He is Alive!

How many of you came to church ready to celebrate?!  (raise hand) All of us! Right?  That’s why Easter is such an awesome day to worship…it’s all good news! for us…but what about originally?  This day didn’t start out bright and shiny.  It was dark and scary and sorrowful.  The disciples were hulled up in the upper room, scarred for their lives, full of sadness that Jesus was gone, bitterness and resentment that he didn’t do what they thought he would, and remorse and guilt that they hadn’t been better to him at the end.  It started out as an awful day…another day in the haze of grief where it still hardly feels real.  That’s where the disciples started, so that’s where we will start our story today.  

It was still dark when Mary left for Jesus’ tomb. We don’t know exactly why she was up in the darkness of night before the sun was even peaking over the horizon—maybe unable to sleep, maybe fighting nightmares reliving her friend’s murder, maybe sick to her stomach over all of it, or exhausted from tears but unable to find enough calm to sleep.  Maybe instead of tossing and turning any longer, she goes to the tomb to spend a little time with Jesus in the quiet.  Sure, he wouldn’t really be there…but she could touch his body…hold his hand, find some solace that she was near him in some kind of way.  Mary is like a lot of us, she can’t move on or hurry through her grief, she has to sit in it.  It may be hard or uncomfortable, but something is better than nothing. Memories are better than not having known him at all.  Touching his cold hand would be better than grasping at the air or relieving that awful nightmare of watching him suffer and die. 

Only, when she gets to the tomb, and sees the stone rolled away. The story doesn’t tell us she got close enough to look inside—only that she saw that stone had been moved and, of course, she knew what had happened. She didn’t have to see the empty tomb to know he wasn’t there.  The guards were gone. The stone was moved—someone had stolen Jesus.  She’d have to figure out where they took him.

Mary was heartbroken, devastated that her friend was gone. She went to say goodbye again—to be near him in some way—yearning for just a few moments—maybe she wanted to share her heart, or rail against the cowards that did this to him, or just be together. Only he wasn’t there.  How any of it could be real, and now, as if could get any worse, his body was gone. Who would do that? Couldn’t they offer any kind of mercy?  But why would they? They ordered the death of an innocent man, beat him nearly to death, mocked him, scorned him, and then hung him on a cross to die. There was no mercy in life—why on earth would she expect there to be mercy in death? Wretched cowards have stolen his body—but why?  and more importantly, where?!  Where did they take him? And how could she get him back?  There’s no way she could carry him alone.  

So she got the others.  No sooner had she said the words, “he’s missing and I don’t know here they took him.” that Simon Peter and the beloved took off running.  She knew they could help so she followed them back.  The beloved had been at the cross until the end—he took with Jesus’ mother, Mary magdalene and the other Mary and then watched as Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea laid him in the tomb.  The beloved knew where Jesus would be—at least where he should be—where they laid him, and so he led the way to the tomb.  

Only when they got there, he couldn't go in. He could see the burial clothes in a heap, but he couldn’t quite face the rest.  But Peter had to go in—he hadn’t seen it yet—he hadn’t had to face Jesus’ limp body lying there in the tomb—so he went in—he had to see for himself. But Jesus wasn't there—-only the heap of burial clothes and then the face shroud—all neat and tidy.  Had Jesus even been there? Was this the right tomb?  They were sure he’d died, right?  They said they saw him take his final breath—that they’d helped get him to Joseph’s tomb.  It was real, so where was Jesus now?  Mary must have been right—they moved him. But where?  How would the disciples even find him?  Who could help them? They’d have to go back to the others—-they’d need their help.  They’d have to spread out and ask for help. But how would he convince them to get out. They’d all been so scared—unsure if they’d be the next one crucified.  They hadn’t left the upper room since it happened—not until Mary said Jesus’ body was missing. But they’d have to risk it. They couldn’t just let him lie….wherever….they’d need to find him and soon…but how?  

