Title: “Tell my Brothers”
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10, Acts 10: 34-43
3/27/05 Easter Sunday, Year A
Rev. Joy R. Haertig
Last Sunday we processed down the aisle with fresh flowers in our hands and then ended our service by honestly looking at the crucifixion. Palm Sunday is a powerful and painful reminder of our human fickleness, that we can go from cheering to sneering, from shouts of “Hosanna!” to shouts of “Crucify him!”
Then on Thursday night we gathered for communion in memory of the last Passover meal that Jesus shared with his disciples and we heard the stories of Judas' betrayal, the disciples abandonment and of Peter's denial. We heard the story of Jesus being nailed to the cross and his last words: “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.” We left the sanctuary in the darkness of the night to ponder the meaning of all those memories.
And now here we are today on the other side of darkness - A new day has dawned and we see that the power of love is indeed stronger than loveless power. (Yes, the power of love is stronger than loveless power - do you believe it? “Yes!” the congregation proclaimed!)
“Christ is risen!” “He is risen indeed!”
I have been preaching Easter sermons for almost 19 years now and each year something different moves me in the Easter story. This year it is the words of the Risen Christ when he speaks to the women as they encounter his presence and fall at his feet in thanksgiving.
According to Matthew when the Risen Christ spoke to the two Mary's he said: “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
“Tell my brothers”.
“My brothers”
These are such intimate words.
These “brothers” are the ones that have abandoned him and denied him when he was suffering the most.
I am moved by his choice to want to see them - to love them - regardless of what had occurred just days before.
One author said it this way: “Justice demands that Jesus reciprocate, Love demands that Jesus forgive.”
You and I both know that Jesus has not forgotten what they did or what happened to him, his wounds are still on his hands and feet and no doubt on his heart as well. To forgive does not mean to forget - but the power of love that resurrected his Presence from the tomb also freed him to release the past and embrace the present.
“Go tell my brothers”, the Risen Christ said. Through forgiveness the disciples were released and so was Jesus.
Forgiveness is a difficult journey for most all of us, but in Jesus we see what is humanly possible with divine help. The power that resurrected Jesus from the tomb and released him from the past to embrace the present can be released in us as well.
The late Henri Nouwen wrote:
As long as we do not forgive those who have wounded us, we carry them with us or pull them as a heavy load. The great temptation is to cling in anger to our enemies and define ourselves as being offended and wounded by them. Forgiveness liberates not only the other, but ourselves, for the only people we can really change are ourselves. Forgiving others is first and foremost healing our own hearts and giving up the other to God…Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, but it changes the way we remember. It helps convert a curse into a blessing…the God who lives within us will give us the grace to go beyond our wounded selves and say, 'in the name of God you are forgiven.'
The grace of forgiveness is a journey, a process, not a light-switch that we turn on or off in a heart beat. In our quick-fix society I fear that we will lose our willingness or ability to enter into a journey of forgiveness because it is rarely done quickly or healed with a pill. If we are unwilling to enter into the journey of forgiveness then if Nouwen is right, more of us are carrying around a heavy load of anger or guilt and a desire for revenge rather than moving towards the grace of release. More of us are dying in the tomb of despair rather than moving towards the gift of new life.
“Tell my brothers”, Jesus said.
“Tell my sisters too.”
Being willing to enter into the sometimes long and intimate journey of forgiveness is to enter into the joy of the resurrection.
Forgiveness is a difficult journey for most all of us, but in Jesus we see what is humanly possible with divine help. The power of love that resurrected Jesus from the tomb and released him from the past to embrace the present can be released in us as well.
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!
Let us pray:
Wondrous and mysterious God,
This morning, in the multi-colored company of your Church on earth and in heaven, we celebrate your creation and Christ's death and resurrection. We pray Lord, for new life, where we are worn and tired; new love, where we have turned hard-hearted; forgiveness, where we feel hurt and where we have wounded; peace and reconciliation, where war is flaring, and the joy and freedom of your Holy Spirit, where we are prisoners and imprison others. Amen.