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Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! In this morning’s gospel reading from Luke it is still Easter Sunday. Cleopas and his companion are walking from Jerusalem to a village some seven miles away and are discussing the events of the past week. They have been in Jerusalem for Passover. They are also disciples of Jesus and are greatly distressed following Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. They had hoped Jesus would have been the one to lead them in revolt and successfully liberate Israel from the Romans. Luke uses the word “Redeem” which is a strange word to use. Were the disciples really willing to pay the price of death for the liberation of Israel from Rome? The irony is that that is exactly what Jesus did; Jesus paid the ultimate price of his own life to redeem Israel from sin rather than the Roman foreign power. As Cleopas and his companion walked along deep in conversation a stranger joined them and inquired as to the subject of their conversation. They were stunned, what could they possibly be talking about other than the crucifixion of Jesus. The stranger eagerly joined in the conversation arguing why the Messiah’s death was necessary and even prophesied in the Old Testament. How I wish Luke had included more details of their conversation. I wonder which passages the stranger referred to, Isaiah, The Psalms, Malachi? The irony is that WE know that the stranger is Jesus and that he is referring to himself. I wonder what it was that kept them from recognizing Jesus. Of course they believed Jesus was dead even though they had heard of the women discovering the tomb empty that morning. Was Jesus’ physical appearance different or did Cleopas and his companion just never really see Jesus? Had they never taken the time to actually be fully present to Jesus without other distractions? We can understand this, when a beloved parent dies or when President Kennedy was killed or when the planes hit the twin towers, our focus was on the tragedy not on the present conversation with a stranger. I am sure that most of you have had the situation where someone you know from work or church appears in a different environment, a baseball game or the produce section of the grocery store and you struggle to place who they are, even worse when they call you by name and you are still struggling to recognize them. And so we have the situation where Cleopas and his companion are talking about Jesus with Jesus, but don’t recognize Jesus. Cleopas arrives at his destination and Jesus moves to walk on, but Cleopas invites the stranger to spend the night with them and he agrees. The stranger is their guest but during a meal Jesus becomes their host, takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it and hands it to Cleopas and his companion. In so doing they really see Jesus and finally recognize him and Jesus disappears from their sight. That very night, despite the dangers of the night, they hurry back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples about their experience. So what does this passage mean for us? As we journey through this life God walks with us whether we recognize him or not. When tragedies occur, and they will, we can trust that God is with us. We may not understand why this is happening, but we can believe that God can make good come out of this situation, that even though we cannot see the bigger picture, God can. We can see that in reading and studying scripture together we can achieve a greater understanding of what the author intended for his original audience, for the first century audience and for the 21st century audience. My Old Testament professor, Dr. Gordon Hamilton, took his subject very seriously. He thought we should all know at least some basics from the Hebrew language and scripture. Some traditions feel that there is not any reason to study the Old Testament, but Dr. Hamilton believed that the Old Testament is still relevant for us to study today. Although we read the Old Testament through Christian eyes looking for signs and prophesies of Jesus Christ, Dr. Hamilton taught that we should also try to read it for what the author was telling the original audience. It is interesting that in today’s gospel, Jesus, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets, [] interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.” It is likely that Cleopas and his companion knew the Hebrew Scriptures, but in discussion with a learned teacher they were able to achieve a deeper understanding of the scripture and the intended message from God and yet they still did not recognize Jesus Christ as he walked along with them. It was in sharing a meal that the disciples finally recognized Jesus for who he was. In taking bread, blessing it, breaking it and giving the bread to Cleopas and his companion we are reminded of the Eucharist. In the Eucharist we encounter Jesus Christ. Jesus is not physically with us this morning, but we believe that somehow he is with us spiritually in the symbols of bread and wine. Following Jesus’ death on the cross and his burial, God resurrected Jesus to new life on the third day. Luke wants us to know that while Jesus truly suffered and died on the cross, Jesus also was truly resurrected to new life according to God’s plan. Like Mary Magdalene and the women at the tomb and Cleopas and his companion, we may not recognize Jesus when he walks through life with us, but God wants us to know and truly believe that he is truly with us in our daily lives, in tragedy and in the simple things of life such as sharing a meal. O God we pray that you may open our eyes to see Jesus in our companions that walk through life with us and may our companions see Jesus as they share a simple meal with us. Amen.
