Easter Day: Out-Of-Control

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13395387.post-1145226618722954362006-04-16T15:29:00.000-07:002006-04-16T15:30:18.736-07:00Easter Day: Out-Of-ControlThe women went to the tomb on the morning of the third day. His body had been quickly buried, and on Saturday – the Sabbath – everyone rested and mourned. And then, with the rising of the sun the women went to make the final burial arrangements: clean the body, anoint the body with fragrances, seal the tomb. But, when they get there, the tomb is already open – huh? And when they look into the tomb, they see someone, but it’s not Jesus – hmm? And this fellow looks eerily like an angel. . . He tells them not to be afraid (as angels always say), and that Jesus has risen from the dead. He tells them to run and tell the others, and let them know that he will meet up with them in Galilee. So. . . the women – so excited that their Lord and Master has risen – that everything he had said would happen has come true – that there is no need to mourn, but rather it’s time to celebrate. . . so the women run out and tell everyone they know, everyone they see that Christ has risen! (And everyone lives happily ever after.) Wait. . . that isn’t what happens, is it? What happens? So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Now, is that anyway to run a Resurrection? Why are they scared and not excited? Why do they say nothing to no one? Why do they run away in fear? Well, for one, things have obviously gotten out of control – way out of control. People who have been put to death – people who have been dead and buried for days – aren’t supposed to get up and meet you somewhere else. Something big is going on – something huge – and something totally out of the ordinary. In The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the 4 Pevensie children are in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver. They’ve never heard of Aslan before – the Christ figure in the Chronicles – Mrs. Beaver said, “if there’s anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they’re either braver than most or else just silly.” “Then he isn’t safe?” said Lucy. “Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. Be he’s good. He’s the King I tell you. Near the end of the book, long after the Pevensie children have gotten to know Aslan well, and while Aslan was leaving them, Lucy recalls another conversation with the Beavers: Mr. Beaver had warned them, “He’ll be coming and going,” he had said. “One day you’ll see him and another you won’t. He doesn’t like being tied down – and of course he has other countries to attend to. It’s quite all right. He’ll often drop in. Only you mustn’t press him. He’s wild you know. Not like a tame lion.” He’s not safe – but he’s good. He’s not tame – but he’s wild. This was Lucy’s discovery, and this was the discovery at the empty tomb that the women made. Jesus isn’t predictable, he isn’t ‘safe,’ he’s ‘not tame’ – he’s wild, and good, and uncontainable. The manger can’t contain him, the authorities couldn’t contain him, and the shroud or tomb couldn’t contain him – he’s an uncontainable force – And uncontainable forces are scary. In the news this week, people are worried that Iran is might soon have nuclear weapons. In general this isn’t a big deal – lots of countries have nuclear weapons – the problem is that we can’t contain Iran – they’re unpredictable – their outside of our control. That’s why it’s scary. At the tomb, on the morning of the third day, God shows once and for all who he is, and how nothing can hold him down, or hold him back. And the force which God wields – the force which compelled him to send his son – the force which compelled his Son to be crucified on the cross – the force which raised Christ from the dead, and destroyed the powers of death, sin, and evil – that force is the boundless love of God. That kind of love is scary, and good, and anything but tame. That’s what made the women run in fear on that first Easter morning. It’s what has changed lives for thousands of year – lives who come to belief and faith in this power, and the God who is behind it. And it’s what brought us here this morning. Oh, the other thing about the women running in fear, and telling no one about anything: It’s not the end of the story. Mark doesn’t end his Gospel with a nice, neat ending because there is no ending to this story. This story of the power of God, and his gift of love, goes on – and it’s meant to go on through us and with us. The characters have changed – the characters are us. The stone on the tomb is rolled back, tomb is open and it’s empty. Do not be alarmed, for Jesus of Nazareth is not in the tomb, he has been raised. Go, tell others the Good News, and know that the love which sent him, killed him, and brought him to New Life is for you, and for all.Rick+http://www.blogger.com/profile/08482846467999336604noreply@blogger.com