EASTER Sunday 2022

 

Easter Sunday 2022

Luke 24:1-12

Rev. Neli ML

 

From the beginning of Jesus’ proclamation in Galilee, he has been accompanied by a group of disciples, women, and men who have followed him for the past three years. In the middle of Luke’s account, he succinctly tells us about a group of women disciples who are part of Jesus’ movement: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, and many others (8:3).  They will reappear on the scene until the last chapters as the male disciples disappear at Jesus’ execution and resurrection.  Luke says that at Jesus’ execution “all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.” (23:49). These Galilean women followed Joseph of Arimathea who provided a place for Jesus to be buried and “saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.” (23:55). They now knew where Jesus laid in order to return after the sabbath day to prepare him properly for his final burial. Until this moment, we have not heard the voices of these women.

Today, we hear their voices as they come to tell us that Jesus’ tomb is empty, and that Jesus is risen!! They know it firsthand for at early dawn they came to the tomb and found it empty.  While Peter and the other disciples were in hiding, these women, in a profound act of love and solidarity, came to prepare Jesus’ body for his final burial. The terrible and cruel execution of Jesus has taken away all hope and they came to Jesus’ tomb prepared to let him go.

This morning has broken with a great surprise for the women, the tomb is empty and while they are perplexed, two men in dazzling clothes ask them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen!” (24:4).  Pain and sadness overwhelm them, but the announcement of these messengers make them recall and understand that Jesus’ message is about Life. Their love, devotion, service, and solidarity moved these Galilean women to the tomb, the place of death and pain which unexpectedly became a place of life, hope, and joy!

Are we surprised that these women find life at the tomb? Let us remember that our Christian faith is based on the paradox of finding life in death. The women are the first to comprehend this grand truth, and with great joy they return from the tomb to the community where the remaining eleven apostles and other disciples, fearful and paralyzed, are in hiding.  It is these Galilean women who rekindle Jesus’ movement with the great news of his resurrection!

Luke mentions that “it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles.” However, Luke adds, ^“But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” (24:10-11). It seems that it is going to take the apostles a while to understand the good news of the risen Jesus.

Dear sisters and brothers, today we receive the good news of the Gospel through the voices of these brave Galilean women. They are the ones who, defying a system that silences them, raise their voices to proclaim that Jesus is risen. They bring us a new theology, the theology of Life. Do we believe them? Or maybe we are still skeptical and hiding in our old theologies, like the apostles? These women tell us that the good news of the risen Jesus comes to those who, at early dawn, serve those in pain and suffering. They teach us that it is those who defy the violent system and stand in solidarity with the despised who find the empty tomb. They tell us that it is those who assist the slaughtered of this world who find life; and that it is by serving that we find the risen Jesus.  

Sisters and brothers, did we get up early today, like the Galilean women, to meet the risen Jesus? Or are we still fearful and hiding like the apostles?  Whose voices proclaim today that Jesus is risen? Do we believe them?

 It is by serving at dawn, by defying the violent system, by listening the voiceless in our world, and by defying the voices of the old theologies that we will meet the risen Jesus in this new Passover. Amen.