The Resurrection of Our Lord
Sunday, April 4th, 2021click here for past entries
Loving God, you take the empty spaces in our lives and fill them with your love, helping us to be aware of your presence with us. By the power of your Spirit, open our eyes to the presence of the Risen Christ, and teach us to embody your love in the world, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Earlier this week, there was a meme circulating on social media that was a picture of the huge ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal, with a tiny-looking excavator next to it, trying to dig up enough earth to free the ship. The ship had a label on it that said “Holy Week,” and the label on the excavator said “Minister writing six sermons.” While it is a bit of an overstatement, it’s not that far off – especially when there’s a newsletter coming out the same week!
However, as you’ve probably heard by now, the ship eventually did float again (after being stuck for six days), and the canal is now open. The caption could now read, “This too shall pass.” The same could be said of suffering, and grief, and death, for Holy Week does not end with death and burial, but with resurrection.
Undoubtedly, the disciples had been feeling the absence of Jesus ever since his death on the cross. Then, early on Sunday morning, the women discovered that Jesus’ body was also nowhere to be found. They are, understandably, perplexed, and become terrified when two men in dazzling clothes are suddenly right there beside them. As they soon discover, however, the men are actually angels and have a message for 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 (Lk. 24:5-7).
As soon as they hear this, the women do remember, for the angels are simply repeating Jesus’ own words to them. And so, the women head off to tell the rest of the disciples, faithfully repeating the same words that all of them had heard from Jesus. However, in the mouths of women, this seems to them an “idle tale,” and they do not believe them (Lk. 24:11).
Isn’t it interesting that God would send women as the apostles to the apostles? They are, in fact, the least likely to be believed, along with children. For, in the culture of the time, women and children were often in the same category, and could not be witnesses in a court of law. Hence, even after his death, Jesus is still affirming the value of all people. After this announcement, Peter is singled out as the one who runs to the tomb to take a look. He, too, finds only the linen cloths that had wrapped Jesus’ body. Then he goes home, amazed.
At this point, none of them have actually encountered the risen Jesus. They have seen the absence of his body in the tomb, and the women, at least, have remembered what Jesus had told them in Galilee about being crucified and then rising on the third day. It is entirely likely that none of them have grasped just yet that Jesus has died and been raised so that he could be present with them in a new way.
Now, when they are on the road and are sad and perplexed, Jesus walks with them, even though they don’t recognize him. Now, the scriptures open up to them in a new way through Jesus, and their hearts are set on fire. Now, Jesus is made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Now, Jesus shows up in their midst and says, “Peace be with you” (Lk. 24:36).
They did, eventually, get to see and touch and even eat with the risen Jesus. They needed this, one would think, in order to believe beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus had, in fact, been raised from the dead. It also gave them a bit of an “adjustment period” for the time when Jesus would no longer be physically present with them. Undoubtedly, if Jesus had just had a Zoom call with the disciples, they wouldn’t have been quite as convinced.
During these pandemic times, however, we have gotten used to being present with others virtually, when we can’t be together physically. We have gotten used to looking for signs that other people are actually there – even if their camera and their audio are turned off. In at least some ways, this is not so different from looking for signs of the risen Jesus – or signs of God being at work in the world.
Thankfully, Jesus continues to be present with us – in the breaking of the bread, in the opening of the Scriptures, walking with us in our sorrow, and giving us his peace. He even shows up sometimes in bodily form – in us and in others – as God continues to be at work in our world. Thanks be to God, for Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Alleluia! Amen.
The Resurrection of Our Lord (NL 3) Luke 24:1-12
April 4, 2021
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison
© 2021 Lynne Hutchison All Rights Reserved
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