Above: Women at the Empty Tomb, by Fra Angelico
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Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
–The Book of Common Prayer (1979), page 236
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The Assigned Readings:
Exodus 7:1-25
Psalm 43 (Morning)
Psalms 31 and 143 (Evening)
Mark 16:1-20
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Some Related Posts:
Mark 16:
http://lenteaster.wordpress.com/2010/10/29/seventh-day-of-easter-saturday-in-easter-week/
Prayer:
http://gatheredprayers.wordpress.com/2011/02/11/prayer-for-saturday-in-the-fifth-week-of-lent/
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The Book of Exodus is open to God working through nature. For example, in 14:21,
a strong east wind
(TANAKH: The Holy Scriptures)
parts the waters. I have seen a documentary which argues that all the plagues, the parting of the waters, and the return thereof were natural consequences of the volcanic eruption which ended the Minoan civilization of Crete. Even if the hypothesis does not withstand historical scrutiny by meeting the standard of chronological accuracy, I assume that God has long acted through natural means. Whether this was one of those occasions is another question.
We read of the first plague. The Nile River made Egypt bloom. The annual floods left silt deposits, therefore fertile soil. So the attack on the Nile River was an assault on the basis of royal power because the health of the river was, according to common assumption, the responsibility of the Pharaoh. The river did not turn into blood, of course; it did turn red, however. Volcanic ash would have that effect and caused a major environmental problem. But God had given the monarch an opportunity to free the Hebrews prior to this. That, at least, is the narrative.
The Roman Empire had executed Jesus. Those were Roman soldiers at Calvary. And some religious leaders were complicit in his death. What, then, were human authority figures able to do to Jesus after his Resurrection? Nothing! I imagine at least three gatherings : one of Temple authorities, another of Herodians, and a third of Romans. In each case I imagine men who had borne some measure of responsibility for the crucifixion of Jesus asking each other,
I saw him die! Why did I see him in public yesterday?
They were powerless to do anything about it, for they had done their worst already. And God had acted afterward.
We can either work with or against the will of God at any given time. Yet we cannot thwart the will of God. We can redirect it by means of the exercise of our free will, but we cannot thwart it. May we work with God, not against God. (Credit: I am channeling the Reverend Leslie Weatherhead in the last paragraph.)
KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR
MAY 29, 2012 COMMON ERA
THE FEAST OF THE FIRST U.S. PRESBYTERIAN BOOK OF CONFESSIONS, 1967
THE FEAST OF JIRI TRANOVSKY, HYMN WRITER
THE FEAST OF SAINTS LUKE KIRBY, THOMAS COTTAM, WILLIAM FILBY, AND LAURENCE RICHARDSON, ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTS AND MARTYRS
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Adapted from this post:
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BLOGA THEOLOGICA 
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