Easter
Today we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ but it seems the greatest day in the Christian calendar is becoming as commercialised as Christmas is. I have received two cards, one bearing a picture of daffodils, the other a rabbit. These have about as much to do with Easter as robins and holly do Christmas; even the religious ones usually have a cross, never an empty tomb and an intact shroud. The true Easter message is too uncomfortable and not a good business proposition for the card manufacturers who are merely seeking sales.
When the disciples, Peter and John, reached the tomb, the boulder blocking the entrance had been rolled away (John 20) but I wonder why. When they entered they saw the grave clothes untouched, the Lord had not needed to unwind them to release Himself so He presumably could also have passed through the rock. I think it was to entice them in, to give them proof of the marvel that had happened and show them that the person they would meet in days to come really was Christ, not an impostor acting out the part while the real body continued to moulder in the grave. Mary assumed that “they” had taken the body away but those wrappings proved otherwise.
We humans constantly demand proof, evidence that reassures us in our day-to-day lives. We need to know where we stand and watch our backs in case someone blames us; our lives are governed by rules and regulations to the nth degree. As a nurse I have protocols for everything I do. I can be blamed for doing what I should not do or not doing what I should do but I am safe if I do not do that which I should not, even if I probably could. In reality, patient safety often requires suspension of individuality or common sense; there are so many variables that one person cannot be capable of managing them all.
Christianity is not like that, we all have an equal right to know God personally and be a member of His kingdom, we are all granted the same rights to receive His blessings and although we may receive different gifts of the Spirit there is nothing to stop any of us using any of them. All we need is faith; the proofs will come when we act in that faith and we see, in turn, God acting through us. Jesus told His disciples that faith could move mountains (Matt. 21:21) but He knew they would find it difficult so He sent His Holy Spirit to help them. After all they would not be doing the moving, healing or whatever, God would, but they needed to accept the authority to command the event in His name and the Holy Spirit would strengthen them as they did this. We too can accept that Spirit into our lives to be a constant guiding presence and support.
This does not mean we should be telling God what to do or how to do it. The most difficult prayer to make is an unconditional, “Thy will be done”. We want control and are always afraid that we may be committing to something uncomfortable or inconvenient. With true faith we should know that whatever the Lord has in store for us it will be better than anything we can imagine. We may not understand why He permits evil things to happen in the world, especially when they harm our loved ones but we have to remember that many of these things arise from the free will He gave us. Our laws or even our perceptions of possibility and impossibility do not limit God, He is able to take the messes we make and turn them into successes. We just have to trust Him.
Before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus, a fully human man, had the freedom to walk away. He knew what it was like to be in the presence of God and, therefore, knew what He would suffer when He died as punishment for our sins and was removed from that presence until His Ascension. At Gethsemane He prayed in great anguish for release but He trusted His Father and submitted to His will. By that act He has guaranteed our places in eternity and at Easter we give especial thanks and rejoice.
