Luke 24: 1-12
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." Then they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.
Believing in the resurrection of Jesus is a mixed bag. It is important and, I would say, even necessary for Christians to have this belief. What I think I might be interested in is: how does that faith happen?
Lutherans make a big deal about promises. Jesus promises he will rise again, therefore he will. Is that enough for faith? For the women first at the tomb two things came together to give them faith: seeing the empty tomb and being reminded of Jesus' promises.
Humans don't always put much stock in promises. When the women returned to the other disciples and told them of their experience, no doubt including a reminder of the resurrection promise of Jesus, the other disciples thought they were talking crap-- doing a little April Fools Day.
Peter was intrigued enough to go to the tomb. He found it empty and the sight of the linen cloths somehow triggered in him amazement-- which I take to be belief.
What causes faith in a Jesus risen from the dead?
Sir Underminer shares a story for its humor:
A small town had a community-wide Easter pageant one year. Different towns-people were given the various parts. The character of Jesus went to a most unlikely person - a big, burly, barroom brawler, an oilfield worker, the most unlikely person to play Jesus our Lord. After several weeks of rehearsals, the day of the Easter Pageant finally arrived.Something happens in the resurrection that makes it possible for the burly Jesus to say this. The resurrection is Jesus not held down by human limits. The resurrection is: God stronger than death. Jesus taking care of us without death holding him down.
When they came to the part of the play where Jesus was being led away to be crucified, one little man, filling in as a part of the crowd, was yelling the shouts of "Crucify him! Crucify him!" as Jesus was led away toward Calvary. In the midst of shouting insults at this man, he accidentally sprayed some spit in the face of the man playing Jesus. The oilfield worker stopped in his tracks, reached up and wiped his face dry. And then he looked at the little man and said: "I'll be back to take care of you after the resurrection."
The resurrected Jesus is the object and source of our believing. Resurrected from the dead, he's no longer in the tomb, he is in us.
That's not going to preach, but will it get us somewhere in our rambling?
3 comments:
Idled
Addled
A bit confused
How does it happen?
How does it happen that they believe in the resurrection?
Is that the right question?
How does one fall in love?
The how is less important than the what of it.
The wonder of the promise of the resurrection is that the promise fulfilled bears even greater promise for the rest of life. . .
This story of the actor promising to return to take care of the offending "townsman" brings to light the wonder of who it is that Jesus is when he rises from the dead, when he returns to those who had betrayed and abandoned him.
Yes, he is in us, and seeks to shape us. As those who feast on the bread and wine, the forgiveness he pronounces from the cross are to shape us into those who not only believe in the resurrection, but live it.
Now and forever.
I like the underminer's story and I am thinking of using it for Easter 3 (I have a guest preacher for Easter 2) when I would take that occasion to reflect on the risen Lord in terms of what he comes back to us to do. The forgiveness of Peter, the charcoal fire, etc. I also think it would work nicely on Easter 2, with the hands in the side, etc. It is none other than the same crucified Christ who is risen and re-enters our lives as living one.
Regarding the resurrection and the empty tomb, I too ponder the mystery of faith and what difference it makes as well. With death looming over my own heart and our congregation all this lent I have been thinking of that passage from Isaiah 25:6-9, (its an alternate Easter day reading for year B, but I may use it this year anyway), "the shroud that is cast over all people." Sometimes, to me, the resurrection seems like a great big deal, brass band, flowers, blow the house down. But right now, the resurrection of Jesus seems more like a peek under the shroud. One day the suffocating heaviness of death will be removed. The stomach ache of it all will be relieved. The distracting unrelenting presence in our thoughts will go away. God will take it away. He says he will. God promises that it will be so. There will be feasting and celebrating and that god-damned death will be swallowed up by a God who is life. How can I believe that? I can peek under the sheet and see that Jesus rose from the dead. The tomb was empty. He kept his promise. But what is it to peek under this shroud? I can eat and drink a little fortaste of that great feast. I can remember, as they did, the words of Jesus and this empty tomb. I guess that will have to be enough. Doesn't sound very grand and glorious, even backed up by a brass band. Perhaps we claim too much for Easter anyway. It doesn't take away the need for hope. It doesn't make it all better, yet. Maybe all it does is sustain hope. Keep hope alive. Keep looking forward to that day and that feast. That is something isn't it?
"God tends to confound, astonish and flabbergast. A Bethlehem stable, a Roman cross, an empty garden tomb. We might as well reconcile ourselves to the fact that God's truth often turns up in ways we don't expect."
- Sue Monk Kidd
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