Luke 24:1-12 NRSV
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.
***
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
These words are how we began this Easter service, but its not how the
Gospel began, and I am not sure it is where faith begins. Perhaps faith
begins at a much less certain place. Perhaps faith begins at an empty
tomb, with an idle tale, and with a disciple looking to see for himself.
Perhaps faith begins with uncertainty.
I
imagine the women, while it was still dark, journeying toward the tomb.
Having prepared spices to honor Jesus’ dead body. I imagine the tears
of the women, weeping and crying out, ‘He is fallen. He is fallen
indeed.’ I can imagine their shock and confusion upon seeing the stone
rolled away, like mourners bringing flowers to a grave only to find the
gave opened, perhaps wreckage from grave robbers. Looking inside the
tomb, the women did not find the body, and were perplexed. Even upon
seeing the empty tomb, the women did not automatically remember what
Jesus had told them about rising on the third day. It took divine
intervention to help their faith along.
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?” And isn’t it like this
sometimes. We are so overcome by our own grief, or mourning, or
circumstances, we are so strung out by the events of the past week, we
have lost the hope in Jesus, and we do not think to ask ourselves, “Have
I seen evidence of the risen Christ?” It makes sense that sometimes it
takes a dazzling spectacle to help us see.
The
two angels, in dazzling clothes, said, “He is not here, but has risen.
Remember how he told you,... 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 isn’t it like that sometimes, that it
takes someone, or something, or angels, or Jesus himself, to help
reframe a story of death, to a story of life. That an empty tomb means
Christ is with us. Knowing these things the women returned to tell the
others, to bring the good news.
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. And
isn’t it like that sometimes. Isn’t like that most of the time. That if
we were to really tell the story of our faith, it would sound like
nonsense. The risen Christ is not something you can prove, it may be
wrong, faith is a risk, and there is a vulnerability in sharing it. And
isn’t like that sometimes too, where we are the ones rejecting the
story. There are days like that, perhaps seasons, perhaps years, where
the tale seems too far fetched, or too risky to believe. The apostles
would have had to get their hopes up all over again that their friend
and teacher was back, that Jesus really would be king, that death was
over. It makes sense that they too did not initially believe. Its like
that sometimes.
Yet other times even nonsense and idle tales are worth the risk of faith. 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.
And isn’t it like that sometimes. That in our willingness to look
beyond what is practical, what is probable, even what is possible, we
find evidence of the risen Christ and are amazed. “The tension of the
life of faith is to hold impossibility and possibility all in one hand.
”
Peter did not blindly believe what the women said, he had to see for
himself. And is’t like this, that faith has to be our own experience. No
two faith stories are the same. In the gospel of John, Mary returns
home and declares to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” She does not
shout “He is risen,” and the disciples to not respond, “He is risen
indeed.” She says, “I have seen the Lord.” It is a personal experience
that she is inviting the disciples to find for themselves. Peter
responds to the invitation.
How
are you responding the Mary’s invitation? Where are you looking to
discover the risen Christ? Where have you encountered the resurrection?
In the Holy land, the last four stations of the cross are in the church
of the Holy splicer, the death, Golgatha, anointing, and burial. The
fourteenth station, the resurrection, is simple assumed, there is no
location for it. Every single visitor, every single pilgrim, has to go
out and look for the risen Christ on their own. It is not in the
building, it is not in the church, it cant be contained by any alter or
sanctuary,. The invitation is to leave the church and go and look for
the resurrected Christ. Have you seen it in the blue sky, in the
mountains, in the kindness of strangers or the care of friends? How are
you responding the Mary’s invitation? Where are you looking to discover
the risen Christ? Where have you encountered the resurrection? Is it
idle tale to you, or are willing to run to see for yourself? And if you
have seen are you willing to share the amazing news? Jesus Christ is
Risen. He is Risen Indeed. I have seen the Lord. Amen.
