April 8, 2007
|
|
|
| More
Than Amazement
Now the women have come to anoint his body with spices. That is what good friends and family members did in those days. These women who knew Jesus, who cared for him, who believed in him, who loved him, who were disciples of his go to his burial place to perform one last act of service for him. What the women discover is that the stone sealing the tomb has been rolled away. They go into the tomb and discover grave clothes but no body, they are confused. Who moved the stone? Why would someone do such a thing? Where is Jesus? Sometimes in those moments when God acts in ways we cannot comprehend we are left standing confused and perplexed. We know that feeling in bad times, how could God let this happen? Why this disaster, this death, this hard time, this lack of help when I need it most? Why a crucifixion? Why, God? We wait for an answer to questions that seem unanswerable and God asks us to be patient and trusting as we wait for the amazing and redemptive thing God will do. And we know the feeling in good times too. Surely this is too wonderful, what did I do to deserve such a blessing, this love, this family, this church, this life, this hope that sustains and carries me through. What does it all mean? This is amazing. The resurrection of Jesus calls us to more than amazement. It calls us to remember what Jesus said. Two angels in clothes as dazzling white as were the clothes Jesus appeared in on the mountain of transfiguration appear and ask the most important question that cam be put to the church. "Why do you look for the living among the dead" (v.5)? Why are you standing here in a cemetery looking for Jesus. What are those spices for? You will not need them here today. Don’t you remember, when you were with him in Galilee that he told you this would happen? He would be handed over to unbelievers and he would be crucified? The light goes on and memory starts to renew itself. They can see Jesus on the hillsides and roadways as he made his way into Jerusalem. They remember now, that talk of suffering and death. They didn’t want to hear it then, we wouldn’t either. Let’s talk about all those healings and touches of encouragement, conversations enjoyed, and meals shared. It is his teachings we say that are important, not his death. Death is too depressing. But wait, these angels are still talking. "What’s that?" You are reminding us of one more promise? He will rise from death? God who sent him to us, who suffers with us, who loves us so much God sent his own Son to hang on a cross till he was dead, will do this amazing thing for us and raise Jesus? Then they remembered that Jesus had made an amazing promise to them. He would indeed die, but by the power of God, he would be raised from death. They were about to learn again that Jesus is a promise keeper, and Easter, Resurrection day is a time to celebrate his promise and our memory of it. This is the good news the church is charged to tell, it is the message that we dare not keep ourselves, even if it at first sounds to the people you tell like nonsense and gossip. The women know they must tell it – so they go find the apostles, those who had been called and commissioned by Jesus. I imagine the women ran to Peter’s house where he and the others were gathered. Nearly out of breath, they say: "Brothers we went to the tomb to anoint the body of the Lord as is our custom. But when we got there, the big stone in front of the tomb was off to the side, and when we went in to look, all we saw were the grave linens folded in a corner. But we didn’t see Jesus! Then, angels came to tell us that the promise has been fulfilled. Jesus has been raised from the dead! He is alive. No, we haven’t seen him yet. But he told us, and the empty tomb and the angels and our own eyes confirm it. He is not where dead bodies rest, he lives." How did they respond to such news? "What are you talking about? Calm down, get some water, take a nap. You must be making this up. Jesus did what? What you are you are saying sounds like nonsense, it is an idle tale (v.11). It seemed to them that there was nothing worthwhile, being said, in fact, "the word belongs to the technical vocabulary of medicine where it denotes the delirium cause by a high fever" (www.jesustalk.com). It seemed like a thing not to be believed, not because the women said it, but because they had forgotten that Jesus said it. But more than amazement, the resurrection calls us to tell the world what God has done through Jesus Christ. "The faith and the witness of the women consisted of three elements: the discovery of the empty tomb, the word of the two messengers, and their remembrance of the words of Jesus" (Interpretation series. Luke. Fred Craddock. Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990, p. 283). Peter hears them, but still not quite believing them, he leaves his house, runs to the tomb, looks in, sees that what the women said is true and goes back home, amazed. Many of you know that one of my favorite preachers is Peter Gomes, who is the minister of the Memorial Church at Harvard University. He rightly says this about this great act of God we celebrate today: "The resurrection is God’s way of getting our attention. It is God’s way of making us listen up, God’s way of getting us to look, to listen, and to live. The first thing to remember, once God gets our attention, is that there is nothing subtle about Easter, nothing vague or ambiguous or vain or clever or cute about it at all…God knows how to get our attention. God knows how to begin an epochal new relationship. Easter is not a morning for artful arguments, subtle distinctions, the stuff