Finding Faith ... in being like the Marys at the tomb on Easter morning

EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 23, 2021, I was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and installed as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. I also served the same church for four years from October 2017 to October 2021 a synodically authorized minister. The journey together these past four years has been an amazing one, full of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on April 9, 2023.

This week's gospel: Luke 24:1-12

The Resurrection of Jesus

24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to the hands of sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

The message:

A lot can happen in seven days.

We often hear that euphemism as a way to describe Holy Week. … It shows up in memes on Facebook and on bumper stickers.

There’s usually a series of graphics that appear underneath the words. … There’s different versions, of course, but one popular version is …

First, there is a palm frond … a symbol of Palm Sunday. … Then, a loaf of bread symbolizing the Last Supper. Third, a crown of thorns … a visual metaphor for Good Friday.

And then there’s usually a cross … a symbol of Jesus’ crucifixion and his sacrifice for us. 

Finally, there is the image of a tomb with the rock rolled away … reminding us of today, Easter Sunday. … The day Jesus Christ … our savior … rose from the dead, conquering sin and death in this earthly kingdom … for all time.

Indeed, a lot can happen in seven days.

One Sunday, the Son of God is triumphantly riding a donkey into the holy city to the cheers of throngs and throngs of admiring followers.

Three days later that same messiah is being sold out by one of his closest disciples … for a meager bag of silver.

24 hours after that … the savior hosts a festival dinner for his closest friends … only to let all of them in on the secret that one of them has betrayed him … and because of that, he .. will .. be .. killed.

Then, on the following day, all of his prophecies come true, and he is indeed arrested, jailed, tried, beaten, mocked, and crucified … right before the disciples’ eyes.

Only to finally and miraculously arise from the dead just three days later … and forever change this earthly kingdom. No longer allowing neither power nor greed and selflessness … nor sin or death to rule here ever again.

Yes … Faith Family … a lot can happen in a week. … Just seven mere days.

And while each year during Holy Week we are reminded of this cycle … this cycle of joy to betrayal to discipleship to utter devastation and finally again back to sheer joy … I think that we are often innately more aware of this cycle year round than we know.

Certainly, the events of Holy Week are front and center for us this time of year, but I also think that Jesus knew … that the cycle of events he lived through during Holy Week would serve as a pattern for our everyday living as well.

And so that is why he lived out these Holy Week events in plain view of all his believers …. to remind us that being human … living in this earthly kingdom that we too would continually be living in this vicious loop of …  joy to betrayal to discipleship to utter devastation and finally again back to sheer joy.

Maybe some of this resonates with you today, Faith Family. … Maybe you can visualize this cycle in your head and picture exactly where in the loop you are. 

I, for one, know that I approach this Easter in a much different mind set than I did last Easter. … A mere year ago, but yet somehow I am a different person than I was last Easter. I am in a different place in the loop.

You see, it was about this time last year when our mother was diagnosed with an inoperable, cancerous tumor in her colon.

I can remember the moment crystal clear … my brother and I in a small, dark hospital consultation room … our mother’s doctor breaking the news to us … hinting that maybe we were talking about weeks, not months, for her to live.

Talk about your Good Friday moments. 

But, here we are … a full year later and our 86-year-old mother has run a course of nine months of chemotherapy and 33 radiation treatments … and she’s still just as in command of this family as she has been for the past seven decades.

Now talk about your resurrection moments!

So, yes, as you can imagine, I enter this Easter Sunday a different person than I was a year ago.

But what about you, Faith Family?

Where do you enter this Easter Sunday? Where are you at in the continuous loop of joy, betrayal, discipleship, devastation and back to joy … as you worship here today?

Are you in a season of Palm Sunday … triumphantly riding high on that donkey, entering Jerusalem?

Do you find yourself in that season of Palm Sunday joy? A new grandchild maybe? Or a recent marriage in the family? A joyful reconciliation of a relationship you once thought lost?

Or maybe … you’re at another point in the cycle of Holy Week. … Are you in a season of betrayal, perhaps? Has your life been upended by something so incomprehensible that you're still shaken because someone or something you trusted has betrayed you?

Or maybe … unfortunately you do find yourself in a Good Friday season? … Maybe you find yourself or a loved one piecing life back together after an utter devastation?

And if you do, I offer my blessings and prayers to you.

But, take heart, Faith Family, because even if you find yourself trapped in a Good Friday season … the lessons we know so well from the story of Holy Week should remind us that resurrection is only three days away.

Faith Family … our lord and savior lived through Holy Week -- complete with Palm Sunday, Judas’ betrayal, the Last Supper, Good Friday and his resurrection -- some 2,000 years ago.

Our scriptures document the events of that beautifully tragic, soul-crushing and awe-inspiring week in detail for us to review any time. … It’s all right there in the Bible.

And the events of that week which changed the world forever should still resonate with us even today. … Because just as Jesus was living Holy Week, he was using it to prepare us for this pattern that we will live through again and again … as long as we live.

Yes, it was Jesus who was nailed to that cross and who perished in order that we may live. … But we also need to understand that in Jesus’ death we inherited life, and that … Faith Family … is today’s Good News! 

That is why we celebrate today on this glorious Easter morning! … Jesus is no longer in that tomb. It is empty! … And he conquered all of this earthly kingdom’s sin and death on our behalf! 

Alleluja! … He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Today, Faith Family, Jesus is asking us to be like the two Marys in our gospel lesson.

They arrived at the tomb, likely feeling utter devastation … a feeling I’m sure all of us can remember at some point in our lives … and that’s when they encounter the angel who delivers them the impossibly Good News …

“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.”

Given our human limitations, I think it’s a lot easier for us to relate to the low points in the Holy Week loop … the betrayal and the deep devastation.

That’s because we are not the Son of God, and our capacity for hopeful wonder is limited.

But that is why Jesus meets us where we absolutely need him.

Remember, after the angel sends the  Marys to inform all of the other disciples that Christ is indeed alive, Jesus also appears to them to remind them: “Do not be afraid.”

He does the same for each of us daily as well, Faith Family. … If only we’re open to seeing him, Christ shows up to us to reassure us and encourage us not to be afraid.

We do not walk this journey of the Holy Week by ourselves. … Jesus is alway by our side, even when we don’t seem to feel his presence. … He is there.

“Do not be afraid.”

Faith Family … It is Easter morning. 

Christ died for our sins, and he was buried, and raised on the third day. And through him all creation is made new!

Christ’s resurrection truly brings life to everyone. No matter where we find ourselves in the cycle of Holy Week, we can be assured that Christ will save us. … We will be resurrected in his name.

And so today let us find ourselves to be like the Marys at the tomb: astonished, elated, and grateful. … And let us also depart from here excited to proclaim the Good News of God’s endless love, his endless grace and our endless salvation.

Alleluja! … He is risen! He is risen indeed!

And that is the Good News, this Easter Sunday, 2023. … Amen.