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Sunday, March 23, 2008

The Resurrection…

ressurection 2

At Eastertime, we ponder together on the message of the empty tomb. The empty tomb is the silent witness to the Resurrection of Jesus. There are no recorded eye witness accounts of how the Resurrection of Jesus happened. The women and the close friends of Jesus saw the empty tomb and they believed. The women who saw the empty tomb were overjoyed. For them it meant that the Lord had indeed risen, according to His promise.

resurrection 1

But not all who saw the empty tomb were overjoyed. The soldiers also saw the same spot where Jesus was laid and they became frightened. They were frightened by the consequences of their actions three days ago. They were fearful that Jesus might get back at them and exact vengeance.
The resurrection of Jesus is the proof that He is indeed the Anointed One of God. They had killed God. What a disaster this meant for them! The soldiers saw the empty tomb and saw a threat. Here is a great reason to be afraid. Here is one reality. Here are two opposite reactions to the same empty tomb.

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These two opposite reactions to the empty tomb are typical of the reactions of mankind to the reality that God is alive and lives with us. If a reliable source would tell you that the end of the world would be two hours from now, what would you do? Some might go into a spiritual cramming like going to confession, being in church and reconciling with enemies. All these will be done as a sort of protection against the wrath of an angry God.

The second coming of Christ evokes fear in many. They see it as the time of judgment, the moment of wrath. Run for your lives.

transfiguration-on-the-mountain

The first Christians looked forward to the second coming of Jesus, not in fear and in trembling but with thrill and excitement. It was to be the moment of irrevocable reunion, a time of ecstasy, the perfect hour of joy and happiness.

Does the second coming of Christ make you afraid or does it excite you? Does the reality of the empty tomb, meaning that Christ lives forever, excite you or threaten you?

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More than two thousand years ago, at the sight of the empty tomb, some became afraid while some were overjoyed.

Today, at the sight of an empty tomb, many respond by saying: “So what?” They see the empty tomb and they are not affected by it anymore. Christ does not bother them anymore. Christ is dead and morality is passe. The absence of God does not affect us positively or negatively. Who cares about the empty tomb? What the heck is it all about? I do not mind even if God is not here. In fact, it sounds so much better that God is absent. Let us have our holiday.

Is God alive in the way we conduct public service? Is God in politics? In family life? In the economy? Is God in business and in the entertainment? We cannot just say, “It is part of my job.” We cannot just hide behind our shallow pious rituals, behind popular religiosity. We inflict pains on our bodies and we flagellate once a year on Good Friday but for the rest of the year, we inflict pain on the bodies around us. We play dumb and blind to the anguish of the poor and the homeless, the scavengers and the street children!

Does Christ still affect us? Does His absence still prick our hearts? The Gospel of the Resurrection is a double-edged sword! It will bring comfort to the afflicted. It can also afflict those who are too comfortable.

On behalf of the monks of Christ in the Desert, I wish you all a very joyous and peace-filled Easter Season! May God bless us all!

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