Word to the Wise
Monday, April 10, 2023 - Octave of Easter - Mon
[Acts 2:14, 22-33 and Matt 28:8-15]"You who are children of Israel, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it." [Acts] Mary Magdalen and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." [Matthew]
The evangelists Matthew and Luke (author of Acts) offer us two different perspectives of the story of Jesus' resurrection. In the gospel scripture today from the Gospel According to Matthew we see the first astonishment ("fearful yet overjoyed") of the women who come and find an empty tomb, as well as the subsequent "cover up" by the Jewish authorities. In the first scripture from the Acts of the Apostles [Luke], the scene shifts to the immediate impact of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, 50 days later!! In this address by Peter, along with the other apostles, we are given the maturing perspective and meaning of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. In between those two events are to be found the post-resurrection appearances and ascension of Jesus. All of this will be presented to us through the lectionary scriptures over the next weeks until we have celebrated Pentecost. It will be a back and forth collage of the various accounts and traditions that were available to the evangelists as they sought to tell the story of Jesus.
How do WE tell the story now? Do we simply point to the New Testament and say to others, "Just read it?" What do WE make of the death and resurrection of Jesus? Why is this a source of life and hope to us? What difference does it make? The New Testament tells us that telling this story to others was worth risking one's life! Is it worth ours? AMEN