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Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! Happy Easter! In our tradition the Easter season lasts 50 days until Pentecost which is June 4th this year. Ascension Day occurs ten days before that on May 25th. In the Gospel according to John Jesus does not wait forty days to ascend but ascends with multiple appearances. And today a week after Jesus has been resurrected; Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on his disciples, reminding us of the Genesis story, rather than waiting 50 days for Pentecost. On Good Friday, Jesus the flesh and blood man really and truly died. When pierced by the spear he bled blood and water, a medical indication that he really was dead and a metaphorical indication that his body really was broken for us, that his blood really was poured out for us and that he really is the source of living water. Some people have argued that Jesus was not really human and that he did not really die, he just appeared to be human and just appeared to be dead. The Gospel according to John is quite adamant that Jesus was a real man and that he really did die. And Jesus’ death was a fulfillment of the scriptures. This was as God planned it. On the evening of Easter Sunday Jesus appears to his disciples, this man who truly died is truly alive and not just resuscitated, but alive in his resurrected body. Jesus can appear in the midst of his disciples even though the doors to the room are locked, but this resurrected Jesus is the same man who died on the cross. His hands and feet bear the wounds of the nails. His side bears the wound of the spear. The tomb is not empty because someone stole Jesus’ body, but because Jesus has been resurrected to new life and has left the tomb. Jesus had not just passed out or become comatose on the cross, he really died. Jesus did not have to be freed from the burial clothes like Lazarus did. Lazarus was resuscitated back to life, but would have to die again. Jesus was resurrected from the burial clothes. Jesus was really dead and Jesus has really been resurrected to new life and will not die again. Thomas was not with the disciples that first Sunday evening when Jesus appeared to them. We can only imagine his disappointment in missing the appearance of Jesus. Thomas is portrayed as doubting Thomas when he insists on seeing Jesus and his wounds for himself, but Thomas has not asked for anything more than what the other disciples have already seen or what Mary Magdalene saw in the garden when Jesus appeared to her. When Thomas sees Jesus and his wounds, Thomas responds with, “My Lord and my God!”, the climax of the Gospel according to John. The author of this gospel wants you to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, that Jesus is the Son of God and that through believing you may have life in his name. By resurrecting Jesus, God has vindicated Jesus, has shown that what Jesus said and did before his crucifixion was correct. When the Pharisees asked Jesus “Who do you claim to be?”, Jesus replied, “before Abraham was, I AM.” Jesus was claiming to be the eternal God incarnate; equating himself with the name God gave himself when speaking with Moses in Exodus. Seven times Jesus uses the “I AM” saying in John: I AM the bread of life, I AM the light of the world, I AM the door of the sheep, I AM the Good Shepherd, I AM the Resurrection and the Life, I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life and I AM the True Vine. Jesus is saying that he is God, equal to God in every way. The seven signs in the Gospel of John, the turning of water into wine, the healing of the royal official’s son, the healing of the paralytic, the feeding of the five thousand, the walking on water, the healing of the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus show that Jesus is no ordinary man, but is from God. If the people cannot believe what Jesus says then they should believe based on his actions, but the crowds did not believe despite Jesus’ words or Jesus’ actions. In resurrecting Jesus, God is saying that Jesus was and is correct in claiming his divinity and equality to God. Only a few people, perhaps as many as 500, saw the resurrected Jesus. Most people in the first century and all the people in the twenty-first century have to believe the words of the apostles and those who followed them. Tradition says that Thomas travelled to India spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Through the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ by the apostles throughout the world and down through the centuries, we too have come to hear the Good News of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ so that we too might believe that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God and through believing we may have life in his name too. Do I believe in the resurrection? Yes. I do not know how it happened, but I believe that God made it happen. As an intelligent, educated woman, I believe that our scientific and mathematical knowledge helps us to understand the world around us, God’s creation. When science challenges our religious beliefs it is appropriate to reevaluate and even change some of our religious beliefs, but it does not eliminate our belief in God and in the holy mysteries of God’s power and mercy and grace. Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
