Reflection: The Renewal of Resurrection (April 8, 2012)

Easter Sunday
Isaiah 25:6-9; 1 Cor. 15:1-11; Mark 16:1-8

The account of the Resurrection found in the Gospel of Mark leaves a lot to be desired. While we can appreciate the grief, fear, and confusion of the women as they made their way to the tomb very early in the morning and we can understand why they were alarmed at finding an angel sitting in the opened and otherwise empty tomb, we can't be satisfied with their leaving that tomb after hearing the good news that Jesus had risen "trembling and bewildered." How could they flee from that place in fear and hide away this marvelous news as though it had not completely changed their lives, their world, their everything? How is it that we can do the same thing in response to the Resurrection?

In the renewal of the Resurrection, people who were afraid are made brave, those who are without hope are filled with certainty, and the enemies of God are changed by His grace into His children and friends. What was dead is made alive in the Resurrection and the renewal it brings. Paul experienced this and shared it with the church in Corinth. He said that before the Resurrection came to him he was someone who had been "abnormally born." In the darkness of his ignorance and arrogance, Paul had so thoroughly opposed God's grace that he persecuted the Church. But that grace changed everything for Paul. He went from being God's enemy to becoming God's chosen instrument for sharing the Resurrection with the world.

How will we respond to the Resurrection we celebrate today? Dare we return to the trembling caused by the fears that bound us before Christ freed us from sin and death? Will we remained confused about who we are in Christ and continue our bewildered silence? Or will we seek the renewal of resurrection and let God reshape us from those "abnormally born" into objects of His grace?

The Resurrection has completely changed our lives, our world, our everything. It leaves no room in our lives for fear. It calls us to address the tremendous need in our world by breaking our silence. It empowers us to be bold and brave witnesses of how the Resurrection of Jesus has changed everything. As we read in the other Gospels, this is exactly how the women who visited the tomb responded once they embraced the renewal of the Resurrection.

Audio file of the sermon based on this reflection