Easter Sunday

April 12, 2009

Happy Easter, delightful, resplendent people! Now that you have been warmly welcomed, to the task at hand.

One defining quality shared by all deeply faithful people is their ability to integrate theological reflection into their everyday life.  This means that as they move through their days and events unfold all around them, they ask themselves four central questions. In both mundane tasks and moments of great crisis, they ask, in this situation right here in front of me, where do I see the sure and powerful hand of God?  They next consider, in this activity, where is the instance of human sin?  Where has human pride corrupted what might have been perfect?  They, the truly faithful look harder and ask, where are the signs of the Lord’s redeeming grace?  Despite our shortcomings, how has God saved the outcome?  How has he made the situation bearable?  And finally, those folk strongly connected to their spiritual life ask in this event how will God use me for good?  How will I be an agent for transformation?

This exercise of theological reflection can be practiced in stalled traffic on I-77 or on a soccer field when a horrible call has been made or when you’ve just been laid off, or when the child of your best friend has been rushed to the hospital.  Locating the creating hand of God, identifying human fault, seeing some sure glimmer of grace, recognizing and accepting your opportunity to work as an agent for good is a way of being in the world.  It is a choice, a discipline, a way to order one’s thoughts, emotions and reactions.  Imagine what the world could be if more of us oriented ourselves more often to this dynamic of looking for God’s immediate presence, noticing human fault and taking responsibility for our part in it, searching out aspects of hope and promise amid hard disappointments and then embracing our created destiny to live like the saints and serve the world with noble purpose and courage.

Adopting this orientation is not a natural process for us.  We are easily distracted and even encouraged to see life events as completely under our own control.  So noticing God’s central role is often an afterthought.  Talk of sin has certainly fallen out of favor.  And in trying times, we’ve been trained to feel outrage and assign blame so hardships tend to turn us away from God rather than towards him in gratitude the for the blessings we can still name.  And when we take personal inventory, we set many priorities for ourselves before coming to the place where we ask, oh yes, how can I serve God as an agent for good?

Because theological reflection is contrary to our culture and a bit at odds with our human inclinations, its practice requires training.  Those most faithful folk learn the skills first by considering passages in Holy Scripture.  In the stories told in the Bible, they ask the four questions.  They spend real thought and energy in working out this query.  Today, as I read this account, who do I identify with most and what is God calling me to learn or do?  So, in the story of Jesus calming the sea, one might say at this time in my life, I feel like the boat.  I feel like it’s my responsibility to hold everyone together and I’m tired because the sea is storming and waves are coming in and I’m not sure I can keep everyone safe.  Or, one might say, today I feel like the wind. I’m strong and certain and I’m blowing people in the direction I know they need to go.  It will take a mighty hand to divert my efforts!  Maybe one feels like the frightened disciples wanting to be confident, but getting wetter by the minute.  One might then decide, God wants me to get past my fears and help me row the boat.  There is work for me to do and he won’t let me drown.  It’s not my time to tremble under the sails.  Every passage has many aspects, multiple elements, myriad points to connect with, and always, always fresh revelation.  In the lines, God sends us new and personal directions for life-giving action.

This brings us to this morning’s passage, the reason we are all here with joyful hearts and hopeful anticipation.  (And you wondered will we ever get to the empty tomb!)  Yes, and here’s the point, the resurrection is the ultimate text for theological reflection!  In it, we immediately locate the creating hand of God in the action.  Only divine, focused, intentional power could reanimate and restore the broken, lifeless body of Jesus of Nazareth – convicted, executed, entombed.  Only a loving, engaged omnipotent force could alter the laws of time and cellular biology to regenerate life, soul and spirit.  The resurrection never happens without the direct hand of God Almighty.  Question One is sufficiently answered.

The resurrection has no purpose without the reality and obvious examples of human sin.  And, we can identify and enumerate the failings of so many participants.  We know the chief priests and elders were threatened by Jesus’ teachings and great charisma.  We know they fabricated evidence against him.  We know Pilate feared for his job and gave into pressures despite his misgivings.  We know Judas lost his way and betrayed his friend.  We know the disciples were weak-willed and did not support their friend in his hour of need.  We know the crowd, who days before chanted his name with praises, turned on Jesus at the trial.  Tired of oppression and looking for quick, easy answers, they allowed themselves to be manipulated and mislead.  Sin is not hard to find in the resurrection story.  Sin put the whole amazing event into action.  As we discussed last week, human brokenness made the crucifixion necessary which then required the saving work of the resurrection.  So, two is addressed. 

