WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
April 8th 2007
Easter Sunday
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
John 20:1-18
“Tears for Our Jesus”
Jesus is dead, so Mary goes to the tomb. The reason she goes to the tomb early in the morning before dawn is not clear, at least in this gospel account of the resurrection. What was it that brought this disciple to the tomb, a place of death? Was it to spend time alone grieving for the loss of her beloved savior? The bible is simply not clear here. In fact, the writer of John’s gospel simply does not seem to care why Mary came to the tomb. Which begs the question, what is the writer interest in telling in this story? It is my impression is that the writer of this gospel had one main agenda. That agenda is this: In order to be a disciple, a witness to the resurrection, one must; turn from the places of death, and not cling to our personal experience of the risen Jesus.
Mary goes to the tomb and finds the stone in front of the tomb is missing. She runs to tell the disciples what she has seen. From her perspective, the most logical explanation is that they – grave robbers, the roman occupiers, or the religious leadership, have taken the body of Jesus. Both Peter and the disciple, who Jesus loved, run to the tomb. They find out quickly that Mary was telling the truth.
When the disciple whom Jesus loved finally goes into the tomb he sees and believes. But, his belief has nothing to do with the resurrection. He too believed that Jesus body had been stolen. Both Peter, the beloved disciple and Mary have all come to the tomb with the same preconceived notion. They all believed that Jesus is dead. As a result the only logical explanation is that an empty tomb means the body was stolen, and the grave was desecrated. Each one of them had been close to Jesus throughout his ministry and yet not one of them thought this empty tomb meant Jesus had overcome death.
The only thing left to do was to return home and remain in hiding out of fear for the authorities. So Peter and the beloved disciple go back to the house where they were staying and lock the door. But Mary cannot go away. Too full of grief she can only stay and cry. It is then that she sees two figures, angels, sitting where Jesus’ body was laid. These two angels ask her: “Why are you crying?” Mary says: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him?” This response shows that her grief has everything to do with being unable to locate the body of Jesus.
For some reason, as she finishes speaking Mary turns away from the tomb, the place of death, and comes face to face with Jesus. And in this moment Mary believes Jesus, her Lord, is the gardener. Even after he speaks to hear and asks: “Why are you crying?” Mary says: “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Her grief is about being unable to locate the body of the dead Jesus. It appears that Mary’s is so captured by the power of death; she is unable to see the living Jesus right in front of her. She must be called by name in order to be freed from the places of death.
Mary’s response to being called by name is at the heart of the passage, but it is not the words she speaks. Even before Mary says anything, she turns toward Jesus away from the tomb, the place of death. In the gospel of John, this Greek word for turn shows up only three places. In the previous occasion it is exclusively used to mean: repentance, change or change of mind and heart. Its use here is no different. Mary is not simply turning toward Jesus physically; she has turned from the places of death and toward the way of life. So when it is used here, it is not merely letting us know that Mary turned around. In fact, until Mary turns from the place of death, she cannot see Jesus standing in front of her.
When Mary is finally able to see Jesus she wants to embrace him, but Jesus does not allow it: “Do not hold on to me.” You cannot cling to me, weather I am dead or alive, Jesus says. Instead, Jesus shows that the role of a disciple is to go and tell the story, be my witnesses. Tell the world “that you have seen the Lord” instead of trying to grasp or take hold of Jesus. Because of this scene from John the answer to the t-shirts and bumper stickers which say “Got Jesus?” Is; ‘No, and that’s not our calling as disciples.’ When Mary is called by Jesus, she is called to be a witness proclaiming: “I have seen the Lord.”
This story points to the great struggle of all disciples. We Christians are rather practiced at clinging to our well defined understanding of the world and the way we know it works. Whenever those things are challenged how well do we respond? Despite what we may say, none of us readily embraces a new way of doing things or new ways of understanding the world. To change, or turn from what we know for sure is always hard, especially from the places of death.
This morning, we gather to hear Mary’s calling to be a witness. We too, are called like Mary to leave the empty tomb, the places of death, and to let go of the ways we cling to Jesus and become witnesses in the world. It is a story which must be told over and over. After all, each generation of Christians have preferred the tomb and the ways of death. And each generation of Christians has clung to their version of Jesus as the right one, whether proudly orthodox or proudly heretical. Yet, the good news of this story is that violence and right theology are not the calling of a witness to the resurrection. Instead, the disciples of Jesus are offered the simple invitation: turn from the ways of death and division and proclaim this simple message: “I have seen the Lord.” In this message disciples in all ages, each one of us, are invited to be witnesses that death and division do not have the last word. It is really that simple. So, it is my prayer that having heard it again that we will join in the life-giving chorus: “I have seen the Lord.” Amen.
