Easter Earthquake

And so it is Matthew's version that we read this morning, and one of the things to which Matthew calls attention is that an integral part of the resurrection was an earthquake.

We know that an earthquake is one of the least controllable events in the world.

Perhaps we can predict that one is coming...sometime, but anything more definite than that is far beyond us.

If we had any knowledge at all we would have moved thousands of people out of the range of the earthquake-cause tsunami in Japan a few weeks ago.

But we just don't know.

Because of its nature of being completely beyond our control, earthquake is a good way to talk about the resurrection.

What happened on Easter is the most profoundly earth-shaking event in all of history.

The inevitability and finality of death is shaken so completely that it is broken.

It is so hard for us to get our minds around that proclamation.

(1) Easter is not about the resuscitation of a dead body.

We already had that with the raising of Lazarus, whom Jesus returned to the life he had before, with a batch of new problems to handle including death threats from the Pharisees.

(2) Easter is not about the immortality of the soul, some divine spark that endures after death.

That is Greek philosophy; it comes from Plato, not Jesus.

(3) Easter is not about God as an empathetic but powerless good friend, with whom we talk things over, but who can change nothing.

(4) Easter is not about squeezing our eyes really hard and thinking about Jesus intently, so that it almost seems like he is here, but he isn't.

That is what the resurrection-denyers of the so-called “Jesus Seminar” might say.

Rather, Easter is an earthquake that tears apart all of our accomplishments and arrangements to make room for a new creation.

The disciples could not have made this up on their own.

They are ordinary Galilean peasants, certainly not schooled in esoteric philosophies, of schooled at all.

Someone observed that “They were the sort of people who could see an empty tomb and not let it spoil lunch. You don't get an idea like the resurrection of the body from a practical mind like Peter.”

In other words, lots like us!

People like us are those who like to believe that one could talk about resurrection and still have the world as it was before.

We want to have Easter and still have our world un-rocked!

But Matthew says that the earth shook, and the tombs were opened.

All of the things that we thought were certainties, especially about death, are not!

Not if God wants something different to be happening!

A pastor from the flatlands traveled to an Eskimo village in an earthquake zone in Alaska.

As he was preaching, an earthquake struck, but nobody moved or even looked startled, utterly astounding the pastor.

One person said, “Oh, look at that; the light fixture didn't even fall this time.”

That is how strong the drive is within us to keep things “normal” even when they are not!

The pastor said to one of his friends, “What would it take to get this congregation's attention? I'd hate to have to preach to them every week.”

Matthew says that Easter is an earthquake that shakes the entire world.

We keep looking for ways around it:

(1) some have said that Jesus was drugged and awoke in the cool of the tomb.

(2) some have said that the disciples got so worked up over the Jesus episode that they just fantasized the whole thing.

We keep trying to “explain” the resurrection; rather, the resurrection explains us.

The disciples did not expect or even want Easter resurrection with its openness to God's future.

They were expecting something which is tied down and final; they were expecting that death had won in the fight with Jesus, just as death always had done.

They had hopes...but it just didn't work out. Face the facts.

Is it time for lunch yet?

But Easter is an earthquake that destroys those things we thought were certain.

We've had hints about this all along, if we would have paid attention.

(1) The angel announced to Joseph that God was incarnate in Mary. [Mt.1:20]

No way! Impossible!

But yes, it is God's way.

(2) “This is my Son, the beloved; listen to him!” [Mt.17:5]

No way! Impossible!

But yes, it is God's way.

(3) “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” --he then said to the paralytic--”Stand up and take your bed and got o your home.” [Mt.9:6]

No way! Impossible!

But yes, it is God's way.

Like the disciples, we are slow learners.

We should catch on that all of the things that Jesus does are tremors that are leading up to this great and final earthquake called resurrection.

The world is about life, not death.

No way! Impossible!

But yes, it is God's way.

The world is about forgiveness, not retribution.

No way! Impossible!

But yes, it is God's way.

The world is about community, communion, communication, not silence, solitude, and privacy.

No way! Impossible!

But yes, it is God's way.

Jesus picks up a piece of bread and the disciples can see the print of the nails in those hands.

Life in spite of death. Recognition.

No way! Impossible!

But yes, it is God's way.

The women come to the tomb for a final chapter to the Jesus story.

And the angel announces the earthquake to them:

“ Don't be afraid. He is risen.”

But then might the angel turn to the soldiers and say: “Be afraid, because everything upon which you build your world is being shaken apart this day.”

Nobody leaves un-quaked!

And that includes us.

One can either pretend that things are the same and continue to live in the rubble, or else one can rejoice that Jesus intends to build a new thing with us and in us.

This is the one time that the an earthquake is a good thing.

And it is summarized in the call and response of this Easter season:

Christ is risen; He is risen indeed. Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.