Mary of Magdala and Mary, the mother of Joseph, were watching to see where he was laid.
it’s late late afternoon
preparation for tomorrow
will have to take care of itself
while we trail this guyhaving watched thus far
we can’t not finish
the movie of a life
without watching the creditswho knows maybe
there might be
an easter egg
still to comea sequel doesn’t seem likely
so let’s let this settle
ahh it’s a final resting place
now we can get back to tomorrow
Joseph is able to put the tomb behind him—mission accomplished. It is the outsider portion (women) of the insider disciples that are left to perceive where the tomb is.
The word for “saw” is θεωρέω (theōreō,perception). Sabin1196 would say, “spiritual perception”. Mark has previously used this word: when demons perceive Jesus’ identity (3:11), the people of Gerasene come to behold what had happened to the pigs and were as afraid of Jesus as the demons (5:15), Jesus sees through the grief of the Jairus’ household to see life still available (5:38), Jesus discerned the import of the widow giving her last coin to the Temple (12:41), and the two Marys and Salome watching a sign of the beginning of the end—Jesus’ death (14:40).
The two Marys are the last two to have an investment in Jesus’ body. They have come a long way from being supporters in Galilee. They have probably heard the stories of various women having been healed and often tell about the woman who anointed Jesus. This has held them while they watched crucifixions from a distance. Now they are steadily progressing closer to Mark’s end game. Jesus’ resting place in the center of a never-ending wilderness of power and privilege, greed and authority has been noted.
Even these last two witnesses have not run the last of their quest. They are already beginning a turn away—they have identified Jesus’ location as a tomb—a tomb from which none return.
Even as they see Jesus’ dead body closed in by a large stone, they see the sun going down. It is so close to Sabbath—a Sabbath made for them, not them for the Sabbath—they wither and turn away.