Alleluia, Christ is Risen. The Lord is Risen Indeed, Alleluia Welcome, it is so good to have you here today to worship as we celebrate the most significant feast of the Christian calendar, Easter. In fact we will be celebrating Easter for the next 50 days, Easter is that important. This is the crowning moment that we have been building up to over the last seven weeks. Ash Wednesday and Lent with Stations of the Cross gave us a period for reflection, repentance, almsgiving, prayer, fasting and the reading of the Gospel of Matthew. The drama of Holy Week was amazing beginning with the Liturgy of the Palms and the reading of the Passion Narrative as we told the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and his subsequent arrest, torture, crucifixion, death and burial. The annual Chrism Mass held at St Mark’s in Grand Rapids with Bishop Whayne is a wonderful time for the clergy of the diocese to gather for fellowship, the renewal of our ordination vows and to receive fresh baptismal oils for anointing. Albion’s sixth and final Lenten Lunch was held this past week at Grace Temple. It is such a blessing to be able to visit different local churches to share a meal and to hear a message. The moving Maundy Thursday Service with Foot Washing and The Stripping of the Altar was celebrated with the United Methodists and Presbyterians here at St. James’. The service recalls Jesus’ final meal with his disciples and the institution of the Holy Eucharist. The foot washing reminds us that Jesus came, not to be served but to serve, and that we are called to follow his example of humble service to our friends and our neighbors. The Altar was stripped as Jesus was stripped of his dignity, friends, clothing and even his life. On Good Friday we were honored to host the Albion Ministerial Association Ecumenical Good Friday Service with “The Last Seven Words of Christ”. It is such a privilege to hear seven different speakers from diverse congregations. I was thankful to be able to share some of our traditional Good Friday hymns and liturgy. Friday evening we shared a Tenebrae service with the United Methodists and Presbyterians at Wesley Chapel with a reading of John’s Passion Narrative and the extinguishing of the lights as Jesus’ life was extinguished. It is such a blessing to be able to share our Christian story with Christians of so many different traditions. Many thanks go out to our Altar Guild who participated in the stripping of our sanctuary on Thursday evening and then returned Saturday morning to prepare for Easter. Haven’t they done a beautiful job! The highlight of the week was a trip to St. Andrew’s in Grand Rapids last night to celebrate the Great Easter Vigil, the Confirmation, Reception and Reaffirmation of sixteen individuals from the diocese and the first Eucharist of the Easter Season. There was an amazing bowl of fire from which the Paschal Candle was relit, a retelling of part of our faith story, a setting up of the altar for Easter, the baptism of an infant and the confirmation of our own Matthew and Nicole Vaughn. Please join me in congratulating them <Clapping> and please join them for a slice of celebration cake in the parish hall immediately following this service. Which brings us to our own celebration of Easter and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ this morning. Without the resurrection the death of Jesus would lose its significance for us. It would be the death of a great teacher, preacher and healer, but the death of a man as we all anticipate death. It is the resurrection of Jesus, the empty tomb, the restoration of new life to Jesus that gives the meaning to Easter. Some of us may struggle with the idea of resurrection. Even Jesus’ disciples and the first century people had doubts. Dead people do not come back to life after three days in the grave. This is not about a scientifically provable event, this is about the mystery of the great power and glory of God to restore life even in death, and this is our faith and our hope. Our great hope is that as we died with Christ in the waters of our Baptism, we also rose with Jesus from the waters of our Baptism to eternal life. Resurrection and eternal life are not just something that will happen in the distant future, but are something that can and do happen even now in our current lives. We rise from despair to new opportunities, healing from sickness, marriage and a new family. This is not full resurrection but is a glimpse of the promised Kingdom of Heaven. In this morning’s telling of the resurrection story from the Gospel according to Matthew, we remember with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary of the hasty burial of Jesus before the Sabbath in a cold, dark tomb with a huge stone rolled before its entrance; we remember how the religious leaders feared that Jesus’ disciples would come and steal away his body and claim that he had been raised to life again and the placing of a guard by the tomb. We walk with the women as they go to visit the grave of Jesus and join in their horror as the ground shakes beneath their feet and the hear the great stone rolled away. We shake with fear with the soldiers and the women as a bright shining, flashing celestial being, an angel of the Lord from heaven appears and says, “Do not be afraid. Jesus is no longer here, he has been raised. Come to the tomb and see for yourself. Now go and tell Jesus’ disciples what you have seen and heard.” And we share in their amazement and joy as they turn to go and suddenly Jesus himself appears before them and we fall with them to our knees and worship Jesus. And Jesus says to the women and to us, “Do not be afraid; go and tell what you have heard and what you have seen.” Amen. |
Mother Darlene KuhnPosting of Weekly Sermons Archives
July 2018
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