10 August 2005

Just what do we do with death in the face of the promise of resurrection?!?

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised; and our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ - whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith if futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Corinthians 15:12-19)

This death of Jesus was a real death. It wasn't pretend. There was no divine escape before death so that only a body or shell was left on the cross. Jesus was executed. If we had to come up with a terrible way to die - physically, spiritually, psychologically - we have that picture in the execution of Jesus. So...this dead and gone Jesus (as dead as dead can be) is raised up from this death - by the God who rules over all things. Jesus being raised from the dead means that death -real death- is left powerless. Does death still happen? Of course it does...but the story of God in Christ Jesus tells us what God does in the face of death. Raising Jesus from the dead is a scandal so great it is beyond our comprehension therefore the Holy Spirit empowers us to trust/believe that it is the truth around which we can live our lives. Paul's strong comment about how we are to be "pitied" if we do not trust this action by God is so good to hear. It is good to be reminded of this because the promise of God's power over death...the death of Jesus and therefore, also, power over the death of each of us, puts a new order into this day. Without that action of God raising Jesus from the dead, death could claim to have the upper hand on us. But for today...this day...when the powers of death take on many shapes in order to destroy us - oppress us - humiliate us - frighten us, we can say "No!" that is not the way this story of our lives goes. This power over death is for life...now. Don't let another storyline win this day...otherwise, we are to be greatly pitied.

Connection: Just how can we help each other face the powers of division and brokenness and death when they attempt to fracture us? Well, notice the use of the pronoun in the last sentence...we. Someone else must always be ready to remind us of the power of God over the power of death so that we too might have life eternal (beginning already).

When you rule over our lives, Creator of All Things, death also must submit to your call to life that cannot be stopped. As this day unfolds around us, guide us in the pathways of your liberating love so that the threats of the day will not have power over us. Amen.