Mary saw the men leave the tomb. She heard them say they’d need the others, but she wasn’t ready to go with them.  She hadn’t slept in nearly two days and she just needed a minute to be where he was. So she walked over to the tomb, expecting to just go and sit and probably cry some more. Only it wasn’t what she expected.  There were 2 angels there, right where they’d lain Jesus/  Maybe they would know something—-they asked her why she was crying—because Jesus was here and now he’s not and she didn’t know where they had taken him.  Or how the others would find him. And before they could answer a man appeared—maybe he knew—maybe he’d seen something or someone and he asked the same question…why are you crying?  Do you know? Did you see something? Please tell me. I just need to find him. I won’t bother you further if you just tell me where he is.  

Mary.

Rabboni!!!  It was him. Really him!  How did she not recognize him?  But it’s him—he’s here! Thank God!! and he’s alive.  He’s alive?!  You’re alive! He’s alive!!  That’s why you weren’t here, you’re alive!! But how  When?  What happened?  How is it even possible?!

Jesus is alive!!!

That’s the good news we celebrate today. That in the midst of our grief, our fear, and our confusion, Jesus lives.  We may be convinced of all the awful things—that darkness wins, that liars, murderers and power players rule the land…but Jesus says no…he wins. He lives. 

He’s greater than sin and death and murder and betrayal.  He’s greater than fear and doubt and all the worst things we do to one another.  He lives.  We’re doubters. We’re skeptics. We struggle to believe. But he’s there to prove us wrong.  He is alive!!  He is risen from the dead and he’s alive.  Hallelujah!

I Believe in the Life Everlasting

  Luke 24:36-49

     It’s a little early to be talking about the resurrection….at least in terms of Lent and Palm Sunday and Easter.  And yet, I don’t think any of us need a spoiler alert…We know Jesus rises from the dead.  That’s why we can handle the betrayal of Maundy Thursday and the suffering of Good Friday…because we know that’s not the end of the story. There’s Easter. There’s always Easter. There is always the hope and the promise that good things have the final say, not the bad things.  

Some of us try to rush through the stories of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. We don’t want to be stuck in the darkness of death and suffering…we want the joy and light and celebration of Easter.  So we are quick to highlight that death isn’t the end of the story.  

And in many ways, that’s the essence of our faith in general…there is hope. There is life. There is light. There is joy. There is cause for celebration.  There is Easter…there is resurrection.  We know that darkness, betrayal, death and suffering happen. As much as we wish they didn’t, they still happen.  And, because of Christ, we also know that light, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing and hope are possible.  And not just possible, but plausible.  And that almost makes the suffering tolerable. 

Off and on over the last 17 years, I have struggled with depression. It comes and goes depending on what life is handing me. Some bouts have been worse than others.  And in one particularly bad season a few years ago, my best friend called every day.  I’d ask if it would get better…would the depression stop and she would say, “Yes. I don’t know when but yes, it gets better.”  And she has always been right.  She could never give me a specific day and time to look to, but she knew it would get better.  Why? Because the darkness and melancholy don’t win. Light and life stand victorious.  How? Through Christ.  He’s the victor. He’s the one who suffered it all and died and then on the 3rd day he rose again.  And he didn’t just do that for himself. He did that for us. And he promises us that through him death and sin do not prevail.  

I’m afraid I can’t make it all make sense, any more than I can make sense of God pre-existing all else and creating everything out of nothing…I won’t be able to rationally explain either, but I can say I’ve experienced life and hope out of the darkest and bleakest situations.  I have found reconciliation and forgiveness possible when there was no reason they should prevail.  And I have found, every time, that my depression wanes.  It’s not scientific or methodical.  It’s mysterious and heavenly.  It’s beyond reason. Just like the resurrection.

Jesus dying on a cross and resurrecting 3 days later makes no sense.  Let’s just own that.  It makes no sense. It’s not plausible, but it was possible and it did happen.  And we aren’t the only skeptics….even the disciples doubted. Luke 24 tells us, “They were terrified and afraid.”  The women were afraid. The men were afraid. The disciples were afraid. The pharisees were afraid.  It wasn’t something they expected. And it didn't make sense.  And yet, in the midst of their fear they also found joy….if it was Jesus they saw, if it was Jesus they could touch, who sat down to break bread with them…then life after death was possible. The impossible could actually happen, and that was marvelous.  

