The
Resurrection of our Lord 2013
Mary Magdalene’s life has been shattered into a
million little pieces. Now remember that before Jesus came into Mary’s life—she
was a tortured soul—Luke tells us that she didn't have just one or two demons- Luke
claims that Mary had seven demons tormenting her.
But Jesus changed all that- he took an
interest in her- he saw that buried deep underneath the demons and mental illness and
sin- that there was something beautiful inside of Mary something beautiful that the world needed to
sees. Jesus healed Mary and she became one of his most devoted followers
And now he was dead. Her rock was dead.
We know what it’s like to stumble through the days
after a death, after a cancer diagnosis- not knowing which way is up. Mary is in haze as she approaches the tomb- probably
trying desperately to make sure all the arrangements have
been made- the funeral director, the church, the caterer.
Does she have the spices she needs to make sure
Jesus has an appropriate and fitting burial. She arrives at the tomb, the sun has not even
peaked over the horizon– but that
doesn’t matter- the darkness has already overwhelmed - she arrives to find that tomb has been opened and Jesus is-not-inside.
The next minutes, the next hours are a blur as she
tries to make sense, as she tries desperately, frantically to find where they
have taken her Lord. They have taken the
Lord and I don’t know where they've laid him--she says again
and again-- to the angels, to the
Gardener, to Jesus himself- Just tell me where you've laid him and I will take him away.
And then it happens “Mary”- “Mary” The haze surrounding
her peels back-- Jesus is standing before her-- Rabbouni--Teacher. She
steps close-- arms out to grab a hold- to have him back—her wildest dream has
become a reality. But Mary want the old way back--– Jesus on the hillside
teaching in beautiful warm Judean sunshine,---- Jesus breaking the
crumbly bread apart- feeding the thousands who have gathered.
Don’t touch me.
He says- Don’t touch me- the
words ring out- they are shocking- things are not the same. Things can’t go back to the way they were--- Don’t hold
onto to me. He repeats-- I have not yet ascended to my Father, your Father…
Things are not same and They never will be the same
again. God has changed the rules He has brought the dead to life---and maybe
just maybe they are better than they were before.
The resurrection changes everything…
About ten years ago, I finally got glasses. I was 28/29 and had put it off for quite some
time. I spent at least a year or so
denying I even needed glasses-- I was squinting at street signs-having a hard
time seeing in the dark.
But finally I
just had to do it and get glasses- and what really got me to do it was--- I was
heading to a baseball game at Camden Yards in Baltimore to see the Red Sox play
and I really wanted to be able to see what was going on- so I bit the bullet
and made the appointment.
The night
before the game I took the prescription I had over to Lens-Crafters to pick out
my glasses. After trying dozens of pairs
later I finally had the ones I wanted.
The technician said come back in about an hour and you’ll be all set. An
hour later, I settled down into a chair to try on my first pair of glasses—and I
will never forget the moment I put on my first pair glasses.
There was clock on the wall across the room- and as
I slipped the glasses onto my face all of a sudden the numbers on the face of
the clock became crisp and clear- the world around me came to life again in a
way I had forgotten. No longer were things dull and fuzzy ---they
were crisp and clear--- I could see things I had forgotten that I should be able to see- like a clock on
the wall.
The resurrection of Jesus is like that for us. The resurrection means that we see the world,
we see our circumstance in a whole new way. We see that death does not win. We
see that God’s response to the killing of his son is not vengeance, but is life
and love. We see that even in the most
desperate situations- God is a place of hope.
We see that Resurrection is meant to change everything…
Resurrection changes everything.
I guess it is like the ad slogan for Blue Cross and
Blue Shield of Western New York - Healthy changes everything— my kids love it--For
Christians – for you and I
Resurrection changes everything, it changes the way
we see the world and our lives.
Barbara Brown Taylor, preacher and Episcopal priest said
this in an Easter sermon a few years back,
“ By the light of this [Easter] day God has planted a seed of life in us
that cannot be killed, and if we can
remember that then there is nothing we cannot do: move mountains, banish fear,
love enemies, change the world.” [1]
God has planted a seed of life in [you and I] that
cannot be killed, and if we can remember that then there is nothing we cannot
do: move mountains, banish fear, love enemies, change the world.
I don’t know where fear has got its claws hooked into
you? I don’t know what mountains you are facing that need to be moved, I don’t
know what grave sides you are standing next too- I don’t know where you might
need to love more, I don’t know how you are called to change the world- but I
do know that God has planted in each us the power of resurrection life-it is
breaking into lives so that we can do what needs to be done- so that we can to
go to the places where we need to go. To
move mountains, to banish fear- to love more- to bring God’s kingdom here and
now.
Resurrection changes everything- but will we allow
it to change us?
Life bursts forth from the empty tomb--- it burst
forth across time and space and lands here in our lives. The seed that God planted in us at our baptism
is beginning to sprout. Deep within us
the resurrection stirs, God is stirring.
Mary wanted to hold onto to the old way life- -
Jesus response was—you can’t- you can’t hold
onto it- let it go -- embrace this new life, embrace this new way of seeing.
Resurrection changes everything. It changes everything for the better.
AMEN
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