Anointed LIstener: The Real Ending of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is sometimes called a passion narrative with a prologue. Well, it also has an epilogue.
     The ending of Mk 16:8 shows three women fleeing the empty tomb, terrified. "They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid."
     Well, obviously somebody talked because we know the story! Mark's epilogue gives us a list of Resurrection appearances and a brief account of the beginning Church: First to Mary Magdalene, who at first was not believed;* a couple walking in the country; a reprimand to doubting disciples (later conflated by John into Thomas), the power of Pentecost and Ascension (Mk 16:9-20).
     The Evangelist Apostle Paul includes such a list as the tradition handed to him: "I delivered to you...what I also received...he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve... to more than five hundred brethren at one time" Paul adds his own epilogue, ending with "Last of all....he appeared also to me" (I Cor 15:3-8).
    A charming alternative epilogue to Mark, footnoted in my RSV, says, "But they [the women of v. 8] reported briefly to Peter and those with him all that they had been told. And after this, Jesus himself sent out by means of them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation."

     But Mark's final redactors left in the fear, clearly separating the fleeing non-witnessing from the proclamation that went out and got handed down to you and me.  Maybe including the fear makes us realize that an encounter with the Risen Lord is scary, especially because Jesus' appearance includes a charge to proclaim him. 

     You don't get to meet Jesus and then go back to what you were doing before. 'Oh yes I saw the Christ today, now where was I?" No. The Emmaus travelers were heading away from Jerusalem UNTIL. Peter was fishing UNTIL. Saul was rushing to kill Christians in Damascus UNTIL.

     Whatever you were doing before, when you have that awesome encounter, you have to spread the Good News. You have to write your own epilogue. And like the evangelist, you have to publish at some point even though the story is never-ending. 

     So: do not preach that Mark's "real ending" is verse 8.  It just isn't true. Mark really ends in power and proclamation. The "real Ending" is still being written.  We must live out our own epilogue, Jesus' sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.

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*Lot of unbelief at the time of these encounters; like, "Do you think we found this easy to swallow? But we SAW him! We TOUCHED him! We ATE with him!"