So, with the disciples and others, we come to see and believe in a risen Christ. We believe in the resurrection.  We believe in the resurrection of the body because so many have seen and attested to Jesus’ resurrection.  Now, when we claim his resurrection, we also claim that through him we can be resurrected. 

I want to stop there for a moment. I can’t tell you exactly what resurrection of the body looks like…some of us get hung up there…we imagine a resuscitation of our earthly bodies that looks something like the Zombie apocalypse.  That’s not it. I may not know all the details, but I know that resurrection is not the same as resuscitation. And I know that we are restored to glory…not gory….gLory…the way we were created in perfect relationship with God, where our bodies weren’t sick, frail or broken.  If we look to Jesus for insight, we will see that he was resurrection, not resuscitated…that’s why the 3 days matter. It means he was dead dead. Not just kind of dead. So when he was restored to life, it wasn’t because he’d had CPR. It was because God resurrected him.  And as a resurrected man, he somehow looked different. Mary Magdalene didn’t recognize him, she thought he was the gardener. The men on the road to Emmaus didn’t recognize him for 2 days.  The disciples were terrified and afraid…they didn’t recognize him…something was different. Something where he could be known, but somehow looked different. So, we can infer for ourselves that something might also be different.  We don’t know what age we might be restored to.  We don’t know what shape our bodies will be in…but we know we will be healthy and whole.  

The Apostle Paul tells us this in his letter to the Corinthians: 

A rotting body is put into the ground, but what is raised won’t ever decay. It’s degraded when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in glory. It’s weak when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised in power. It’s a physical body when it’s put into the ground, but it’s raised as a spiritual body…And when the rotting body has been clothed in what can’t decay, and the dying body has been clothed in what can’t die, then this statement in scripture will happen: ‘Death has been swallowed up by a victory.’” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 54)

We can imagine what we might look like. We can imagine what heaven might be like.  But realistically, we don’t know for certain. We have the promises of scripture and we have our imaginations.  Beyond that we have to look with hope for what will someday be.  We don’t reside in the future. We live here. And here, in this moment, is the only moment we are guaranteed to live. So, let us live with hope. Let us live with light and life, and let us share that with those around us.  We may be chained with sorrow, a reality this Holy Week is meant to acknowledge and embrace.  Sometimes we face the hardest and darkest things, abandoned and betrayed.  But that difficulty will not have the final word…for Sunday is coming. In that, there is always hope.  

Amen. 

I Believe in Forgiveness

Matthew 5:38-48

Lord God, I need you to fill me with your Spirit.  Guide my thoughts. Give me the Words to share with your people. Help us to know your truth and be convicted.  Shine a light of hope and forgiveness upon each of us.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  

On Wednesday night, our friend, Andrew, was struck head-on by a drunk driver.  His car was obliterated and he is in the ICU in critical condition.  The drunk driver was reportedly fine.  I’d be lying if I told you I hadn't had a few thoughts about what should have happened to the driver or how long he should go to jail….or even wished, at least just a little, that he might have some kind of pain, or be absolutely devastated by what he’s done to our friend.  I’ve thought a good bit about justice.  I want something in the cosmos to shift, even if just a little, so that it’s not just Andrew who is suffering.  That only seems fair.  

But then this annoying voice breaks in…one that says, “Do you really want someone else to suffer?  Is that really showing God’s love? 

And then I roll my eyes and think ….”No….”  Sigh.  I just want something to make it right for Andrew. I wish the accident never happened. I wish we could take it all away somehow. And somehow it seems that justice might be able to do that….to take some of the sting away. Maybe it wouldn’t be so awful if someone paid the proper price for his broken body.  

