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Christ is risen!
Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia.
The ancient call of the church:
Jesus lives! Who once was dead is now alive.
Do we act like it? Or do we even believe it for that matter? Last night at
the Easter vigil the Pastor asked this very pointed question. Do you REALLY
believe it, the whole story, the whole concept? It all seems incredible.
At first Mary Magdalene doesn’t believe it. In John’s Gospel, the longer of
the accounts and perhaps the more familiar one, she says “they have taken the
Lord’s body and we do not know where it is?’ There is irony here because the
religious leaders had posted guards at the tomb so that the disciples would
not steal the body. And now Mary is accusing these same religious authorities
of doing exactly what they had tried to prevent.
\Peter doesn't believe it at first, or the unnamed disciples who run to the
tomb to investigate, Peter charging ahead, ready to be disappointed. These
witnesses that we call faithful see the evidence but do not understand it.
Belief came in their experience.
I suppose that the truth is that on some days we believe it more than others.
There are times in our lives that we believe because we need to believe. At
others there are times of profound doubt and soul-searching. The nagging
questions, the dark night of the souls. There are times when all it might
seem (like it did for Mary) like a hoax or even a mistake.
But it is at this point that we learn the most about God. You see the point
of these ancient stories. The summit of these teachings, the witness of this
life-altering experience is not based on what Mary believed or what Peter
believed. It is not based on us always believing without doubt. it is not
based on us living a perfect life or even an almost-perfect life. Heck, it
ain't even based on us living a pretty good life. The point is based solely
on God's actions.
Consider a couple of actions that the risen Lord takes. First he sends Mary.
In Levitical laws a woman could never be called as a witness in a court of law
or for anything else official or otherwise. Nowhere in the ancient
Mediterranean world is there an account of the testimony of a woman being
valid. If Jesus wanted to prove the Resurrection so that there would be no
doubt He would have found a more credible witness. Instead He chose someone
who was disregarded; someone who was confused, someone in pain.
Secondly, He says three things.
GREETINGS
DO NOT BE AFRAID
GO AND TELL MY BROTHERS
Hardly words that you would expect.
More like "go tell Peter and the others 'thanks a lot for running away
and leaving me. Tell them that I am really upset about the denial thing,
about the cowardice, about the abndonment, about the lack of faith.'"
But the resurrection is not about WE did; it is about what GOD does. It is not
about the actions and words of the followers; it is about God's actions and
words.
One of my favorite T-shirts says 'Lord save me from your followers..."
It is true that we can really get things messed up, that we misuse our
religion, that we have failures and doubts.
The story is told of a student missionary. He was nervous about his upcoming
assignment to the wilds of Africa. He asked his Pastor "what if I
encounter hostile tribes?" The Pastor replied "Just pray that they
act like Christians."
"What if I encounter uncivilized leaders?"
"just pray that they act like Christians."
So off to africa he goes. No sooner does he get there, wandering through the
forest, he is set upon by a pack of ravenous lions. He freezes, remembers
what his Pastor said, and says "Please Lord I pray that these lions act
like Christians." In a moment the lions took one step back and formed a
prayer circle around the missionary. They folded their hands in prayer. the
missionary cried a tear of joy. The largest lion began to speak as the rest
of the pack bowed their heads. "Dear Lord," spoke the lion,
"we thank you for this meal we are about to receive."
I'll end with a reflection from Boering:
"Resurrection faith does not arise on the basis of evidence, of which
the chief priests and soldiers had plenty, but on the basis of the
experienced presence of the risen Christ, by testimony of those to whom he
appeared, by his own continuing presence among his disciples."
Do we believ it?
Maybe you don't today. Maybe life is just too painful today. Maybe you are
wondering if it is all worthwhile. Maybe you question your faith. well, you
are in the good company of Mary Magdalene and Peter, and you are in God's
company because this is the story of God's love for us.
This is the day. This is OUR day. This is the day that we get to claim. On
this day we are promised that death is defeated. This is the day of justice.
this is the day of liberation. This is the day of jubilation. This is the day
where we no longer be afraid of anything. This is the day of eternity. This
is the day of prophecy. This is the day of fulfillment. This is the day of
promise. this is the day that has forever changed the course of human
history. This is the day that for once and for all God has declared that
there is no enimity between humans and God. That God is not wrathful or
vengeful. God is not manipulated by thugs like Pilate and impostors like
Herod. This is the day that God wins. This is the day that the poor are
exalted. This is the day. This is God's Work!!!!
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