of seminars. Not a bit; does not creep up on us a little cat feet like the fog. Easter is confrontational; you are hit in the face by it" (Sermons, Peter J. Gomes. New York: William Morrow & Company, 1998; p. 73-74). Peter went home, but he did not stay home. Confronted by the resurrection, his own memory finally recovered, his own forgiveness received, his own commission renewed, Peter went about preaching the good new of Jesus raised from death everywhere he went. In this morning’s reading from Acts, we find out that Peter is on the road, his preaching has lead him to the home of a Roman army officer named Cornelius where Peter is telling the household the story of Jesus and his death and resurrection. This resurrection morning, we hear again the invitation to give ourselves to God who is doing a new and radical thing, and this is God’s doing. Jesus doesn’t appear until a few verses later when he joins two disciples on the Emmaus road. We may be amazed that God is doing an earth shattering, life-changing thing. But we are invited to more than amazement, we are invited to celebrate and to tell the story of the empty tomb. Last Friday we sang, "were you there when they crucified my Lord, nailed him to the tree, laid him in the tomb" and we trembled at the power of his death. But there is another verse of the song, fit for this morning. "Were you there when he rose up from the tomb?" Do you know the power of his resurrection? We indeed tremble, but now we tremble in the power of hope raised to new life. We celebrate the risen Christ. We celebrate the resurrection by accepting God’s invitation to a kind of radical inclusiveness that tells this resurrection story to all because God does not play favorites with any one group of people – and because Jesus was not raised just for you and me, but for the sake of the whole world. No quality that makes some different from others may separate a person from the love of Christ. Neither ought any quality separate people from each other" (Texts for Preaching – Year C. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1995, p.267). Yet, we know the reality of separation in our world and even in the church. There is racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, each saying to us, if you are different from us, you do not belong. God may show no partiality, but we do and we love to find scriptures about who is inside and who is outside to prove we are right. Today, let’s declare ourselves to be an always welcoming people asking only of those we welcome that they hear the invitation to love and follow Christ that we heard and asking of ourselves that we show Christ’s love to them always. Yes, it is amazing, but more than amazement, we celebrate the resurrection by the way we live our lives. Peter Gomes says of those witnesses to the first Easter what remains true for us this resurrection morning as we find our lives in his risen life. "It was not how long they would now live with Easter; it was how they were empowered and transformed by the risen Lord to live their lives in newness of life. Life began for them when they stopped being afraid. Life began for them when they stopped being afraid both of what they did know and afraid of what they did not know. Life began for them when they could dare to believe that the risen Christ, the living, walking, talking Christ, made a difference in their lives; and life began for them when they believed this to be true even if they could neither explain it nor understand it. "Life begins when you see life not simply as an unexpended bit of time, a balance remaining in your savings account with dangers, chances, and fate all taking their part. Life begins when you realize that by removing the fear of death, Christ has given you, for the first time, full possession of your own life" (Gomes, p. 76). It is amazing, this thing that God has done, and we celebrate the resurrection when we declare the mystery and magnificence of God by whom Jesus who was dead now lives. "In the midst of tending to ordinary chores, especially the things that need to be done in hard times, the women were met by the unexpected experience of God’s grace. Sometimes faith means going on and tending to the necessary chores. Prepare the spices, go to the to tomb, tell the others, even when they think it an idle tale. Be faithful in tasks that are ours and do the necessary tasks, for in them we, too, may be bearers of the good news of the day". ‘He is not here, but has risen’" (New Interpreters Bible, volume IX. Nashville: Abingdon Press. 1995, p.473). He is not in a sealed tomb, and his body was not stolen away. I have no rational explanation for the resurrection of Jesus, all I know is that I believe he got up by the power of God and because he did, because he lives, we can live, and overcome the obstacles before us. I affirm the truth of every resurrection hymn we will sing today. I know that my redeemer lives, and because he lives, hope lives, trust lives, faith lives, and we can live too. God has invited us to claim and live our resurrection faith, Jesus lives. That was the witness of those women and men who saw the empty tomb, and it is our witness too. Live in the glory and grace of the resurrection. "Spread the message: Christ is alive. Live the good news: our lives are renewed! "Share the Word: God’s peace is offered to all. Communicate the power of love: be transformed. Announce and proclaim: God is our strength. Rejoice in the promise: we shall triumph over death" (Gathered by Love Lavon Bayler. Cleveland: United Church Press, 1994, p. 85). May the living Christ be praised this day. Amen.
|
|
Broad
Street Christian Church
|
