First Lutheran Church
April 12, 2020 + Easter
Matthew 28:1-10 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, "He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.' This is my message for you." So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, "Greetings!" And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."
Sermon
Easter feels very different this year! I’m standing here in the middle of an “empty” church, wanting to proclaim to you the good news about an “empty” tomb, and it all feels kind of “empty,” - it just doesn’t feel right. In fact, for me it’s not even Easter yet! I am pre-recording this video sermon on Friday, so you can watch it on Easter morning. And to be honest it’s kind of hard to preach Easter - on Good Friday. And for you too, even though you may be watching this service on Easter morning, I’m sure it feels different. And we all know why!
This is supposed to be a festive day; the day when we gather to once again sing “alleluias” with great joy, a day when we dress up a little, a special day when family comes to visit, a day we look for eggs filled with candy and other good things, a day that usually ends with a great feast. And this year, most likely, none of those things are really happening, certainly not the way we expected, and perhaps not at all. Things are really different this time around. In fact, I’m willing to bet that some of you are sitting at home watching this Easter Service in your pajamas and robes, with your feet up, and drinking your coffee, maybe even sipping a mimosa. (Video church does have a few perks!) To be honest, that’s probably what I am wearing, and probably what I am doing, in this moment while you’re watching this video. Heck I may even still be asleep!
And ultimately that’s ok, at least this time around. As I have said to you over and over again during the past few weeks, this is what we have been called to do, to faithfully stay at home, and do our part in the fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic. But what happens to Easter in the process? Will it still happen if we don’t get dressed up? Will it still happen if we don’t go to the church? Will it still happen if we don’t participate in all the traditions? Will it still happen if everything is “all messed up?” What will happen to Easter this year?
Well, here we are, it’s Easter morning. And even though almost everything about today is not what we wanted, not what we expected, and certainly not ideal; it strikes me that we still have “the one thing” that we really need, - the story. We still have the story that has been faithfully handed down age after age, the story that comes to life wherever and whenever it is proclaimed, the story that bears witness to the truth about what happened on that first Easter morning over two thousand years ago. And that’s something, - actually that’s everything!
So today we’re going to stay “very close to the story,” we’re going to try to let go of everything else that we’ve added to Easter over the millennia; all the fanfare, all the liturgy, all the art, all the music, all the traditions, all the food, all the “things;” the wonderful adornments and the not so wonderful trappings, that we have added to this holy day. Because frankly, that’s all we have today, all we have is the story.
And in the end, for today, that’s good; because what we really need “now” in this difficult time, is not the embellishments of Easter, - we just need the story, simple and straight forward. The plain and simple story of Easter is messy, it’s frenzied, it’s confusing, and it’s terrifying. And it’s not complete, nobody really understands what’s really happening. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions, feelings, and actions; hiding and running, chaos and peace, grief and joy, doubt and belief, hope and uncertainty, courage and fear. Theologian Debie Thomas describes it as, “Faith waiting in the shadows for understanding.” I don’t know about you, but that really describes the way I’m feeling on “this” particular Easter morning, in the midst of this difficult time. Because of the COVID-19 virus there’s just so much uncertainty, speculation, and unknown in our lives. And even though I am “so far removed” from that first Easter morning, still the story resonates with me, “Faith waiting in the shadows for understanding.”
So where might we make a meaningful connection with the Easter story this morning, where does the Easter story connect with us, and what difference might that make in our lives? Here’s a few things that stand out for me.
The story in Matthew begins at dawn, “as the first day of the week was dawning.” In the Gospel of John, it is described as “While it was still dark.” Easter and the resurrection unto a new and abundant life begins at a time when we are not always fully awake, it begins in that hazy fog of that first hour, it begins when we are perhaps still stumbling around in the dark, it begins while we are still “sleep walking,” it begins before we are fully aware, - it begins before that first cup of coffee. As they often say, “it’s darkest before the dawn.”
And as if that’s not enough dis-orientation, as if “just before dawn” is not enough, the story continues, “suddenly there was a great earthquake!” Even as Californians, even as seasoned earthquake riders, we know that when the ground shakes, - it messes up your senses. The ground is not supposed to shake. The foundations of life are not supposed to move. Yet every so often it does, especially when things are getting ready to change, and on Easter morning everything is going to change dramatically. “And suddenly there was a great earthquake,” all things are becoming new.
