EASTER

April 04, 2010

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

Isaiah 43:16-21; Ps. 126; Philippians 3:4b-14; John 12:1-8)

INDEED?

St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, High Point, NC

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN

Alleluia, Christ is Risen

The Lord is Risen indeed! Alleluia

            Have you had the experience of a word you have said a thousand times taking on new meaning? Maybe it feels as if the word was snuck in when you were not looking!

            This year, for me, the word was “indeed”. The Lord is Risen indeed. Fascinating. That word is a rejection of the apostles attitude – those men who did not believe it when the women told them..

            The men did not believe Jesus had risen. Mary did not believe at first. Actually I am not surprised. That was a bit of a shock. And in reality all they knew was that the tomb was empty. Pretty soon they discovered Jesus had risen, but not at first. So their skepticism is not without merit.

            But today, we know. So we declare that The Lord is Risen indeed. The apostles did not believe. ....... We don’t care. ....... Or maybe it would be more fair to say we take it for granted.

            I had it pointed out to me several years ago that in the traditional Easter service we enthusiastically sing: “Jesus Christ is Risen today” 10 minutes before we are told He is risen. 10 minutes before we are even told the tomb is empty.

            But, I responded, we already know it, so the reading of the gospel is not critical. We are not learning anything knew when we hear the gospel read. .......... True, and very sad.

            Every year at this time I wonder, “If someone could prove conclusively — no doubt at all — that the tomb was not empty. Prove Jesus had not risen. What difference would it make? How would our lives be different tomorrow morning?”

            As I ask myself that question I get a bit depressed because the answer is, for most of us, not much. Not much would be different. Our lives would not change a lot. We may even continue going to church because church gives us fellowship and an outlet ... even if Jesus is taken from it. ................How sad.

            The most amazing part of that is Jesus knew it! Jesus knew we would be like that, and Jesus did it anyway. Jesus went to the cross, had 4" nails driven through His hands and feet — despite how we would react. Despite that fact we take it for granted.

            My father always insisted on selling poppies for the veterans because what the veterans did mattered. Too many of us take it for granted.

            Most of us take our parents for granted. When told by someone that they had “earned everything they got! They were not given anything!” a friend used to ask them, “How did you earn your parents? Your food as a child? The roof over your head?” ..... We take it all for granted.

            And we take God for granted. .... We take what Jesus did and all God did for granted.

            My goal is NOT to be depressing today! Rather to turn this all around and be joyful – to be thankful and joyful.

            So, imagine, rather than having someone prove Jesus did not rise from the dead, that someone proves conclusively that YOU are the beneficiary of a huge fortune! That YOU now own a huge house — 3 of them, OK 10 of them! — but even more you have a new and extremely loving family. A new and extremely wonderful community. Forget the problems such a change could cause and just focus on the good part! We are imagining after all.

            Imagine that you discovered all the joy, and true wealth, and happiness you could imagine — and then some — was suddenly yours.

            You might later take it all for granted, but just imagine the initial discovery. .... Got it? That’s Easter!!

            Today don’t worry about the theology of the resurrection or even of after life. We can put those discussions aside for a couple days. Today, focus on the joy and wonder, and love we discover because a person, our God, was willing to suffer and die for us. Today focus on the joy and wonder, and love we discover because He left the tomb AND still stayed with us.

            If Jesus had looked around on that first Easter and said: “None of you are worth my time” could we really have argued? Well, may a couple of the women might have an argument but the rest of us? No. Jesus would be perfectly justified in walking away from the tomb and never looking back.

            But He stuck around. He kept teaching us about God’s love. He kept demonstrating God’s love. This year, let’s make that the focus of our Easter — God loved us enough, loves us enough to stay with us.

            Thanks be to God!!

               AMEN

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