Readings
for Easter 2B:
Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 98; 1 John 1:1-2:2; Luke 24:36b-48
April 30, 2006
The Rev. Mary B. Blessing
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
Life, death and resurrection: can you be a witness, too?
Luke, the great storyteller, reports EYEWITNESS accounts of the Risen Lord. Unlike the Gospel of Mark, which reports witnesses to the empty tomb were so afraid “they said nothing to anyone”. Luke reports in vivid detail, experiences of disciples meeting Jesus in bodily form, after his death and burial—for Luke, this is proof of the resurrection. Plain and simple. Proof that Jesus’ death was vindicated. Proof that God fulfilled the promise of scripture: the Messiah would suffer, die, and rise on the third day.
Now, there are surely some among us who have our doubts. And that’s ok. The disciples had their doubts, too. Some wonder: was the resurrection of Christ an objective historical event or a subjective event in the minds of the disciples? Theologians have wrestled over this question for years; scientific minds might say it is impossible, and dismiss the question all together. New Testament authors believed the resurrection was an objective event, but was not publicly observable; Christ appeared only to chosen witnesses, perhaps according to their receptivity. But, this is not a scientific question, it is a theological question. And the New Testament is theologically consistent on this point. All the appearances of the resurrected Christ depict the same basic phenomenon of a body that was recognizable as Jesus, but somehow changed, “transcending the limitations of the flesh yet capable of manifesting itself within the order of the flesh.” (J. Robinson, quoted in Thomas, p. 255) Whatever your view, as Christians, we must believe SOMETHING happened in the way of resurrection appearances, because the very basis of Christian hope is formed on the belief and witness of the resurrection of Christ.. (O. Thomas, p. 254)
But still, we doubt. Luke knows his 1st C. audience has doubts, too. He recounts multiple stories of resurrection appearances as proof. Earlier, Luke tells a story of two disciples walking with a stranger on the road to Emmaus--not realizing it was Jesus, the Risen Christ. Then they invited him in to break bread; and then their eyes were opened, and He was “Made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Excited, they run back to Jerusalem to tell the remaining 11 apostles. Our story today begins at this point: as these two are “telling how they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, Jesus himself stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’” (Lk. 24:36) Then, all who are present experience “proof” of the resurrection, the presence of the Risen Lord. Yet, the disciples remain disbelieving, even as they are filled with joy. As before, it is the sharing of a meal that opens their eyes to the truth that this is Jesus Christ. The one who hung from a cross, very dead, is now alive. Finally, the Risen Lord, opens their minds to understand what they could not comprehend while Jesus lived among them.
For Luke, these resurrection appearances are not just proof that Christ has risen from the dead. This Risen Lord is proof that all of Jesus’ life and ministry is validated. Christ, “raised from the dead”, now shows the power of God’s promise of new life in Him.
Jesus’ resurrection marks a new beginning for all creation. Luke’s message continues: the Risen Lord does not simply leave once he appears. The testimony of his resurrection is not just for the benefit of Jesus and his disciples. It is not just to have their lives fulfilled by scripture. This “witness” is not a message just for a chosen few. Christ, the Risen Lord, now commissions these eyewitnesses to share this story so that all nations may believe.
Episcopalians are not usually comfortable “witnessing” to the power of Christ in their lives. Many of us would rather stick to the gospel of Mark’s way—to live as Jesus lived, giving time and talent doing good works. We don’t talk about those good works. Certainly we don’t proclaim the power of the resurrection. But let’s be honest, we would not be here today, worshipping in the name of Jesus Christ, if he had not died a very public, very horrific death, and then appeared three days later in some form or the other. We would not be here if those who witnessed these appearances had not proclaimed what they experienced. Their “real time” experience of the Risen Lord, and their “witness” carried through the centuries through the Christian community, has given us the opportunity to have our own encounters with Christ.
But what do we mean by the resurrection of Jesus Christ in our lives today, and what can you offer in the way of genuine witness to Christ’s presence? This will no doubt vary for different people—but I encourage you to consider how the power of the Risen Lord, living in your life or in the life of someone you know, has transformed your life—then share that Good News with someone you know. I have seen the power of this “witnessing”, and it has transformed individuals as well as groups of believers.
I have permission to share with you such a time of “witnessing” that happened here at St. Jude’s. I won’t give names, but you may recognize the scenario. This story is like many people’s stories. Recently I was deeply touched by the witness of one of our newer members. A teen from our community spent most of her life here, dutifully showing up for church each week. But then in high school, kind of got bored and busy with other things. She took a break for a while. Then some church friends invited her to one of our Diocesan spiritual weekends, and it got her reactivated, so she came back. Also, it so happens that soon after that, a new teen program was just getting started with the Santa Clara county churches, “ETC”—Episcopal Teen Community. Not only did she get to hang out with our cool kids, she was able to interact with cool kids from other area churches, singing, exploring God, sharing life-stories.
At school, she had a friend who was feeling bad about life, rather desperate,
in a very dark and lonely place. Our teen talked with her friend about whether
or not she had a faith community. “Not really” was the reply. “I
used to go to this really fun Christian camp in the summer with my cousin,
but I don’t go to church with my family.” So our teen simply invited
her friend to a Friday night ETC to check it out. And they both had a terrific
time; so much so that the friend decided to come to Sunday morning church,
too. And guess what? The friend said, “It saved my life.” As with
many of us, life had become dark and confusing. The only light in this young
person’s life was remembering the joy of the weekly church camp. And
then the light of a caring friend who took the time to witness her experience
of joy at St. Jude’s sparked something with her. Now this new person
experiences love, joy, acceptance and hope right here, each week and with our
special teen events. This is new life in Christ. This is resurrection.
The truth of this story holds even more power, when we realize: not only did
this young person find hope in Christ here at St. Jude’s, but this person
brings new life into our parish. The presence of a true seeker, asking important
questions, valuing what we have without taking it all for granted, brings our
teens, our mentors and our community into a deeper appreciation for Christ, “seeing
with new eyes”. We see “the Risen Christ in our midst” in
new and tangible ways because of the presence of this new person. This is resurrection.
O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work.
AMEN
| Updated 5/20/06 |
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