50 Days of Easter: Salome

 We are continuing to meet the Women of Easter. Their faithful witness is what gives us a glimpse into the earliest moments of Easter. Today is Mother's Day and we find the "mother of the sons of Zebedee” at the tomb. Scholars agree that this was a woman named Salome. We first meet her earlier in Matthew when she asks for special treatment her sons. While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem [he said] … ”the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’ Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him….‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’ (Matthew 20:17-23)

In my March 2017 blog post, I noted, “[Salome’s] bold request gives us hope that we can come to the ‘throne of glory’ with any request we might have. God will answer all our prayers, although it may not be in the way or in the time we expect. We may look at the problems in the world and ask why God doesn’t do anything about them. Perhaps that is when we need to be reminded as Teresa of Avila says, “Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours”…Salome was called to be the hands and feet of God and TO God at the Cross and Grave. 

Salome, the mother, wanted what she thought was best for her sons. She wanted them to have secure positions of power with Jesus. She didn’t understand the implications of the request. As mothers, we can make the same mistake. I have sometimes fallen into the trap of trying to make things “easier” for my daughters rather than allowing them to make mistakes and grow and learn from them. It is tough to watch our children struggle as they grow up and leave home and live their own lives. We try to help and even wonder why God doesn’t intervene when things get really hard.

Like the disciples themselves, Salome misses the point of Jesus life and ministry entirely. However, she remains steadfast to the cross and grave. The Gospel of Mark tells us When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. (Mark 16:1-2)

The dedication of Salome and the other women was rewarded when they came to the grave. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.’ (Mark 16:3-7) This icon of Salome shows here with a jar of ointment for burial. 

Salome and her friends are frightened out of their wits, as I think I would be. They expected a dead body and found a young man, dressed in a white robe. They are told Jesus has been raised; he is not here. From this side of Easter, and 2000 years later, we are not as astonished by this announcement. Imagine Salome’s confusion about what ‘raised’ might mean and who this young man is. Stunned by the horrific events of the crucifixion and days of grieving and waiting, I think I would have found it difficult to take it all in. It is not surprising that they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. (Mark 16:8) We are told that later they told [these things] briefly to those around Peter.

Salome wanted the best for her sons. She became a follower of the man she thought could offer hope. She saw him die, and with that death her dreams for herself and her sons were lost. Then came the transformation of Easter and an empty tomb. I’m sure she wondered what that really meant for her life going forward. We know that James and John did become leaders of the early church, and we can assume that Salome was present in the upper room at Pentecost with the other believers. 

Easter makes us wonder what God has in store for our lives in all the changes and challenges of modern life. Perhaps Salome began to understand that God’s ways are different than our ways. Where we see loss and death and despair, God offers hope, life and love. Easter says we are invited to be part of the transformation of the world.

Where and how might you offer hope or life-giving love this week?

How might you work for transformation where you are?