April 8th 2007
Easter Sunday
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
John 20:1-18
“Tears for Our Jesus”
Jesus is dead, so Mary goes to the tomb. The reason she goes to the tomb early in the morning before dawn is not clear, at least in this gospel account of the resurrection. What was it that brought this disciple to the tomb, a place of death? Was it to spend time alone grieving for the loss of her beloved savior? The bible is simply not clear here. In fact, the writer of John’s gospel simply does not seem to care why Mary came to the tomb. Which begs the question, what is the writer interest in telling in this story? It is my impression is that the writer of this gospel had one main agenda. That agenda is this: In order to be a disciple, a witness to the resurrection, one must; turn from the places of death, and not cling to our personal experience of the risen Jesus.
Mary goes to the tomb and finds the stone in front of the tomb is missing. She runs to tell the disciples what she has seen. From her perspective, the most logical explanation is that they – grave robbers, the roman occupiers, or the religious leadership, have taken the body of Jesus. Both Peter and the disciple, who Jesus loved, run to the tomb. They find out quickly that Mary was telling the truth.
When the disciple whom Jesus loved finally goes into the tomb he sees and believes. But, his belief has nothing to do with the resurrection. He too believed that Jesus body had been stolen. Both Peter, the beloved disciple and Mary have all come to the tomb with the same preconceived notion. They all believed that Jesus is dead. As a result the only logical explanation is that an empty tomb means the body was stolen, and the grave was desecrated. Each one of them had been close to Jesus throughout his ministry and yet not one of them thought this empty tomb meant Jesus had overcome death.
The only thing left to do was to return home and remain in hiding out of fear for the authorities. So Peter and the beloved disciple go back to the house where they were staying and lock the door. But Mary cannot go away. Too full of grief she can only stay and cry. It is then that she sees two figures, angels, sitting where Jesus’ body was laid. These two angels ask her: “Why are you crying?” Mary says: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him?” This response shows that her grief has everything to do with being unable to locate the body of Jesus.
For some reason, as she finishes speaking Mary turns away from the tomb, the place of death, and comes face to face with Jesus. And in this moment Mary believes Jesus, her Lord, is the gardener. Even after he speaks to hear and asks: “Why are you crying?” Mary says: “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Her grief is about being unable to locate the body of the dead Jesus. It appears that Mary’s is so captured by the power of death; she is unable to see the living Jesus right in front of her. She must be called by name in order to be freed from the places of death.
Mary’s response to being called by name is at the heart of the passage, but it is not the words she speaks. Even before Mary says anything, she turns toward Jesus away from the tomb, the place of death. In the gospel of John, this Greek word for turn shows up only three places. In the previous occasion it is exclusively used to mean: repentance, change or change of mind and heart. Its use here is no different. Mary is not simply turning toward Jesus physically; she has turned from the places of death and toward the way of life. So when it is used here, it is not merely letting us know that Mary turned around. In fact, until Mary turns from the place of death, she cannot see Jesus standing in front of her.
When Mary is finally able to see Jesus she wants to embrace him, but Jesus does not allow it: “Do not hold on to me.” You cannot cling to me, weather I am dead or alive, Jesus says. Instead, Jesus shows that the role of a disciple is to go and tell the story, be my witnesses. Tell the world “that you have seen the Lord” instead of trying to grasp or take hold of Jesus. Because of this scene from John the answer to the t-shirts and bumper stickers which say “Got Jesus?” Is; ‘No, and that’s not our calling as disciples.’ When Mary is called by Jesus, she is called to be a witness proclaiming: “I have seen the Lord.”
This story points to the great struggle of all disciples. We Christians are rather practiced at clinging to our well defined understanding of the world and the way we know it works. Whenever those things are challenged how well do we respond? Despite what we may say, none of us readily embraces a new way of doing things or new ways of understanding the world. To change, or turn from what we know for sure is always hard, especially from the places of death.
This morning, we gather to hear Mary’s calling to be a witness. We too, are called like Mary to leave the empty tomb, the places of death, and to let go of the ways we cling to Jesus and become witnesses in the world. It is a story which must be told over and over. After all, each generation of Christians have preferred the tomb and the ways of death. And each generation of Christians has clung to their version of Jesus as the right one, whether proudly orthodox or proudly heretical. Yet, the good news of this story is that violence and right theology are not the calling of a witness to the resurrection. Instead, the disciples of Jesus are offered the simple invitation: turn from the ways of death and division and proclaim this simple message: “I have seen the Lord.” In this message disciples in all ages, each one of us, are invited to be witnesses that death and division do not have the last word. It is really that simple. So, it is my prayer that having heard it again that we will join in the life-giving chorus: “I have seen the Lord.” Amen.
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