When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.” Overcome with terror and dread, they fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid. (Mark 16:1-8, CEB)
Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. That is how the CEB (Common English Bible) decided to translate the sentence, “ἀλλ’ ὑπάγετε εἴπατε τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ὅτι προάγει ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν·”
I had to go and look at the Greek on this one because the “especially Peter” stuck out to me. I remember reading this passage many times and it was always, go tell the disciples and Peter in the NRSV.
καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ is the part in question in the sentence. Kai is the word translated as and in the NRSV and especially in the CEB. I learned it means and. I looked it up in a dictionary and got several meanings: both, and, also, even, but. Not especially.
But I have always wondered about that statement from the angel, go tell the disciples and Peter. Was Peter not a disciple? Go tell the disciples, also Peter? Go tell the disciples, even Peter? None of these work well for Peter. But I feel like it is probably because Peter doesn’t feel like a disciple, and naming him means he still is. Jesus wants him to come to Galilee. Jesus sees Peter as a disciple. Even with what Peter has done. Peter is also a disciple and a friend of Jesus.
Know no matter what you have done or will do, Jesus will want you to come.
Especially you.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 