"A Different Kind of Easter" - Sermon, April 12, 2020
“A Different Kind of Easter”
Rev. Andrew Davis
April 12, 2020
Matthew 28: 1-10
In all of my years of being active in church, I have only missed Easter once in thirty plus years. For everyone, this may be a first of not physically going to church, but instead having to meet virtually on Easter. For all of us, we have had the way of life that we knew suddenly yanked out from underneath us, leaving us confused, upset, angry, cynical, and all the emotions. We’ve had to suddenly learn to worship virtually this last month and let me tell you, it’s been a HUGE learning curve as I’m a pastor, not a video producer. For all of us, this is a different kind of Easter this year. While I am sad that we cannot be together face to face, and have this sanctuary packed to standing room only for Easter this year, I am grateful for the technology that allows us to connect from all over, and to have the chance to worship whenever and wherever. Nevertheless, we will celebrate Easter in person when we are able to worship together and in person, whether it’s later next month, or in June. And, even though we are not together physically, Christ is STILL risen…HE is RISEN indeed…Alleluia!!
As we do each Easter, we come to the story of Jesus’s resurrection and new life, as we join with Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as they encounter the empty tomb that first Easter morning. The women came to the tomb, expecting to find Jesus’ body so that they could perform the custom of anointing the body with spices and oils for burial. Except as they come near the tomb, they have a profound encounter when they experience an earthquake and the angel who comes to tell them that Jesus isn’t there. What a jarring moment that was to them!! As Mary Magdalene and the other Mary are about to find out, life can change in an instant. It was initially frightening during the earthquake and encounter with an angel coming down and opening the grave (Matthew 28: 2-3, NRSV).
The women’s reaction to the angel, followed by running to meet the risen Jesus as recounted in Matthew’s gospel was one of fear and joy at the same time (Matthew 28: 8). Fear of not knowing where Jesus’ body was and joy that the tomb was empty and hearing the Good News that Christ is risen (Matthew 28: 6). It’s a story that would change the world forever and one that we need the reminder to live into more than ever right now.
Just like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary experienced emotionally at the empty tomb, life has drastically changed this past month. And it hasn’t been little, subtle changes but BIG, huge sweeping changes, which continue happening by the minute it feels like. Perhaps we need this story and the Good News of resurrection in the midst of all the negative noise and fear-mongering that we are getting each day from many different means of communication.
Every day right now, we face the unknown which can leave us in fear; fear of scarcity judging from the shelves at the store. Fear as we hear the latest news and statistics about COVID-19. In the midst of the fear, we can still find joy amidst everything that is happening, and we can turn to the risen Jesus who reminded Mary Magdalene, the other Mary, and continues reminding us today not to be afraid (Matthew 28: 10).
Yet, it’s very easy to be afraid. It’s so easy not to love our neighbors as ourselves, especially in light of social distancing. Right now, I’ll admit that I find it very tempting to want to carry around a large paddle and give anyone not standing six feet away from each other a good whack; or throw something at the TV or roll my eyes at commercials. Except all of those thoughts of not-so-loving actions goes against the message of loving one another as ourselves that Jesus gave as we remembered the Last Supper on Thursday night. When we react in anger, or when we feel like lashing out, that’s our fear kicking in. The reality is that we are all scared right now in one way or another.
That’s when we need to stop, pause, say a little prayer or a breath prayer, and give it to God, remembering Jesus’s words of “do not be afraid” when he encounters Mary Magdalene and the other Mary post-resurrection (Matthew 28: 10, NRSV). Each day when I start to feel the strain of everything happening or start spinning or find myself on the verge of a meltdown, I’m finding breath prayer to be a Godsend when I find myself getting worked up over things I can’t control. And I find myself turning back to this encounter with the risen Jesus and being reminded to “not be afraid” (Ibid.).
Amidst Mary Magdalene and the other Mary’s fear from the earthquake and encountering the angel, they are filled with joy when they learn that Jesus is alive (Matthew 28: 8-9). Even while living in a time of uncertainty, we can still find joy in little things. We find joy in getting outside and taking a walk, sprucing up the yard, doing some projects around the house that have been put off time and again.
When we look around and see the remaining snow on the mountains around us; we are also seeing the trees blossoming, the daffodils, and other flowers blooming as signs of resurrection from a relatively dry and mild winter, even though we just had significant snow last month and light snow last weekend. We find joy in hearing another person’s voice on the other end of the phone when we pick up the phone to call to check in on each other. We find joy in receiving an unexpected letter, card, or care package. Or, we find joy when there’s a package of toilet paper on the shelf at the store. While we still may hold some feelings of fear and still face a lot of uncertainty on this different kind of Easter, the message of “do not be afraid” from the angel, then from Jesus cannot be stated enough, even though his disciples actually cowered away in fear after Jesus was arrested, then crucified which Jesus would show grace towards when the disciples ultimately encountered the risen Jesus. Like Jesus showing grace to his disciples who abandoned him, we too can show grace with ourselves when we start to feel afraid.
While the church building may be empty at the moment, we need to remember that the tomb was empty too because regardless of what’s going on and because of Jesus’s resurrection, death, sin, and fear will not have the final word. COVID-19 is not going to have the final word either. Yes, we are socially distancing, sheltering in place, and taking every precaution to flatten the curve, yet we are still the church and we are finding ways to connect with each other in creative ways, however long this lasts, which is unknown. Like the women and disciples, we will continue to follow Jesus after the resurrection, as we can once again encounter this story of the risen Jesus just like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary did, whether we are coming to it for the first time or for the hundredth time.
Perhaps during this time, we are dying to wanting to control things and rising to letting go and letting God be in control. Maybe we’re dying to ways that keep us from fully living, rising to health and a new sense of wholeness.
Perhaps we are dying to ways we have treated others, seeking forgiveness for how we have wronged others, or for the ways others have wronged us. New life is possible!! In the words of a beloved hymn by Bill and Gloria Gaither, the refrain of it says,
Because He Lives, I can face tomorrow;
Because He Lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know, He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives.[i]
Even though it’s a different kind of Easter and way of everything this year, life is still worth living and we don’t have to give into our fears or turn to anger or animosity; because we have the risen Jesus who we can turn to, who reminds us not to be afraid. We can indeed face tomorrow by encountering and following the risen Jesus. We can rise above anything when we rise with Christ on this day of resurrection and new life. Let us continue to make the best of this, because we can rise with Jesus too, and we continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the world today and every day. Offered to you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, let the church say, Amen!!
[i] Bill and Gloria Gaither, “Because He Lives” in The United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1988), 364.
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