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Back to Sermon ArchivesApril 12,
2009
The Rev. John Auer
Scripture: Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:3-10a,
Assorted Resurrection Gospels
“Freeing, Feeding, Forgiving, Fishing . . . Perfect
Love Casts Out Fear”
Praise the Lord – Christ Is Risen! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED!
Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus . . . dot dot dot . . . United Kingdom, Uzbekistan,
Zambia – 78 persons of 33 countries became citizens of the U.S. Friday at TMCC!
As Pastor Art Griffen preached Friday night, the work of the man on the cross is
not done until all peoples everywhere come together and just get along!
I commend the courage and commitment of the congregation coming out in what we
call “record numbers” to confront the events of this past week! Special thanks
to the Tongan Youth Band for playing us into Jerusalem last Sunday. And to
the Youth Group for reading us through the Passion Thursday night. And to
the Tongan Youth Choir for accentuating our witnesses to the Seven Last Words.
And specially thanks to all of the Sunday School students and families and Flo
for serving the Soup Supper and Communion Thursday night. The older students
visited our tables asking us questions to guess which Bible character they were.
The younger students offered us Handwashing in the spirit of Jesus’ Footwashing!
They set up their table with stations – to wash, rinse, dry, and add lotion.
Truly our hands were prepared for doing the loving service of God – receiving and
giving the bread and the cup – and for following Jesus‘ words from the Cross – “Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit.” In the garden Thursday night, allowing
God’s way with him was bitter agony for Jesus. In the garden this morning,
God’s way turns Jesus to utter joy! May we not safely rest ourselves
in God’s hands all of our lives -- and beyond?!
Julie and I are saying of our lives as we head into retirement (Is this the last
time I get to be quote “in charge” of Easter?! Hah! As if anyone is
“in charge” of Easter!) ) what the disciples and even Jesus may say again and again
last week – We do not know what the future may hold -- but we trust who holds the
future! For the congregation, of course, it means trust in the good old United
Methodist Appointment System! Infallible, right! That just the perfect
pastor will soon be named by our Bishop and Superintendents. I think of the
poem by Nicanor Parra who lived through the coup and repression in Chile – the poem
called “The Discourse of the Good Thief” (not to be mistaken for the good pastor!)–
who hung beside Jesus on a cross last Friday. Speaking of appointments!
Remember me when thou comest into
thy Kingdom
Appoint me President of the Senate
Appoint me Director of the Budget
Appoint me Attorney General of the
Republic
Remember the crown of thorns
Make me Chilean Counsel in Stockholm
Appoint me Superintendent of Railroads
Appoint me Commander-in-Chief of
the Army
I’ll take anything at all . . . .
Head of the Highway Department
Supervisor of Gardens and Parks .
. . .
Put me in as Director of the Zoo.
Blessed be the Name of the Father
And of the Son And
of the Holy Spirit
Put me in as Ambassador to any place
. . . .
If it comes down to it
Put me in as Superintendent of Graveyards!
How’s that for a title for Jesus this morning?! Superintendent of
all our graveyards! Of all graveyards everywhere!
Superintendent of Death itself! Superintendent of all the fears that lead
us to so many little deaths on the way. We live by appointment to places
of witness and service, faith and works. I believe congregations are every
bit as much “appointed” as pastors are! Think about it. Is this a
place, a people we always would choose for ourselves? Somebody must have
sent us here! So “somebody” has to answer to us! We who live by
appointment are tempted to ask from Jesus, from God only what we want and need
for ourselves. Leave the rest of the mess to somebody else. Jesus, when
you come into your kingdom, just give us the best deal we can get!
Remember this past week? “When
the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and divided them into
four parts, one for each soldier. They also took his tunic . . . ‘Let us not
tear it, but cast lots for it to see who will get it.’” The more things
are forced to change by crises within and around us these days, the more things
are longing to stay just the same! So will there be many “crowds” in our
congregations – still choosing “Barabbas!” all over again this morning?
Will there be many priests among us still confessing to Pilate, “We have no king
but Caesar?” To whom we routinely render our monies for war again on this
Wednesday? Will we be any closer to ending those wars?
We know the same powers deadly to Jesus then are deadly to us even now.
The question is whether the same power “lively” to Jesus then -- raising him from
the dead -- is lively to us even now? Are we “appointed” to resurrection now
– ready or not? I have told you my favorite resurrection poem, by Mari Evans, “The
Rebel” -- When I / die / I’m sure / I will have a / Big Funeral . . . / Curiosity/
Seekers . . . / Coming to see / If I / Am really / Dead . . . / Or just / trying
to / make trouble. Would we – like the Romans and other vested and
fortified interests – just as soon that Jesus had stayed dead today?
Stayed safely behind the stone in the tomb? And what about us?
