The Resurrection of Our Lord
Alleluia! Christ is risen! [R: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!]
And his resurrection was also on this day made manifest to Mary Magdalene, and to Peter, and to all the disciples, to whom he appeared. And this is their testimony: that Christ who is risen from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
But at first, they were amazed and could not believe. At first they were in darkness, and did not understand, and did not see. They did not yet know.
Mary, weeping near the tomb, did not yet know.
Today the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden was no longer forbidden, as Christ, who is the true the Tree of Life, stood in the midst of the garden. The garden, near the empty tomb, where grieving Mary wept, whose heart had still refused to believe the angel’s glad tidings. Ah, poor Mary! There before her he stands in the garden! where Mary sees him but does not yet recognize him. Mary is still in darkness, and her heart still void. Mary does not yet see the life and the resurrection standing arisen before her. Mary still sees only death, and sorrow, and misery, and all the curséd fruits and wilderness of a barren world. She still cannot see the Light of the world.
For Mary thinks him to be the gardener. Where? she asks, Where have you laid him? Not quite yet knowing, but very soon to learn who this is, this mysterious man standing in front of her. This stranger she does not recognize.
But suddenly he speaks the word: Mary, he says to her! Mary! See, he is the Gardener, and the Tree, and the Fruit, and the Light, and the Life: the Christ, not dead, but reborn. And she sees! And she knows! And sorrow and sighing fly away! And he wipes every tear from her eyes! She sees!
And she runs to tell his disciples, so full of renewal and joy is she: He lives! He lives! she declares. I have seen him myself! I have handled him! God rest ye merry! He lives!
But they could not believe it. Too incredulous was this, too foreign. How could he live? He died before our eyes; he was buried! She must be dreaming; she must suffering the wounds of a horribly dejected mind; she must be wrong. And so they remained in darkness and depression.
And then later the same day two of them depart the company toward Emmaus, in sorrow and dejection, bereft of any of the delight they knew before. He had healed the sick, he had raised the dead, he had walked on the sea, he had done marvelous things, but no longer, for he has died. And poor Mary must have become deranged over it. And so they lament, as this mysterious man comes to walk with them as they travel, and he listens to their lamentation: Alas! Alas! they mourn. Jesus of Nazareth was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and the chief priests and the rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and crucified him. But we were hoping that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel! Ah poor disciples! You were hoping; you are no longer hoping! Your hope has been extinguished and has died, and all you know now is sorrow, deep sorrow; bitter grief, and loss, and blindness, and thick darkness of soul. Alas! they lament, he is gone! But now there is this unknown stranger walking with them, whose identity is still hid from them, and he begins to speak to them, saying strange things: O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And he teaches them of how Moses and all the prophets and all the scriptures speak of himself. And by his words their hope is rekindled, and begins to burn within them. So when they arrive at Emmaus, they constrain him to abide with them, and so he does: and he sits with them, and takes bread and blesses and breaks, and gives to them; and suddenly their eyes are opened, and they know him! They recognize him! They, like Mary, have all at once discovered who this man is! It is the Lord himself, risen indeed, just as Mary had said to them! She was right after all!
And they immediately rush back to Jerusalem, to the others whom they should never have left in the first place. So now they return, with ebullient hearts, overflowing with joy! And they tell the others: The Lord is risen indeed!
And now it is the rest who still will not believe. They cannot. They cannot bring themselves to accept these wild tidings! How could this possibly be? He died! We saw it! We know what we saw! He could not possibly be alive. We cannot believe! We will not believe!
This is how the Evangelist puts it: Mary went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. And after that he appeared in another form unto two of them—these two who had returned from Emmaus—and they went and told it unto the residue: but neither believed they them.
But then—as these returning disciples are still insistent, but to no avail, just as they themselves could not at first believe Mary’s tidings to them—then, suddenly, he appears and stands in the midst of them all, and says unto them, Peace be unto you!
But still they could not believe! He was right in front of them, and still they could not believe their eyes. They were terrified and full of fear, and supposed that they were seeing a ghost! They wanted to be comforted in the faith, but they still believed in terrors.
So now, just as he had comforted Mary, and comforted the two, he continues to speak words of comfort to them all: Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see, for a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And now they are dumbfounded and amazed, and still can’t believe their eyes, so as their cup begins to well up and run over with joy, he says to them, Have ye here any meat? And they give him a piece of broiled fish, and of and honeycomb. And he eats before them.
And now, at last, they join in the joys of Mary and of the two who had returned from Emmaus, and their own gladness bursts forth, and the bonds of darkness imperiling their hearts are shattered, and their joy becomes ten times greater than they had ever known before. At last they believe! And they recognize him! At last, they see!
Do you see, dearly beloved? Do you recognize him? Can you believe today the unbelievable, the incredible? that he who was dead lives. Let not your heart be troubled but overjoyed. Embrace now the testimony of this Gospel, which tells of Mary’s joyful discovery, and of the amazing revelation at Emmaus, and of the breaking forth of the bounteous light of Christ announcing peace to the sorrowful, and the astounding truth that he is, after all, truly risen from the dead.
Do you see? Or can you see only the darkness, and the sorrows, and death? What do you see? What do you know? Do you recognize him who has already called you by name in your Baptism? Do you know what this resurrection means for you? That your sins truly have been put away, and you have been given life and salvation which is in him who is the resurrection and the life. Now embrace these wonderful accounts, and rejoice in them today, and blessed shall you be who have not seen and yet have believed. Let their eyes teach your eyes! Believe Mary’s glad tidings to the twelve! Believe the tidings of the Emmaus disciples! And believe them all, who finally were convinced, utterly convinced, and their joy was established in them forever! Learn that he is truly risen from the dead. And wipe away every tear, and scoff at death. Blessed, says he, are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. And today is that day, the day of your comfort and your joy; for today is Christ risen from the dead.
For today—see, today—he stands before Mary, and before Peter, and before all the disciples! And you! Through their words he also becomes known to you: Embrace these Gospel tidings today! For Christ is risen, risen, I say, risen from the dead! Alleluia! Christ is risen! [R: He is risen indeed! Alleluia!]
This sermon was preached by Father Eckardt at this morning’s Sunrise Mass at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kewanee Illinois.