BY ANY STANDARD AVAILABLE , THE RESURRECTION IS A MIRACLE- THE GREATEST OF ALL MIRACLES. DEAD MEN DO NOT RISE. A PERSON MIGHT GIVE AN APPEARANCE OF DEATH, PERHAPS, AN EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN REVIVAL, OR SOMEONE MIGHT LOSE A FEW HEARTBEATS ON THE OPERATING TABLE AND BE SHOCKED BACK TO LIFE. BUT WITH JESUS IT WAS NEITHER AN APPEARANCE OF DEATH NOR A TEMPORARY SET-BACK- HE WAS DEAD, DEAD AS A DOOR-NAIL FOR THREE DAYS, DYING AFTER PRELIMINARY TORTURE , CRUCIFIXION AND FINALLY A SPEAR IN THE SIDE. THERE WASN'T ANY DOUBT ABOUT IT. BUT HE ROSE AGAIN.
AND YET, MIRACLE THOUGH IT MUST BE AND THE GREATEST OF ALL MIRACLES AT THAT, THERE IS SOMETHING DEEPLY MYSTERIOUS ABOUT CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.
THINK ABOUT IT NOW. AFTER JESUS FED THE FIVE THOUSAND, THEY TRIED TO TAKE HIM BY FORCE AND MAKE HIM THEIR KING. AND IF THE CROWDS TRIED THAT FOR A FEW SLICES OF BREAD AND SOME FISH, WHAT WOULD THEY HAVE DONE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A RESURRECTION LIKE HIS? BREAD AND FISH CAN BE BOUGHT IN A MARKET; RESURRECTION CAN'T BE BOUGHT AT ANY PRICE.
A FETE LIKE THAT, BREAKING DEATH'S CHAINS TO WALK FROM THE GRAVE, SHOULD HAVE GUARANTEED JESUS ALL THE GLORY IMAGINABLE. HE COULD HAVE RUN A CRUSADE IN JERUSALEM COLISEUM THAT NEVER ENDED. PACKING THE HOUSE DAY AND NIGHT. HE COULD HAVE BECOMES A FRIEND TO KINGS AND EMPERORS, OR WITH THE FLICK OF THE WRIST, EMPEROR HIMSELF. HE COULD OF GOT EVEN WITH THE PHARISEES AND THEN SOME-SHAMING THEM INTO HUMBLE CONFESSION OF JUST HOW WRONG THEY'D BEEN, LETTING THEM STEW WHILE HE SAVORED HIS GREATEST TRIUMPH, OR, IF HE HAD BEEN OF THE SAME MIND, LIKE TOM SAWYER
HE COULD HAVE ATTENDED HIS OWN FUNERAL, CHUCKLING SOFTLY WHILE LISTENING TO EULOGIES ABOUT POOR DEAD JESUS. BUT WHAT HAPPENED? HOLDING A ONE- WAY TICKET TO GLORY, JESUS TURNED AROUND AND DID SOME VERY STRANGE THINGS. AS JOHN TELLS IT, MARY MAGDALENE WAS THE FIRST TO DISCOVER THE TOMB WAS EMPTY. THE DISCIPLES SCARED SPIT-LESS OF THE SOLDIERS, WERE HIDING IN A ROOM IN JERUSALEM. WHEN MARY TOLD TOLD SIMON PETER AND THE DISCIPLES JESUS LOVED, THEY RACED TO THE TOMB TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES AND FOUND ONLY LINEN CLOTHS AND A NAPKIN. MEANWHILE WHILE MARY STOOD OUTSIDE THE TOMB WAITING, SHE MISTOOK JESUS FOR THE GARDNER. BUT BEFORE SHE COLD REACH OUT AND TOUCH HIM, HE DISAPPEARED. THE SAME NIGHT, JESUS APPEARED IN THE ROOM WHERE THE DISCIPLES WERE IN HIDING- THE FIRST APPEARANCE IN OUR GOSPEL FOR TODAY. THEN A WEEK LATER, HE APPEARED TO THE DISCIPLES AGAIN, THIS TIME CONFRONTING THOMAS- THE SECOND- APPEARANCE IN OUR GOSPEL FOR TODAY. FINALLY AS A AFTER-THOUGHT,
JOHN REPORTS ON ANOTHER APPEARANCE IN OUR GOSPEL FOR TODAY. THE DISCIPLES WERE OUT FISHING. JESUS CAME AND STOOD ON THE SEASHORE, TOLD THEM TO CAST THEIR NETS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOAT, AND LATER, HE BARBECUED SOME FISH AND SOME BREAD FOR THEM OVER CHARCOAL. AFTER THAT ACCORDING TO JOHN HE DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY.
THE OTHER GOSPELS REPORT SOME MORE APPEARANCES OF JESUS AFTER THE RESURRECTION, BUT THERE ALL IN THE SAME VEIN.
