As with last week’s recollection of
resurrection events, the disciples are confronted with an appearance of Jesus,
who appears in their midst and says, “Peace be with you.” Once again we hear assurances to not be afraid,
and to not doubt – look at Jesus’ hands and feet – touch the wounds if you want
to. The addition to Luke’s version of the account is that Jesus asks for food;
the disciples offer him left-over fish and Jesus eats it. The point is that Jesus has been resurrected
in body; Jesus is not a ghost. Unlike
John’s telling of the story, where Jesus appears in their midst of the
disciples, although, the doors were locked – so as to make one think that Jesus
is some form of Spirit – that is until Thomas was invited to touch the wounds.
The recollection previous to the one
read from Luke this morning, has two disciples on the road walking with a
stranger and telling him of the happenings of the past few days – about Jesus’
death and then his disappearance from the grave. They do not recognize that this stranger is
the Christ until the stranger breaks bread with them. So Jesus doesn’t look like Jesus.
In the Gospel of John, Mary mistakes
Jesus for the gardener, his voice gives him away –but, she is not to touch him
as his body is not like a human body.
On Easter Sunday, Mark’s telling of
the resurrection simply said that the tomb was empty and Jesus’ was going ahead
of them to meet them in Galilee – Mark doesn’t tell us if this happens.
The discrepancies in the recollection
of resurrection events has me think back to the beginning of the saga. On Good Friday we heard Pilate ask, in a line
that almost seems out of place at that point, “What is truth?”
What is the truth of the resurrection?
“A man who
tells secrets or stories must think of who is hearing or reading, for a story
has as many versions as it has readers. Everyone takes what he wants or can
from it and thus changes it to his measure. Some pick out parts and reject the
rest, some strain the story through their mesh of prejudice, some paint it with
their own delight. A story must have some points of contact with the reader to
make him feel at home in it. Only then can he accept wonders.”
Last Sunday for the Kids Corner, I
brought a carton of coloured Easter eggs. Inside each egg was an item that was
connected to the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. As children opened the
eggs, they were invited to tell a story about Jesus and the item in the egg. For those who were here, you will recollect
that the first egg held a small thin strip of leather. The congregation was
told a fantastic story about a cow in a stable.
The cow ended up in Jerusalem. It
is here that Jesus sees the cow. Jesus
goes up to the cow and says, “Cow, you, are a good cow.”
This was the best resurrection story I
heard last Sunday! Some of you may dismiss the story as a few lines of
fabricated nonsense from a child; but, consider the truth within the tale.
The simple story, spoken in a
captivating way, pointed to relationship – Jesus’ relationship with animals; Creator
and creation; “reading between the lines” there was a sense of compassion, love,
and belonging. Jesus understood what the
cow needed to hear.
What else would Jesus say to a cow…and
if Jesus so loved a cow, how much more does Jesus care for you, me?
The story illustrated the resurrected
essence of Jesus. The story was perhaps based
on experience or maybe words taken to heart from stories heard in a place such
as this.
“You may
tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and
self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that
they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your
gift.”
Searching for the historical Jesus has
been a project of academics for the past forty years. In the 1970s, a guy by
the name of Robert Funk convened a group of scholars in what by the 1980s was
called the Jesus Seminar, to determine how much of the historical Jesus could
be known. The group decided through
discussion and a complex voting mechanism that only about 20% of what Jesus
said in the Gospels could actually be attributed to Jesus. The Jesus Seminar was followed by others
seeking the historical Jesus; public debates were held across North America,
with academics lining up along the spectrum from the stand that there was little
to no evidence to prove Jesus existed, to others holding to a long list of facts
supporting the historicity of Jesus, including the resurrection event.
People from all walks of life also
began to place themselves into different camps. Some believe that the resurrection of Jesus
happened exactly the way the Bible says – a literal interpretation of the
resurrection of the body. Then there are
others who believe that resurrection was a spiritual resurrection. Others hold a combination of both ideas,
where theology and philosophy weave the pieces together. Others use a good dose of mystery to allow
for continued change in understanding and chance for surprise by the Christ.
Truth varies depending on who
recollects the resurrection story.
There are congregations that like to
think, or at least present to the world, that all people in their pews are of
one mind, one heart, and most importantly one understanding. Some congregations
can say this, perhaps, but, we certainly cannot.
The beauty of this place – of Resurrection
– is that we come with as many varied stories and understandings as people
sitting here. This community is like
that of the Gospel writers who reflected in their multiple recollections of
resurrection events, the diversity of what resurrection means. Why does truth have to be either/or? Not
both/and….? Every tidbit of story - including that of Jesus speaking to the
cow, contributes to a fuller picture of the resurrected Christ.
This congregation has embraced a
diversity of truth and is comfortable allowing members to think for themselves
and experience resurrection in their own time.
Our rules of engagement and community include being open to sitting
side-by-side with someone who might articulate the truth in an entirely
different way from our own understanding.
In today’s world, this is a pretty amazing feet.
Resurrection and truth – determined in
this manner – serves us well as we then learn to hone skills:
the ability to juggle ideas and to be
flexible, keeping open to the potential for surprise, accepting and
anticipating the challenge of new understanding, articulating transforming theology; and living in a
constant movement from this boundary – where we are now- to the next resurrection occurrence.
Marcus Borg on his blog wrote: “The central meaning of Easter is not
about whether something happened to the corpse of Jesus. Its central meanings
are that Jesus continues to be known and that he is Lord. The tomb
couldn’t hold him. He’s loose in the world. He’s still here. He’s still
recruiting for the kingdom of God.”
This is truth: Jesus continues to be known and he is Lord.
The tomb couldn’t hold him. Jesus is loose in the world. Jesus is still
here. Jesus is recruiting for the
kingdom of God. No matter how we
interpret or understand this, no matter how this truth is articulated… This is
Good News!
Resurrection is known, is bigger than
ourselves, it cannot be contained; resurrection has energy, it is alive and
moving, it is present and moves into the future; it has the potential to make
all things new.
This is a truth I am wish to live in
and share in community. This a truth for which I am willing to lay down my
life. This is a truth that will hold me
should all else fail.
…and although I might understand it
differently than you, I am honoured to be in this community where each of you
challenges, changes, and adds to resurrection truth within me- making a picture
that is closer to wholeness. …together we can say in the fullness of truth, “We
believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.” Amen.
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