The “April Fools” in Scripture

Some call today April Fool’s Day. A “holiday” to fool others seems nonsensical to me. Yet this week’s Scripture readings have several accounts of people being fooled at the first Easter. The disciples witnessed the death of Jesus and feared their own deaths by association with Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea assumed he would never be buried in his own new tomb, but eventually he probably lay on the same stone slab as Jesus did. The two disciples on the road to Emmaus were fooled by the Stranger who pretended not to know anything about what had happened the past few days in Jerusalem concerning the one they had hoped would redeem Israel. Judas was foolish enough to feel there was no hope for him, that his Master would never forgive him. Peter’s denial was foolish, but he wasn’t fooled by the Fisherman who asked the band of disciples to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. Mary Magdalene was not foolish enough to think a woman had no place in announcing the resurrection. She was the first to see the Risen Lord and give the Good News to the incredulous apostles.