MATTHEW SAYS THAT AFTER JESUS APPEARED TO THE WOMEN AT THE TOMB, HE APPEARED TO THE ELEVEN REMAINING DISCIPLES (NOT COUNTING JUDAS). ON A MOUNTAIN IN GALILEE. LUKE REPORTS A CONVERSATION WITH CLEOPAS AND ANOTHER DISCIPLE IN JERUSALEM, TAKING THEM ALONG TO BETHANY WHERE HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. THE ONLY OTHER REPORT WE HAVE IS PAUL, IN 1 CORINTHIANS 15, HE TELLS A WHOLE SERIES OF APPEARANCES OF JESUS AFTER THE RESURRECTION- FIRST TO PETER, THEN THE TWELVE, THEN TO FIVE HUNDRED TO THE BRETHREN; TO JAMES; TO THE REST OF THE APOSTLES AND LAST OF ALL TO PAUL HIMSELF. ALL OF THESE APPEARANCES POINT TO OUR MYSTERY. HAVING RISEN TRIUMPHICALLY FROM THE DEAD, WITH ALL THE GLORY IN THE WORLD AT HIS BECK AND CALL, IT ALMOST LOOK LIKE JESUS WAS HIDING. THERE WAS NO CHEERING CROWD TO PACK JERUSALEM COLISEUM, CARRYING HIM AWAY ON THEIR SHOULDERS; THERE WERE NO OFFERS OF PROOF TO CONVINCE FRIENDS AND CONFOUND ENEMIES; NO ATTEMPTS AT GLORY WHATSOEVER. HE APPEARED TO SOME WOMEN, TO HIS DISCIPLES, TO SOME OF HIS BROTHERS. THEN HE DISAPPEARED FROM SIGHT, LEAVING ONLY A WORD-SOME RUMORS AND REPORTS- TO INDICATE THAT HE HAD BEEN RAISED AT ALL. THE GREATEST, THE MOST MIRACULOUS EVENT IN WORLD HISTORY AND WE'RE LEFT ONLY WITH A FEW SMATTERINGS- SOME REPORTS FROM FRIENDS, AND WHAT'S MORE, IT SEEMS INTENTIONAL- AS IF JESUS WANTED IT THAT WAY.
MAYBE THESE TWO APPEARANCES IN TODAY'S GOSPEL CAN GIVE US SOME HELP.
IN THE FIRST, JESUS APPEARS TO COMMISSION HIS DISCIPLES, TO EQUIP THEM SEND THEM OUT ON THEIR MISSION. I THE SECOND HE APPEARS TO THOMAS.
MAYBE THESE EVENTS MAY SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHAT JESUS WAS UP TO AND WHY.
IT WAS SUNDAY NIGHT. THE DISCIPLES HAD HERD THE WORD FROM MARY ABOUT HOW SHE HAD SEEN JESUS IN THE GARDEN, MISTAKING HIM FOR THE GARDENER, BUT THEY HAVE NOT SEEN THEM THEMSELVES. THEY HAD THE DOORS LOCKED AND PROBABLY SOME GUARDS POSTED TO PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM ANYONE WHO HAD IDEAS OF GIVING THEM THE SAME FATE JESUS HAD RECEIVED. SUDDENLY JESUS WAS THERE, STANDING AMONG THEM. HE SHOWED THEM THE WOUNDS IN HIS HANDS AND FEET LIKE AN AMBASSADOR PRESENTING HIS CREDENTIALS TO A KING: HERE ITS ME. I WHO WAS CRUCIFIED, AM RISEN.
THEN WITHOUT SO MUCH AS A SINGLE WORD OF EXPLANATION-HOW HE'D DONE, WHERE HE HAD BEEN, OR ANYTHING OF THAT SORT-JESUS WENT RIGHT TO WORK.AS THE "FATHER HAS SENT ME EVEN SO I SEND YOU," THEN HE BREATHED ON THEM AND SAID, RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT. IF YOU FORGIVE THE SINS OF ANY THEY ARE FORGIVEN, IF YOU RETAIN SINS, THEY ARE RETAINED. THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS WHICH JESUS EARNED BY THE POWER OF HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH SHOULD BE IMPARTED AND GIVEN TO MEN THROUGH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL, PUBLICLY, AND PRIVATELY, IF WE LOOK AT OURSELVES, WHAT DO WE SEE? MORE MYSTERY. WE HEAR THE WORD OF FORGIVENESS AND SEE THE OLD ADAM RISING IN US TO STRANGLE US WITH GUILT, ROBBING US OF JOY, OF LOVE. WE HEAR A WORD OF LIFE. MYSTERY IS COMPOUNDED BY MYSTERY. UNTIL SIGHT IS FINALLY LOST BUT IT IS JUST HERE, IN THE MYSTERY, THAT FAITH IS BORN. WHEN WE DISCOVER OUR OWN BLINDNESS, WE ARE PREPARED FOR THIS WORD:
" BLESSED IS HE WHO HAS NOT SEEN AND YET BELIEVES." AND THEN WE ARE PREPARED TO SAY WITH LUTHER." I BELIEVE THAT I CANNOT BY MY OWN UNDERSTANDING OR EFFORT, BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST MY LORD OR COME TO HIM.
No comments:
Post a Comment