, prior to canonization of scripture, a tract attributed to Mark was added to the ending with eight additional verses - all words of hope and commission. Maybe they were always there in Mark's manuscript and were lost from some copies only to be restored.
Whatever the reason ... trembling is always and only a temporary condition.
Resurrection "takes some getting used to."
The last word is always one of hope and commission.