An Easter Message
"We Christians are by now completely desensitized to the perplexity that the resurrection created in the minds and the hearts of the disciples."
The Markan story of the resurrection is to my mind the most interesting of the Gospel accounts because Mark connects us with the disbelief and the confusion of the resurrection.
We Christians are by now completely desensitized to the perplexity that the resurrection created in the minds and the hearts of the disciples. “Christ is risen!” is the foundation of Christian belief. But in that moment, despite the pretenses of immortality projected by the Emperor and others, no one had ever been raised from the dead. Death was utterly, totally, final.
The women go to the tomb, and it’s empty. The explanations are obvious: grave robbers or, more likely, an action by the Temple authorities to erase Jesus from the minds of the people. Surely that’s what has happened.
Instead, they find a young man dressed in white who says the obvious: “He is not here.” But also says, “He has been raised and has gone ahead of you to Galilee. He will meet you there.” The women are simply gobsmacked. Amazed – and terrified. What on earth has happened? How can this be?
Moreover, they are quite aware that no one will believe them. And so… they simply go away telling no one. I think we might do the same.
What we are confronted with in Mark is the utter difference between God and our world. The way God conducts life and the way we do are not the same. Moreover, we are confronted with the reality that God is able to act in situations in which for us there is no action. For us, death is indeed final. Not so for God.
The good news of Mark’s story is that after recovering from their shock the disciples did regroup and did carry the Good News of God’s love to the world. And the good news for us is that our God is with us and that there is no situation that is beyond God’s reach. Even when we can do nothing, God can act.
That is the hope that has powered Christian faith from the day that the women ran away. That is the hope that empowers us now in our day.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
+Steve