God raised this Jesus;
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear."
of this we are all witnesses.
Exalted at the right hand of God,
he poured forth the promise of the Holy Spirit
that he received from the Father, as you both see and hear."
For being the most spectacular event in human history the Resurrection of Jesus is surprisingly unspectacular. No one actually witnessed it. Women discovered it and the news spread through rumors and misinformation with officialdom making every effort to deny it. Actual sightings of Jesus were rare, limited to only some of his disciples, and they’re inconsistent. Perhaps more bewildering is the evangelists’ disinterest in trying to get the facts straight. They record the stories as they heard them despite their inconsistencies.
What they heard, of course, and give to us was not rumors or facts but Gospel. When later generations of editors, redactors and bowdlerizers try to level out the stories, creating a sequential chronology of events and a synthesis of interpretation they distort the Gospel. Neither the Holy Spirit nor the Church has shown much patience with their work. We like the stories as they are, with all their ambiguities. We find ourselves in the middle of every story and each one is exciting, rich in meaning and very good news.
Today’s gospel is typically unspectacular. It feels more like a transitional passage to move us from Jerusalem “to Galilee where they will see me.” One of the great oddities of the resurrection stories is the contradiction between Matthew and Mark on the one hand, and Luke and John on the other. Mark and Matthew conclude their narratives in Galilee; John and Luke in Jerusalem.
But after complaining about the “editors, redactors and bowdlerizers” I find myself tripping over the same problems.
The Good News gleams through these stories like the searing, radiant heart of glowing embers – He is risen! The women saw him and worshiped. They fell prostrate at his feet and “did him homage” as the magi had worshiped him so many years before.
Jerusalem and Rome have done their damndest to kill him and now he has been raised up in glory, more powerful, more commanding and more beautiful than ever before.
The Lord is Risen!
He is Risen indeed.
He is Risen indeed.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.