The Cave

The banging of hammers shook me out of my deep sleep. Rays of light exposed my dark reality.
“This is the cave!” a man said. “Make sure it’s large enough!”

That was music to my ears. I wanted to leap with joy out of that mountain wondering what my purpose would be. Would I provide shelter for hunters, or travelers passing by? Would I hide someone running away from his enemies? How exciting! I’d finally hear people telling late night stories or even planning war strategies, all while getting warm by a fire burning in my belly.
“Come on, hurry up!” the same man yelled. “This tomb needs to be ready today. Joseph of Arimathea purchased it for that man crucified because he claimed to be the Son of God, the Messiah.”
A tomb? My heart sank. No emotions, no excitement, no life for me. Instead, my future held only the cold, silent eeriness of death, pain and hopelessness.
Commotion erupted outside. Some women cried desperately claiming that the Romans had killed their Master. Since it was Preparation Day (the day before Shabbat) my owner, Joseph of Arimathea took the body of this Jesus, wrapped it in clean linen sheet and laid him gently in my midst.

Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance. I noticed some of the women, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Joses were watching to see where He was laid. Everything went silent again. Sadness and grief flooded the darkness and penetrated my walls. The hopelessness in those women’s voices lingered in the air making it hard to breathe.
No one came by the next day. It was Shabbat and everyone rested. I couldn’t rest from the heavy burden of the injustice done to my only inhabitant.
Very early the next day, I was awaked by a bright light that permeated every inch of me. My cold heart melted from the warmth it emanated.
Singing erupted, as angels started praising and crying out, “Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest, the Lord is risen, the Lord is Alive!”
I looked for the body, but there was none. Confusion and joy danced together in my heart as I tried to understand what was happening. Suddenly, the immense rock that stood guard at the entrance rolled away as if made out of paper. The early morning sunlight paled in comparison to the Light inside.
In the distance I heard voices of women discussing the spices they bought to anoint Jesus.
They were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone from the entrance to the tomb for us?”
Then they looked up and saw that the stone, even though it was huge, had been rolled back already. On entering the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right; and they were dumbfounded. But he said, “Don’t be so surprised! You’re looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was executed on the stake. He has risen, He’s not here! Look at the place where they laid Him. But go and tell His disciples, especially Peter, that He is going to Galilee ahead of you.”
Trembling but ecstatic they went out and fled from the tomb. (CJB)
Eventually everyone left and I was empty again. But something changed. That day I discovered the reason for my existence, my purpose. I embraced Jesus the Messiah; I witnessed His resurrection and after that day, regardless of how empty I was, I would never be lonely or hopeless again.