Bible Text: Luke 24:1-12 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes
There is a New York City improv group called, “Improv Everywhere”. It was created by Charlie Todd in 2001 and since then they have performed over 100 special mission projects throughout the New York area. They “perform” a unique kind of improv theatre in that they don’t have a stage and they often have over 1000 participants. While sometimes their missions involve some kind of gag, like a Candid Camera or Just For Laughs style gag, they often involve not just improvisation but also improved experiences. For example, in 2008 the group went to a Little League Baseball game with the mission of turning it into the feel of a major league baseball game, they memorized the bating order and had commentators a jumbo-tron and hired a good year blimp. The kids and parents were ecstatic. In 2009 they surprised a couple who were getting married at the city clerk’s office in Manhattan with a full on reception in the city park across the street. They basically took the first couple to come out of those doors and threw them a party. The couple, who could not afford a traditional reception, were overjoyed with gratitude. Recently, they delivered 20 pizzas to one random subway car and threw a pizza party. You can view most of their missions on their website. What I like about watching people’s reactions is that they are often overcome by glee. At first there is hesitation, a concern that something doesn’t seem quite right, even a suspicion that something is wrong. There is often confusion because this kind of thing doesn’t happen every day. But then shock changes to surprise and surprise changes to joy. People will break out in smiles at the joyful absurdity of it all. I love the reactions to these kind surprise moments. Totally unexpected, yet totally warranted, totally ridiculous, yet totally playful.
I wrote in the most recent pastoral letter, that Easter seems to have sneaked up on me this year. At first I was disappointed in myself. How could I let such an important story in our faith and practice catch me so unprepared- where did the time go? Of course, it is early this year but that’s no excuse. The celebration is based on a lunar calendar and always falls on the Sunday that follows the first full moon after Spring Equinox so I shouldn’t be surprised. Lent always lasts 40 days, excluding the Sundays, and this year is no different. There is no reason for me to be caught off guard. But then I realized that being surprised at Easter was rather biblical and perhaps we should be reminded that at the first ever Easter there was surprise and shock, absurdity, and eventually joy. Of course it didn’t start out that way. It started out like any other day when someone is grieving. The women had planned on laying aromatic herbs and oils around the tomb- as was the practice at the time. Perhaps Mary Magdalene even had some of that Nard oil she used to anoint Jesus’ feet the last time he came for a visit.
All four Gospels tell the resurrection story with some slight and some major differences. I certainly don’t see a problem with this in part because it is a strange and confusing story. Not only would rumours be out of control but the disbelief of it all is completely legitimate. The story just doesn’t make sense and so as the Gospel writers work hard at making sense of it all they are allowed to have differences. There are three important details that all four gospels have in common, (1) that the tomb was empty, (2) that it was discovered on Sunday morning and (3) that Mary Magdalene was at the tomb.
In Luke’s version there are at least five women present. Three are named, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and the other women. Because women is in the plural we know there was at least two more- hence the no less than five women. And these five or more women are definitely shocked, surprised and overcome with joy. While the NRSV states that the women were perplexed, Petersen’s the Message says, “They were puzzled, wandering what to make of this [empty tomb]. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, with light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery?” Then [the women] remembered Jesus’ words.”
Luke, more than any of the other gospels includes women in many of the stories- be they present at certain teachings, be it that Jesus visits them regularly or that they are also part of his following. Clearly these women were with Jesus when he told the disciples about his death and resurrection, which by the way happens fairly early in Jesus’ ministry. In Luke it happens as early as chapter 9. Which means these women- who are shocked and surprised at the empty tomb- were among his early followers. As a result, while the women are surprised by the empty tomb, surprised by these dazzling men, surprised by the words expressed, the women still come around to making sense of it all. They remember what Jesus had said, they believed, and they leave to tell the disciples. It doesn’t take the women long to work through the emotions of shock, surprise, and joy.
If these women travelled with the disciples for a couple of years, as this passage would suggest, then it really should surprise us that the disciples don’t take the women seriously. “They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest…kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.” The NRSV says, these words seemed to the disciples an idle tale. The Greek is Leros hremata which is literally translated as “foolish talk”. The idea that Jesus has been raised from the dead is so absurd- that the disciples, Jesus’ most intimate friends- can’t or won’t believe it. St. Augustine said in a sermon, “Truth became like an idle tale.” The truth can be shocking, surprising and joy-filled.
Only Peter gets up to run and even as he peeks into the empty tomb he leaves home amazed but still asking, “What does it mean?” At this point in our text Peter is still unable to say that he believes. Amazed yes, but it does not say he believed as it does with the women. That will come later on in the evening when Jesus appears in physical form to the remaining eleven disciples. My guess is that it was just too shocking for them to understand. New Testament Scholar Dr. Hultgren says, “Easter is perplexing, and to believe in the resurrection is not easy. The women who come to the tomb are perplexed from the beginning…Only later on the apostles come to faith and that is after Jesus appears to them. To believe in the resurrection of Jesus takes a lot of faith and courage.”
Some Easters we might be more prepared, knowing the story and having time to go through the proper motions and preparations. Some Easters we may be so saddened by what is happening in the world that we prefer to remain the dark tomb rather than step into the light of salvation. Some Easters we might be more like the women at the tomb- while we are shocked it eventually leads to joy and some Easters we might be more like the disciples- not willing to believe based on words alone, taking it as an idle tale, until we experience it ourselves. Belief in the Easter story takes commitment. Perhaps that is the most surprising aspect of this story. We can not simply be capable of believing but we must also commit- commit to love and reconciliation, commit to time and money spent in and on this community, commit to lifting up the outcast and letting the last be the first, commit to telling the story of the resurrection regardless of whether someone calls it an idle tale or not. Yes, we can be shocked, yes we can be surprised, but eventually that overwhelming joy leaves us with no other choice but to live as people of faith. Amen