Just wondering out loud... don't stone me.

Reading today in Mark 16 about the women's encounter with the angel in the empty tomb and I was struck by some (perhaps over-reaching) comparisons.

During Jesus life and ministry He spent a lot of His time teaching in the synagogues and the temple (when he was in Jerusalem). But He also spent a great deal of time teaching in the open air, on the hillside, across the pond (sea of Galilee) and walking along the road. Surely someone has done a study of the times when Jesus was teaching where so we can compare, you can comment and let me know where to find it.

Then Jesus spends some time on the cross during which He pays the price for all sin. Then His body spends some time in the tomb of Joseph until Sunday morning. But when the women come to anoint His body they meet instead an angel. This angel says, "He is not here!" He's risen just as He said He would (duh)! And when the women left they saw Him on the path, He walked on the road, He cooked on the shore, He appeared in the upper room behind a locked door.

Here's where I have the potential to get in trouble. How many people are going to the wrong place to find Jesus? I would venture that some are entering our churches every week expecting to find Jesus and instead all they get is some smelly remnants of where He used to be (the spice soaked linen that laid on the slab signifying where Jesus HAD been).

And when they are walking on the road, or chillin' at the lake or having a party in their house, where they don't expect to find Him... there He is!

The empty cross we honor because on that stick of wood our Savior was nailed and bled for our sin. But Jesus isn't there any longer. The empty tomb we honor because it proves what we already believed, death could not hold Him! But Jesus isn't there any longer.

Where is Jesus? Well, He certainly is in some churches, right where He's always been. But I think where He wants to be is on the road engaged in casual conversation that leads to the spiritual. He wants to be on the path in the garden where He is least expected. He wants to be the life of the party when you're relaxing with your friends. He wants to be on the shore, sharing a meal.

We often don't find Jesus where we expect and do find Him where we don't expect. But here's the kicker, Jesus is found whenever His people, who are called by His Name act like it. So, maybe we ought to stop acting like Him only on Sunday when were in "the tomb" (lovingly) and start acting like Him every day, in the world we live. So that He is found where ever we go by everyone we meet.