Matthew 28:1-10
Easter Vigil and Easter - Year A
"Don't be afraid, I know you are looking for a way to G*D." So says an angel. In this instance the way is Jesus. This searching was the saving for the women.
In the midst of the earthquake, fire, or storm it is important to be looking for a way to G*D. It was important for Elijah. It was important for the Marys. It is important for you and for me, as well.
With our eye so oriented we are open to see beyond the fearfulness of an earthquake, the finality of death. This openness is a key component to the readiness to see.
Now they can go and see the place that is now over and done with. Now they can lift their eyes to aid others in seeing.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/march2005.html
"Do not hold on to me." "Do not be afraid" Different stories, same dynamic.
There are two different ways in which we can break the new family relationships Jesus has been attempting to bring together.
One is to so focus on Jesus that we lose ourselves. The other is to so focus on ourselves that we lose Jesus.
Insofar as we can't say, "Jesus," without also saying, "community of faith," we can always choose to so focus on others that we lose ourselves or so focus on ourselves that we lose others.
Again and again, in many different ways we keep coming back to the dual commandment regarding GOD and Neighbor. Depending on the context we need to be able to so inhabit this wisdom that we can play either end by ear, not manuscript.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/march2005.html
Matthew's image of an earthquake is important to shake us loose from our expectations and fears. Is there anything more to look forward to? How is the blockage ahead ever going to be taken care of?
Even Jeremiah's wonderful image of being built anew and dancing merrily carries with it an earthquake's worth of transition that will be tempted by and returned to bygone days of the sword instead of grace.
Paul's great assumption that "if" we have been raised with Christ we will seek the things above, causes an earthquake in our lives and the life of our communities that will need continual choice between a building upon the past and attempts to have the past build upon the present. What do we do with still being on the earth, but not of it?
Or another earthquake image of Peter's that there is no more partiality. We have built our lives and decision-making on how we might get to be those for whom partiality, privilege will redound their benefits to us.
It will take a resurrectional earthquake to roll away our expectations and fears to move us into a new perspective and better communal behaviors. Even though we might idealize this as a good thing, it will always mean a change of life (read, sacrifice) to enact and the earthquake itself may scare us more than the resurrectional opportunity it reveals.
- - -
this is a day
holding the tectonic plates
of our lives in place
regardless of the stress
it places upon us
to keep things from falling apartthis is a day
we yearn for sweet release
even a release that shakes foundations
relieving unrealistic expectations
controlling our lives
spending our resources on securitythis is a day
of resistance to change
of dreaming heaven on earth
unknowing clouds dim our eye
to unseen consequences
hidden beneath our next stepthis is a day
to rejoice and be glad in
to dance merrily
on the graves
within and around
trusting this daythis is a day
like all days
infamous and usual
ready and unready
for an earthquake opening
tombs and joy
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html
I was struck by Chris Haslam's comment on verse 10 "my brothers": Jesus calls his followers brothers in John 20:17 and Matthew 12:46-50. In the latter passage, doing so implies forgiveness.
Galilee is in some sense home or our usual place. It can also be seen as away from politico-religious domination systems.
A resurrection call might then be: "Do not be afraid; go and tell the already-forgiven to go home; there they will experience resurrection." (presuming upon a retranslation of "brother" to "forgiven", "Galilee" to "home", and "me/Jesus" to "resurrection")
Connecting this to a later comment in Matthew, resurrection-life is expressed in transforming forgiveness to home-space for the naked, hungry, imprisoned, etc.
A priest at a local gathering on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq Occupation, under a banner of "Support the Troops; Bring Them Home", asked an important question - to what home will the troops be coming, what with veteran's benefits reduced, health care for the wealthiest, an unregulated economy, demonized immigrants, etc. Perhaps evidence of resurrection will be what gets done in my "Galilee" to expand what "home" means.
The forgiven live their forgiveness/resurrection in all the usual places. To paraphrase a line from John Wesley, "there is no resurrection but social resurrection".
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.html
Creation begins again and again.
Rather than a scene of mud with Adam leading to Eve via a rib . . . we find a rolled-back stone with women leading to new community via “Galilee”.
New community lies ahead of you - run.
In the running new community is found.
“Be not afraid,” said shining messengers, “Be not afraid,” said Jesus, “Be not afraid,” said the women. What say you?
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/04/matthew-281-10.html
after sabbath
be sure to end
a sabbath
as well as begin
between dark
and dawn
a liminal earthquake
and heavenquake
a fearful time
for brave
for plodders
for the dead
for the dead
are not dead
already loosed
already ahead
ahead ahead
is a message
binding fear
to joy
ahead ahead
brings meetings
unexpected
confirmations
ahead ahead
with fear
with joy
to see again
to see again
to be seen again
ahead ahead
a pivot place awaits
ahead ahead
again again
a message
neverending
- - - - - - -
Galilee is derived from the Hebrew galil, referring to a ring, pivot, or rollers. [The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible]
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-dance-liminal-pivot.html
As dawning arrives we hear again that we have been looking in all the wrong places for a next foothold. We’ve been projecting the past into the future without taking into consideration that it must pass through the catalyst of today.
Come, see the grave of yesterday. Set a new goal among the people, Galilee is just one of its names. The community you are living in now is a Galilee. See it anew.
Fear and Joy is better than fear alone.
As a duly authorized rock ready to die to your formulaic rules, be transformed to water to refresh dry bodies. There is work to do together for this rock will need water from another to sustain itself. Together we go forward.
Wherever you may be this day, May your Fear and Joy dance together until both, assured, leave the floor together, refreshed and refreshing.
And it was evening and morning, one more day.
[Locally we are expecting rain to begin for the day just after dawn. For the moment I will take that as confirmation of rock to water—may the cooling waters come down and April showers open tombs bring fruitfulness in their time.]
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/04/matthew-281-10-vigil.html