Good Trouble

Scripture:  Mark 16:1-6 - 'And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome had brought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him [Jesus]. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, 'Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?' And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulcher they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them 'Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: HE IS  RISEN; He is not here: behold the place where they laid Him."

When one goes away to either the military or to college, the first thing done is to shake up the assumptions that that recruit or that freshman may have, that they may be more suitable for what's new to come.  That will feel like trouble. When planting seed, one must first prepare the receiving soil by breaking up the surface. That soil is being troubled for the sake of the flower to come.

In medical school, one of the first year classes that caused school to be thought of differently was 'Gross Anatomy'. It wasn't so much the classroom part of it where like any other class you had [then] your books, and things to write with. The difference maker was the lab. That's where I met the two who taught me about human anatomy. Their names were Bertha, and Rose. We'd spend about six weeks together.

Bertha, a well credentialed instructor in anatomy, was the teacher, and she was formidable- very direct, abrupt, commanding and no-nonsense. In a different setting she would be a drill-sergeant. Rose, on the other hand, was very quiet and for good reason-she was deceased. In life Rose decided to have her body to be used for medical advancement. She donated her body, once deceased, to the medical school.

Both became familiar across the six weeks, in different ways, but for day one, it felt troubling. That's where the idea of it just being 'school' stopped, as I and my small team of peers poured many hours over the body of Rose, examining her outwardly and inwardly, head to toe. The regard of life and death took on a different meaning. This was reality, and in a way, this was 'trouble', preparing us for the living souls we'd one day examine, and make crucial decisions about. Here, with all of our collective book-smarts, we discovered we knew little. That's  'Trouble'.

'Good trouble', popularly coined by John Lewis suggested the need for the settled, to be stirred up, for the better, pertaining to civil rights in America.

Jesus was trouble, perfect trouble- declaring before the seeing of all of human history, holiness; walking out the love of God, and leaving within the world, a remnant, believing Jews, and later, 'Christians'. These, being true to their calling would bring 'good trouble'. These would be trouble-makers. And I have a hunch, that heaven will be loaded with glorified trouble-makers whose earthly histories were ripe with trouble. These hopefuls bearing their own troubling would stir the self-serving world. And this 'world' within the world, would become as a seed for the shaking up of many, even you and I.

So, according to Mark's account, this angelic being troubled the three women, and instructed them to go and 'tell His [Jesus']disciples and Peter' about what had happened, and that they would see Jesus again in Galilee. [Mark 16:7,8] They ran [fled] from the tomb straightaway, not to do as told, but out of fright, saying nothing to nobody initially! By this account, thereafter, the first to see the risen Jesus was Mary Magdalene, who then took the message to the unbelieving disciples, which continued to not believe. Their incomplete or absent remembrance allowed them their continuing disbelief. But soon enough [Mark 16:12-14] Jesus would trouble them all directly, and give them a pilgrimage to take and trouble others unto life.

'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.' [Mark 16:16]

'And they went forth, and preached everywhere, THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM, and CONFIRMING THE WORD, with signs following. Amen.' [Mark 16:20]

One could say that the goodness of God is begotten by godly 'good trouble'. Every sinner needs 'good trouble', and every disciple, being sold out for Christ, is a trouble-bringer to the darkened, self-satisfied, and protesting 'world'. Salvation requires 'good trouble'. The gospel is 'good trouble'!

This we must embrace with the dearest remembrance, with a believing that is always actionable.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, for that far-reaching compassion that sought and captured me, I thank You. When I was drowning and thought it okay, You threw me the lifeline of grace and mercy. Lord, I praise You. Thank You for that precious invitation to come, spots and all, to receive Your heart, to find in You revival, to find in You, life. In this I will rejoice, and be glad, as a child of 'good trouble'. Bless You Jesus. This understanding I will exercise each day. This will I remember until days' end. Hallelujah and Amen.

(by Dr. McNeal Brockington)