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| St- Andre-Rublev's Saviour |
Holy
Redeemer
In
the care of the Ecumenical Franciscan Order
Homily
preached at Winmalee on
20th
April 2014: Easter Sunday, by Br.
Simeon
Gospel: Matthew 28: 1-10
“ Power and wonder of the
Resurrection ”
Eternal God, on this most holy
of days, stir up your Holy Spirit within us that are gathered here this
morning, so that your words to us would lead us to be faithful always to your
way, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Today,
we must visit a tomb. That seems a bit
strange. Most people don’t enjoy going
to graveyards. Among our list of
favourite things to do, no one places, "Visit the mortuary." Yet, as Christians, we chose to visit this
tomb and to visit it often.
The
tomb that we seek to visit is not just any tomb. It is the tomb of our
Saviour. This is the place where the body of Jesus was
once laid. Strange how sweet this place
is to us. Surely, it is not like the
tomb of others. There was weeping here once, but no longer. There was sorrow here once, but no
longer. There was hurt here once, but no
longer.
The
women going to the tomb that morning were not going there to celebrate a resurrection.
No, they were going to finish the burial process, for on Friday afternoon there
had not been time to properly prepare Jesus’ body. For them it was not going to
be a good day.
They
were not thinking springtime thoughts about flowers bursting forth from the
earth, or caterpillars turning into butterflies, or new born baby chicks
breaking loose from eggs. None of those thoughts entered their minds because
you see they were in the middle of the Easter story.
What they saw and heard that day was an earthquake shaking the earth, a stone being rolled away, guards being so frightened that they became like dead men, an angel appearing, and last but not least, Jesus talking to them as they rushed back to tell the disciples that the tomb was empty and that, can you believe it, Jesus was going to meet them in Galilee.
He
was going to meet them in Galilee, how could that be, after what happened to
him on that Friday. They did not know how Jesus was brought back to life, but
they believed it happened, just as we believe it happened. It was going to be a
good day after all.
The
early disciples witnessed the resurrection of Jesus Christ. They could not
forget the open tomb and His pierced hands, and wounded side. The living Christ
had a powerful and profound effect on them. The people who went to the tomb on
that first Easter morning testify to the power of the resurrection. They were
in awe and wonder. This sermon reminds us to revisit the empty tomb each Sunday
and remember the wonder of it all.
The
resurrection of Jesus Christ caught His followers completely by surprise. The resurrection came as a wonderful surprise
to the disciples. It is very evident none of the disciples were sitting around
at the tomb waiting expectantly to see Jesus alive and worshipping Him.
Like
the disciples being moved, in awe and wonder;
for us, Easter not only moves us, it touches something deep down inside
of us. We encounter God's wonder, that feeling of surprise and awe aroused by
something strange and unexpected. It's what Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
felt when they learned that Jesus had risen. They departed "quickly from
the tomb with fear and great joy" (Matt. 28:8). They were astonished. They
went to the tomb expecting to find a dead man in need of embalming. Instead
they found an empty tomb. Jesus was alive. That fact, while strange and
unexpected, was wonderful and exciting.
One
can't experience Easter without wonder. The trouble is that we don't feel
wonder any more. Wonder is rare, especially as we grow older. The catch phrase
of our culture is: "Been there. Done that." We are spiritually and
emotionally not alert. We are a people saturated with analysis, explanations,
and experiences - but void of wonder. G.K. Chesterton wrote, "The world
will never starve for want of wonders, but only for want of wonder." It is
that wonder and mystery of the resurrection that we want. And once we
experienced it the most lavish purchase or the most thrilling experience can
never substitute for it. For when God touches you, you know it. You can't
explain it. You experience it. You feel it. It goes right through you.
Wonder begins in the presence
of Jesus. Regardless of our geography or status or age, where the Lord is
present, that place is alive with wonder. As we become more aware of God's
presence we become more filled with wonder. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
felt it. It was a power, a vibe that went right through them. When they saw
Jesus their only response was to fall at his feet in worship.
When you and I encounter the
living Christ, our only response is to celebrate his presence. That's Easter.
It is the presence of Jesus that moves us and touches us deeply. It is the
rocking experience of Jesus' triumph and the relational experience of Jesus'
presence. It becomes an experience to imagine that God will be present in our
lives to roll the stone away from our hearts. Easter makes us want to fall at
Jesus' feet in gratitude and praise for what he has done. That, my dear
friends, is something you don't explain and never forget. You experience it.
You feel it. It goes right through you. Christ is Risen, He's Risen indeed!
Amen.