The signs of redeeming grace are also readily apparent in the event.  A profound truth that faithful people discover in their spiritual lives is that even in the darkest, saddest hours, God provides blessings and kindness.  At the crucifixion, Jesus looks down and sees his mother broken hearted about to lose her son and only security in the world.  He sees one of his closest disciples and he creates a bond between them so Mary will be safe when he leaves this world.  In a manner of death which is designed to torture and last for days, Jesus’ ordeal is cut mercifully short.  Three hours instead of three days is his time on the cross.  Having arrived with 12 companions with no connections and little means, Jesus is not left hanging on the cross as a display, as a jarring warning to others.  A wealthy man comes forward and provides a suitable burial place.  The Roman prefect has a change of heart and releases the body.  Grace builds upon grace and, in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, death is defeated so that new life, eternal life, is again restored as it was in creation.  A final indication of grace in the account we hear this morning is that the disciples, despite the anxiety in the city, were allowed to go free.  None of them were hunted down or arrested.  They were left free to encounter the risen Christ.  They were left at large so that the full story of their Lord was experienced, recalled and passed on.  Thus the question of enduring grace is noted.

The final theological reflection consideration is to uncover the call to transformation present in every experience.  This is the most difficult aspect of the process.  Faithful people ask in this event, what is the good news saying to me.  What is the gospel calling me to do in my life?  What change am I to make?  When we are stymied in our answer, we look to people active in the passage.  What was their response, how did they react, what did Jesus advise?  In the Resurrection story, transformation is clear.  What we see are the varied responses of the very, very first Christians.  Until this moment, Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, Simon, the other James, Thaddeus, the women and other friends were followers of an itinerant Hebrew preacher, a rabbi in the tradition of many great Israelite prophets.  Like Moses and Elijah, Jesus of Nazareth was a man touched by God, skilled and adept, able to move people and do miracles.  But like them, he was human and finite.  At the empty tomb, the disciples are changed.  They have a choice to make.  They can return home and reminisce about their travels with Jesus, son of Mary and a Nazarean carpenter, or they can accept astounding revelation, unprecedented evidence and begin a relationship with the risen Christ.  How they internalize the resurrection of their leader and former companion is personal and so essentially human. 

Mary Magdalene is the first to go seeking Jesus.  She does not give into fear.  She risks the dangers of soldiers and informants and goes in the early morning hours to the tomb.  She is ever loyal.  She shows up, in the moments of crisis, she comes after her Lord.  She is present.  She receives his message, his new revelation and direction for her life and she does as he instructs.  She spreads his words to others.  Peter is the next to experience the resurrection.  So undone by his betrayal, so in need of another redeeming chance, so hoping for a way to make amends, fear and embarrassment will not stop him.  He runs to the tomb, to inside the tomb.  He runs until the rock walls of the cave stop him.  Peter will not let his own failings keep him separated from God’s Son.  He was the first to recognize Jesus as The Messiah.  He is prepared to see his faith proven.  The “beloved disciple” comes to the tomb as well.  He outruns Peter.  His love is deep, his hope is great, but he is not a follower of easy grace.  He is not impulsive or foolish.  At the mouth of the tomb, at the point of startling divine action, he stops.  Like Moses in the presence of the burning bush, this disciple wavers.  What will he encounter inside and how will his life be ever altered?  He considers.  He enters.  He apprehends that Jesus is no longer there.  So, he was no mere mortal.  God is about something new. 

In the paragraphs that follow, we learn that the other disciples will experience the Risen Christ in ways reminiscent of their personal character.  Some will believe sooner.  Some will not immediately recognize his presence in their lives.  Some will be fearful, others confused.  Some will embrace the reality, others will doubt.  But, ultimately, the committed followers of Jesus will move from their original world view to the new order.  They will accept the Resurrection experience.  They will orient themselves to the Risen Christ.  They will wait on his word and, after his return to the Father, they will carry his message forward.  They will be transformed and by their lives and witness, they will change the world forever. 

Lasting transformation occurred that first Easter morning.  And the question for us, dear ones, is this: The tomb was empty, Christ was moving once again in the world.  What is that Good News saying to us?  Are we deeply faithful people?  Are we ready to live in the world changed by this event?  Are we prepared?  Are we bold enough to follow his call?  What is our answer, when we say…”Alleluia, Christ is risen?”

Do we reply with a resounding Yes! The Lord is risen indeed.

 Amen.