"Broken Creation Being Broken Again," Easter 2014

Matthew 28:1-10 For each of us, there are moments frozen in time. Often, no one else even knows about about these. Defining moments. Times when you found yourself accused, suspended, having to defend yourself. When the doctor said “We need to run some tests...” When an envelope came from the IRS stating your Return had been flagged for an audit. The first time you went to a bank to try to qualify for a mortgage, and you were not sure you would. When you brought the baby home and realized another person was wholly dependent on you. The first time you lost someone you loved with your whole heart. Easter morning is one of our Defining Moments, an event in history when Everything, not just the World was changed but Everything in Creation was changed. How odd that most often we identify Easter as a day, an annual event, like a Birthday, Anniversary, St.Patty's, Halloween, April Fools, New Years. We mark it on our calendars, and back up forty days and forty nights before to know Ash Wednesday, and how long we must wait, how long we do without. Defining Moments, Life Changing Events, there are supposed to be those in every life, not simply that we are born and mature, progressing seamlessly through life unchanged toward death, but we are defined by the people and circumstance and moments. I have known those who lived life unchanged by defining moments. The adult who acted like a twelve year old, believing they would never get caught, that if they were caught their father could bail them out of anything. The husband who acted as if they had never taken vows, never took responsibility, had dates and relationships as if nothing mattered to anyone except him. The woman who went from her father's house to her husband's, to her second husband's, and third. Ironically, whether we have read the Scriptures or simply absorbed the idea from society, we know and have accepted the presence of Evil, the Fall of humanity. We know people sin, wound and undercut one another. Whether done by us, or to us, we know that Creation is not the Garden of Eden. Regardless of Evolution, or Divine Intervention, How we got here is not the basic question of life! We can all agree Life is not perfect, there are wars, ships that overturn, planes that are hijacked, divorces, family feuds, job losses, horrible circumstance. Somehow Creation that was called Good, was broken. But like the adult who never grew up, like the man who never took his marriage seriously, or the woman who never questioned who she was as a human being, we have all continued through history ignoring that on Easter the world changed again. Broken Creation as it had been reformed in our image, got broken. I love Matthew's telling of Easter morning. Mark is extremely brief, The Tomb IS Empty, the women ran in fear. Luke describes how the women found Peter, who found the other disciple Jesus loved and they ran to see, while Mary stood weeping. John includes all these other stories of other resurrections. Matthew is filled with details, and in the details, Excitement and a little Anxiety. The last time there were Angels in the Gospels was at the beginning. In Luke, The Angels announced to Shepherds in the field the Savior was born. At his baptism he was driven off into the wilderness by an angel. In each, after the temptation in the wilderness, he was ministered to by angels. Since then, this has been a very human story, about the human Jesus going back and forth between Judah and Galilee, between the People of God and the Gentile World. When the Powers and Principalities of the World conspired with the Religious people to kill Jesus, not a quick death, but crucifixion which was designed to make people fear, to watch for hours and days as a person suffered to death. And when they were dead, to bury the body as gone from sight and mind. The Marys, Mary Magdeline and the Other Mary, are recorded as having wept and watched and prayed. Now that the Sabbath is over, they go to relieve their anxiety. There are several different interpretations of what took place, that do not reconcile. Possibly, like a comet streaking across the sky, an angel comes to earth pushing the stone aside and in a sign of dominance and victory the angel sits down on it. The other three Gospels all state that the Tomb was already opened by the act of resurrection. Matthew is the only one to mention an earthquake. My youngest son works as an Engineer with earthquakes. Being thoroughly trained in Engineering of Earthquakes, with the experience of having been a Theologian's Offspring, and a degree in English Literature, I asked him. He responded: “This is so incredible! Most often, people see Earthquakes as frightening destruction. Like a scene out of the Exorcist, plates fly off the walls, silverware leaps out of the drawers, the foundations of buildings crack and collapse. BUT Here, the Earthquake seems to be a symbol of the power of God. The Earthquake points to burial being denied, reality being changed. What Geologists imagine is that deep beneath the earth's crust, Earthquakes are these plates larger than continents pulling apart to allow new magma to flow, creation being formed. How cool to have Easter related to Earthquakes, as old Creation destroyed and new Creation being formed.” Personally, I imagine Creation itself could no longer sit by. Creation was a witness when God called Life Good. Creation was a witness when God washed the world clean with Noah. Creation was a witness when Abram and Sarai set out with the Promise of future generations. Creation was witness to the 10 Commandments. Creation was witness to the Babylonian Exile. When the Messiah was made to suffer and die, was buried for 3 days, and God raised Jesus from death to life, I imagine Creation itself responded, all creation shook. Matthew records the Guards being traumatized, so filled with fear they are like dead men. When the Angel speaks to the Marys, those who have been filled with fear and loss. We want so desperately for Handel of Beethoven to have written the lyrics of the Angel. A voice like James Earl Jones resonating throughout Creation “I Bring you Good Tidings of Great Joy!” But instead the Angel is like the UPS Man, who simply points out the obvious. “Fear Not. As he said, He is not here. Come see.” They feel Creation shudder. The See the Messenger. They hear. They run not like in Mark where they run in fear. Not as in Luke where Mary stands weeping. They run unable to contain their excitement at loss being turned into love. I remember when I was about 6, spending summers at our grandparents farm. My brothers were older and rarely let me play with them. I recall coming into the house in tears that they had made up a rule you had to have a cap to play baseball on their team, and I had no hat. When my grandfather let me wear one of his hats, I put it on, turned around and ran smack into the door. Staggering a bit, I kept going ran off the porch right into a tree. When I came to, my Grandmother adjusted the size of the cap to fit, so I could see, and I ran off to play. That is how excited the Marys were, they ran to tell the disciples and ran smack into Jesus. Jesus again tells them, “be not afraid.” They go to tell the disciples, that Jesus will meet them in Galilee, the gateway to the Gentile world. One of the details, I find most striking about the witnesses to Easter are that here, it is not only Mary Magdeline, but also “The OTHER Mary” and in Luke it is Simon Peter and also “The OTHER Disciple”. That is who we are is it not, the OTHER Mary, the OTHER Disciple. This Easter is another Defining moment in our lives. It is like when the person who makes your heart flutter says “I love you”. When your child is placed in your arms the first time. After their crying all night long, for you to get them to sleep. For the doctor to tell you “We got it all, and it was benign.” When you are audited and they discover a bigger return than you believed! Be Not Afraid! He is Risen. Broken Creation formed in our image, has been broken again by God.