Ss Peter & Paul, Kettering
Easter
Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved (usually thought of as John) looked into the tomb and saw the linen wrappings just as Mary Magdalene had told them.
They saw; and it is recorded that John believed, but yet the account goes on to say ‘for as yet they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead.’ What was it that John believed even though he didn’t understand? Much speculation for theologians there!
And the same has been true for many folks down the centuries. The resurrection has been something that has been believed, and believed with a passion as strong as death – indeed many have died for that belief – but how much do we understand?
We know that is was in the scriptures that Jesus was to rise from the dead – but in our world of today, so often we want to know ‘how’ as well as ‘why’ – we tend to want proof, or at least something stable to cling on to.
The ‘why’ is relatively simple, for it shows Christ’s conquering of death and his conquering and sweeping aside of the sins that separate us from God: Sins that we committed as we turned away from His love and his presence.
The ‘how’ is not so simple – and, to my mind far less important. How God did this, we will probably never know this side of our existence. God does indeed work in mysterious ways his wonders to perform.
Mary Magdalene certainly wasn’t bothered how it was that Jesus stood there and gently called her name. She was simply so overjoyed to see him again that she rushed to him with open arms and heart aflame I’m sure.
She moved from thinking him the gardener to knowing him as the Messiah.
Something of that joy is what we should be engaging with on this most special day: A day to leave behind a past of sinfulness; a day to rejoice that Christ has opened up the prison for those who sat in the darkness and despair of their own personal hells.
He stands even today and calls our names quietly so that we to can recognise him and respond to him. If we stand and question how this came about, we will miss the point and maybe the opportunity. If we respond with love and joy he will be there.
But yet we too, like Mary, are called not to cling to him, to hold him there, to restrain him there.For he moves as God wills and we are to follow, follow his calling, out of that sinful darkness of separation from God into the presence, the active presence of God in this day, in this town, in our very lives and the lives of those around us.
This is the day when we celebrate His resurrection, but it is also a resurrection of sorts for us, for yet again we are reminded that, through the Christ of God, we too are freed from the chains of sin and death; freed to worship him and not hide from him; freed to be a community and not just a group of individuals; freed to be at peace and in love with God and our neighbour – and indeed ourselves ...that’s if we respond to that quiet call of his.
So, may we rejoice and be glad for this great and mighty act of God however he did it, he has done it.
Alleluia, Christ is risen.
Robert Hill, April 8th, 2007
Office Address:
The Rectory
Church Walk
Kettering
NN16 0DJ