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Robin Kash
March 27, 2005
Not Here. Go..!
(Matthew 28:1-10)
The women were on their way to see a tomb, friend's tomb. None of what happened when they got there was anything like they'd imagined. Did they imagine they would reach the tomb, stay for a bit in somber silence, then make their way back to whatever the rest of the day might hold? Guess what? None of it was anything they'd ever imagined. Who could have imagined what they found? Who could imagine what the rest of the day would hold after what happened?
What happened? Earthquake, angel, empty grave. Earthquakes we can feature. Last year's tsunami issued a catastrophic reminder that terra firma is sometimes more "terra" than "firma." An empty grave may not challenge our imagination; it stirs curiosity. But an angel, well now, that's a different matter.
The Bible's got angels. They don't show up often, but significantly. Messenger, that what the words means, quite literally. God's messenger. God's not one to send a boy to do a man's job; nor a girl to do a woman's. Angels are God's ambassadors. A lot of us have come to fancy angels. They've gathered a goodly audience or on TV shows such as "Touched and the more sophisticated "Joan of Arcadia."
I know people who believe they've encountered angels. A "presence" is the way some speak of it. Others say they've heard the voice of a departed loved one. Still others believe they have "guardian angels." Someone to watch over me. The two Mary's heard and saw an angel. Does that make them seem "very modern," or are we just resorting to "pre-modern" notions? Either way, it's the message that counts.
The "message" came from the angel, God's messenger. The message was not something the two Mary's drew from observing and pondering earthquake and empty tomb. Nor was the "message" a matter of something they conceived in their hearts, a kind of intuition. The message was in what was said to them; what they heard.
What's the message? Not that the earthquake moved the stone. Not that the tomb's empty. The message is Christ is risen. Jesus is not here. He's gone; headed for somewhere else, Galilee, home. After this, thinking of him as the humble carpenter or the great teacher just won't get it. Christ is risen.
As it turned out the women had come to the "wrong" place. Jesus wasn't there. They and their brothers and sisters are supposed to go where the risen Lord is—Galilee. Did you ever feel like you're in the "wrong place?" How do you get to the "right" place? How do we get to where Jesus is? All the Marys and disciples had to do was "go." That's what the angel said; that's what the risen Lord told them. Go!
They had to obey. Obey. Not a word we like to hear. While I was in Pennsylvania, I got acquainted with Kent Ira Groff. He's a Presbyterian who's good at writing books. He keeps one ear to the Bible and one ear to the Buzz, what's happening, like in Jesus Christ Superstar: "What's the buzz, tell me what's happening." When he gets the Bible and the Buzz together in his book What Would I Believe If I Didn't Believe Anything? He starts telling about "obedience" Since I'm now in the midst of a fair number of English majors and other people who seem to care about language, I'm not shy telling you what he has to say about "obedience." He says our English word comes from the Latin ob-audio, which means to "listen toward." Acoustics, from audio, comes from a Greek term, hyp-acouo, which means to "listen beneath." His point: Listen beneath the surface of life! Listen toward life!
Two friends are standing at the railing on the deck of their Trans-Atlantic steamer, looking out over the water. With a sense of wonder in his voice, one of them says to the other: Look at all that water." The other replies: "Yeah, I see it, and that's only the surface."
We like to say that we know ourselves better than anyone else. Still, that's not saying much. Early Christians got it right. Our lives are hidden. Some things we and others know about us. How we dress; what we like to eat. We know some things about ourselves no one else knows, like our unspoken inner thoughts. Others know things about us we don't know. What others think of us and don't tell us, but gossip to others. Most things, and certainly the most important things about ourselves are not known by us or by others, but by God alone. Those are the depths we cannot plumb. The Marys are about to get pulled into the depths. And so may we.
The resurrection of Jesus is about the depths. "Out of the depths, I cry to you, O Lord," agonized a psalmist. Jesus was raised from the depths. As deep and dark as things may sometimes seem, you and I are not much for the depths. The pits are not the same as the depths of life. But we do have our moments. Still, we're more apt to plumb the shallows. Christ is risen. The Lord brought the depths to us. The Lord brought us face-to-face with the love and power of God. The Lord draws those who trust him into the depths of life. The depths are about life: life now, and the hope of life forevermore.
Where are you? Skimming the surface? And, at the same time, in way over your head? Listen beneath the surface of life! Listen toward life! Have you been as successful as you imagined you might be? Have things turned out the way you hoped? Better? Worse? Listen beneath the surface of life! Listen toward life! Where are you in your life? Are you looking more at what's ahead than what's behind? Are you keeping your eye on the rear view mirror, realizing that some things are catching up with you? Listen beneath the surface of life! Listen toward life! Where are you in your relationships? Are you more lonely than not? How many fingers does it take to count your "friends?" Are you in the "right" place; are things good and likely to stay that way? Listen beneath the surface of life! Listen toward life!
What if it's true that you're bidden to meet someone on your journey, someone who says to you, "Don't be afraid," and you're not? What if it's true that you're bidden to meet someone on your journey who tells you "go," and you do? What if it's true that you're bidden to meet someone on your journey who says you have sisters and brothers, really, and shows them to you? What if it's true that you're bidden to meet someone on your journey, and you see him, see her, as you've never seen before?
The gospel, the good news, of Christ's resurrection is first of all not about us. The gospel, the good news, of Christ's resurrection is first of all about Jesus Christ, and the power of God that raised him from the dead. The resurrection of Christ touches us, affects us; the power that raised Christ from the dead is the power that created the universe and all in it. The power that raised Christ from the dead is making all things new. The power that raised Christ from the dead is making us new people, people who listen beneath the surface, people who listen toward life.
We've come here this morning to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord is risen. Now, go. Go to serve the Lord.
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First Presbyterian
Church of Cedar Rapids
310 Fifth Street SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
Phone: 319-364-6148
E-mail: church@fpccr.org
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