And all “that,” all that early morning disorientation, opens the door to fear. Matthew tells us that in fear “the guards shook and became like dead men.” Even the might of Rome becomes afraid. And fear is like death.
So it is, the stage for the story is set; it’s early in the morning when confusion reigns, the earth is shaking, and fear has taken over. I probably don’t have to make the connection for you, but I will, once again the story speaks to the context in which we find ourselves living today. A nation-wide, world-wide, pandemic has sparked confusion, our everyday landscape has changed dramatically, and many of us are, understandably - afraid. We know this story.
Thankfully, however, this is not where the story ends; - it’s where it actually begins! In the second half of the story God becomes present. An angel appears and exhorts us, “Do not be afraid.” One of the most frequent commands in the bible, one of the most basic of encouragements from God found in the bible, and one thing you should remember every day, is, “Do not be afraid.” In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible the phrase, “Do not be afraid,” appears 149 times; the phrase, “Have no fear,” appears 225 times; and the words, “fear not,” appear 424 times. God does not want us to live out of fear, God does not want us to be motivated by fear, God does not want us to make choices based on fear; - God does not want us to be afraid. And it’s one of the first things the angels say on that first Easter morning. And in doing so they remind us that “Jesus is not here,” Jesus is not to be found in the places where fear resides, instead Jesus is to be found in the place where love abides.
And as the women “turn” from the tomb on that first Easter morning, as they run from the place where fear resides, as they run to share the good news that Jesus has risen from the dead; it is then, that they encounter the risen Christ. St. Mathew writes, “Suddenly Jesus met them.” And he tells them again, “Do not be afraid,” and then he tells them where he can be found in the future, “Go and tell my followers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
So, what’s back in Galilee? Why does Jesus want to meet them there? For the disciples, it means that they must first leave the place where they have been hiding away in fear ever since Jesus was arrested, condemned, and executed. They must walk away from fear, “Be not afraid.” And then they will arrive back to the place where Jesus taught them about the kingdom, back to the place where Jesus healed the sick, back to the place where Jesus reached out to the marginalized, back to the place where Jesus practiced and lived out the great love of God, back to the place where Jesus first called them, back to the place where Jesus laid claim on their hearts.
The region of Galilee was home to a humble and diverse population. They were farmers, fisherman, traders, and shop keepers. They were the people of Jesus parables, simple, hard-working, and down to earth. After the resurrection Jesus is not found on the pinnacle of the temple with a holy band of angels but rather he has gone back to Galilee, gone back to a simple yet profound presence among people, where they work and play, where life is lived, where bread is broken.
So, where do we connect with the second half of today’s gospel? It begins with resisting the urge to respond to this pandemic from a place of fear. Note that I said “respond,” because we are going to be afraid, we should be afraid, it’s natural to be afraid, - but let us not act out of our fear. Instead let us remind each other that God is present in the story, and that we are loved. Let us encourage each other to be calm, to stop and breathe and access that “peace that passes all understanding.” And finally let us encourage each other to love, to love as Christ loved, to love by serving others. This will not be easy in this time of social distancing, but we can pick up the phone and check up on each other, we can write notes and letters, and we can pray for each other. We are not alone, let us be reminded, let us remind each other, that the risen Christ is present with each of us, in all of us, together.
And that brings us to Galilee. The disciples return to Galilee to get a fresh start where it all began, to go back to the basics of the faith, they go back for a hard reset! And that’s where they will find Jesus. We too will find Jesus back in Galilee. Easter, this time around, is reminding us not to take the simple things of faith and life and love for granted. This year, all the extra things of life, the excess of life, has been stripped away revealing to us what is really important, - love. On Maundy Thursday Jesus left us with these words, as he washed his disciple’s feet, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” On this Easter morning we are reminded that, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”
Today we give thanks for the Easter story, for the opportunity to hear it anew, to hear it simply without any distractions, and to hear in it - the timeless story of God’s love for each of us and for all of creation. In the midst of all the confusion that is so loudly spoken, in the midst of the uncertainty we face each day, and in the midst of all the fear that constantly swirls around us; May God, Grant us grace to hear your word, “Be not afraid;” Grant us courage to turn towards love, to go back to the beginning; Grant us faith to serve one another, to practice servanthood love in our community; Grant us hope to see all things made new, that we might set our minds “on the things that are above,” and Grant us peace, the assurance of Christ’s risen presence each and every day, and forever more. Amen.