And then that voice starts to break in all over again..this time with more clarity…he says, you want something to make it right, to heal things…and you think vengeance will do that?  It can’t. It doesn’t have the capacity.  Justice may balance the scales. But it can’t bring redemption or true healing, only God can do that. So, how about, instead of seeking justice in this, you seek God…and then God can help set things right…bringing light, hope, healing, and mercy to a terrible, heartbreaking situation.  

That voice makes it sound so reasonable…so simple and straightforward…like I should have thought of mercy and compassion and grace first.  But justice really does seem like a decent answer.  

Think about it. The logic and the standards of the Old Testament were about justice and they make good sense.  An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. You hurt me. I hurt you.  You cut my hand, I cut yours. You steal two loaves of bread, I want two back.  You break my heart, I break yours.  This is good logic. One for one.  This is right and this is fair.  It’s reasonable.  It’s manageable. It’s consistent.  And it’s obvious. One for one, two for two, ten for ten.  Anyone should be able to follow that kind of rule.  Right?  

Of course.  But when Jesus steps in and pushes on these arguments, he sort of says I’m not really worried about the laws you know, I’m here to teach you something different.  You see a man who slaps you on the face, so you’re ready to slap him back.  He slapped you, you slap him.  Not anymore.  If you want to do it my way, you turn the other cheek. Don’t settle the score. Don’t be consumed by so-called fairness.  Jesus takes the historical, and biblical teachings and turns them on their head.  

Why? Well, I don’t think it’s that Jesus is opposed to justice. I really don’t.  This isn’t about letting all evil doers run free.  I just think that he sees the bigger picture and knows that justice won’t heal our hearts.  He knows it’s not simply about one for one or 100 for 100.  Righting the world, or shifting the cosmos, or, really, simply helping our heart to heal when we’ve been lied to, betrayed, or hurt takes a whole lot more than justice.  It takes mercy and grace.  Jesus knew that.  So he taught his people to live by grace, to extend the standard beyond the rules of justice and into the realm of God.  

One of the most powerful stories of grace and mercy was shared by Bishop Meadors years ago when I was in seminary. He was preaching and shared about a civil war in Africa where a woman had watched a soldier kill both her husband and her son, leaving her alone.  Eventually, he was charged with war crimes and she sat through his trial and then his sentencing hearing.  During sentencing, the judge asked if she had anything to say.  She said she wanted part of his sentence to be to come and have dinner with her once a week because she had a lot of love left to give and, now, no one to share it with.  And so that became part of his sentence, to share dinner with the woman whose family he had stolen, and allow her to love him and offer kindness.  

This woman took Jesus’ teaching seriously.  Probably more seriously than many of us are prepared for.  But you can’t deny that she got it.  She saw beyond justice and into the realm of God.  She knew that nothing and no one could bring her husband and son back.  No form of justice could ever do that.  But what she really wanted, was someone to love and share life with. Someone to talk about the day or the week. Someone to cook for.  Someone to love.  And so she showed God’s agape love to a murderer…one who, by all accounts, should have been counted as her enemy.  

Living Christ’s teaching is not easy, especially here.  But, if we can muster the courage, it is worth it.  It will look different for different people and different situations. 

 But, if it feels antithetical, unreasonable, or unwarranted…it’s probably the kind of forgiveness Jesus would like.  Jesus isn’t really into the easy pass with those who are likeable. He pushes the limits with those who are impossible, hate-able, and infuriating.  Jesus doesn’t want us to ignore the law.  Instead, he wants us to live by the rules of God’s kingdom.  Rules that require compassion, forgiveness, and grace.  Rules that are immeasurably harder to maintain than an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.   

Years ago, I was talking about something with my sister.  I don’t remember the specifics, only that I exclaimed, “It’s not fair.” In her infinite wisdom my sister said, “In the end we don’t want justice, we want mercy.”  And immediately, begrudgingly, I knew she was right.  In the end we do want mercy.  We want forgiveness. We want redemption. We want something to make it better and that something has to be God, for only God can do more than we know or understand. 

Let us pray.  

(Communion.)