Most people focus on the “and Peter” part of this verse. The angel singled out Peter specifically, and there is plenty of commentary about this. We only see these words in Mark’s Gospel.
The Afrikaans preacher I mentioned yesterday had a different take on this verse. She focused on “Galilee”, which is not an angle I have heard before,
so I was intrigued to hear what she had to say. I will paraphrase and share my interpretation.
In this verse, the angel tells the women to tell the disciples to go to Galilee, where they will see and meet Jesus. Galilee is where Jesus spent three years of ministry and where many Bible stories took place. Galilee is a place of the heart, not just a destination on a map. It represents the dream of the pathway of friendship between Jesus
and the disciples when their hearts were filled with hope and enthusiasm.
After the crucifixion, the disciples are devastated and question their faith. The angel’s message is to go back to Galilee, to the place where their hearts were filled with God’s grace and their faith was on fire, where everything started.
Going back to Galilee was easier said than done. It meant
facing old patterns and habits and shared challenges. For the women at the tomb, it meant a four-day journey back to the place where the possibility of disappointment was clearest. It meant talking to people who were just as disappointed as they were, but they were bringing the message that everything is different.
The thoughts of facing old disappointments, hurts, and challenges make one want to run away! Would it not be better
to escape all this and pretend it didn’t happen?
The difference is Jesus is risen and he is waiting in Galilee. This is where we will encounter him. We do not have to be afraid to go back to these places. Our resurrection story is still being written and until then, we can meet Jesus on the way to and in Galilee. In those places, we least expect him: in the pain, hurt and disappointment.
Where is your Galilee? Where is Jesus waiting for you?
Reflections by Gillian Hugo