Are we staying dead today? Safely behind whatever the doors of whatever
our tombs? Or are we rising to new occasions?
The great story of Lazarus raised by
Jesus from four days in the tomb is told by playwright Eugene O’Neill as
“Lazarus Laughed.” (And retold in a sermon by John Claypool – “Easter and the
Fear of Death.”) The curtain rises to Lazarus stumbling out of pitch dark and
into bright light. As he is unbound, he starts laughing, rejoicing,
embracing all those around him – starting with Jesus! It is as if he is
seeing the world again – for the very first time! With new eyes! He
caresses the earth, relishes sky and trees –and people! Saying over and
over, “Yes, yes, yes!” So of course they ask him what death is like.
He laughs all the more – then says, “There is no death, really. There is
only life. There is only God. There is only incredible joy!” He
calls death not an abyss but a portal. “The grave is empty as a doorway is
empty,” he says. “There is nothing to fear.”
What? Nothing to fear? What good is death if there’s nothing to fear?
Lazarus returns to his daily routines. But everyone sees the difference!
There is an ease, an ecstasy to his being. His home, known now as the “House
of Laughter,” rollicks with singing and dancing. His joy and good will are
contagious. The quality of life and work rises throughout the village.
People no longer perform, or fail to perform, out of fear! Their lives and
relations express love and generosity. There are not nearly the spats of envy
and anger. Everyone is happier.
Everyone but the Romans! The invading and occupying powers that be who
depend upon our fears -- of death, and of them! The death-dealers! Power-brokers!
Union-busters! Emperor Caligula used to say, “Crosses and corpses are so educational!”
To this day, do we not cling to death penalties and executions as alleged deterrents
to the very same violence they perpetuate? Lazarus is making them nothing but trouble!
He will not stop laughing. He will not stop partying. He says to them
blatantly, “There is nothing you can do to me! There is no death. There
is only life.” They arrest him. They take him to higher powers – even
to Rome – face-to-face with the emperor – always conceded in fear to be most powerful
man on the earth. “You’ll either stop this infernal laughter right this minute,”
the emperor pleads, “or I’m going to have you put to death!” Lazarus laughs.
And laughs. Who is the more powerful now? (I hope to show a short film
about this – “The Man Who Had to Sing” – in Adult Class in two weeks. Please
bring your favorite song. Please bring your favorite laugh!)
Jesus’ first words to us today also precede his birth – “Be not afraid!”
It is the message of Jesus’ whole gospel! Be not afraid!! God’s perfect love
for this world – the love we know through Jesus – and even through others and ourselves!
– so desires and so determines to cast out all deadly and violent fears of this
world! Jesus learns last week even from his most crushing sufferings
and most strangled cryings to God -- his Father, his Daddy -- that there is a way
– even as it leads to death -- a way that serves life! A way that gives
death no satisfaction at all. There is a way that – unbelievably! -- changes
all things about us – that changes the very way we are – the people we
are, the church we are, the nation we are, the world we are, the species we are,
and the Earth we are! There is – since this very day – a whole new way of
doing the business of being human!
To the eyes of faith of this resurrection morning, nothing will ever be
quite the same way again. After all he has been through, this may be the very
best Jesus can act, hope, and pray for in those of us who carry as best we can his
life and his work on from this day. Our breakthroughs from “what is” into
what “could be and should be” come roughly and raggedly -- in bits and pieces, fits
and starts. We catch glimpses of resurrection -- bursting from stone
to stone, tomb to tomb. Resurrection bursting from Peter alone -- to twelve
-- to five hundred -- to James and to all the apostles – even to you, and you, and
you – and even to me!
Resurrection starting with God – who shows no partiality, no favorites – God
who is not done with, does not give up on anyone yet! Who needs to hear that
this morning? That God is not done with you? That God does not give
up on you? Who needs to hear that? Who needs to say that to somebody
else? Go ahead! Perfect love has cast out your fear! You are empowered,
with Jesus, with Resurrection – to free, to feed, to forgive, to fish –not only
for trout but for people!
Resurrection preaching peace by Jesus
Christ, Lord – Liberator! Leader! – of all.
Resurrection spreading throughout Judea – beginning with baptism in least-likely-of-all
Galilee! Resurrection going about doing good -- healing all who are oppressed
– by the devil or anyone/anything else. Resurrection as “equal opportunity”
do-gooder and healer. Resurrection as being put to subversive and traitorous
death by hanging on a tree! Resurrection as on the third day –appearing and
appealing to all whose fear perfect love has cast out – to preach and to testify
resurrection! Resurrection judging the living and dead. Resurrection
bringing forgiveness – Jubilee! New Beginnings in all the Earth!
Praise the Lord – Christ is Risen! CHRIST IS RISEN INDEED! Amen!!
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