Looking for Jesus

Jeremiah 31:1-6; Acts 10:34-43; Matthew 28:1-10

When I think about the two Marys who went to the tomb of Jesus on that first Easter morning, I am reminded of the women of many churches who get up early on Easter Sunday and go to their church to prepare a breakfast for their congregations. For the two Marys were, indeed, up before the sun had begun to shine. And they were going to the place where they had left the body of Christ on the previous Friday. For the scriptures tell us that Jesus had had a hasty burial. They had simply wrapped him in a shroud and quickly laid him in a borrowed sepulcher. They had to do it this way that Friday evening of the crucifixion because the Sabbath was about to begin. Jewish Law stated that the Sabbath started at sundown on Friday night and lasted until sundown on Saturday. And Jewish Law absolutely forbade anyone from doing any kind of work on the Sabbath, and that included preparing bodies for burial.

And, so, there they were, Mary of Magdalene and Mary the Mother of James and Joses, on the morning of the third day, at the very break of day, heading for the tomb of Jesus, bringing with them the things they needed to prepare the body of Christ.

Women were so much a part of Christ's ministry. The scriptures tell us in many places that women were a part of his band of followers, and that it was their job to take care of his needs. Thus, it does seem to be a bit surprising that those who got most of the glory from following Jesus were the men who had mostly just sat and listened to Jesus. It had been the women, on the other hand, who had not only listened to Jesus, but had washed his clothes, cooked his food, done the mending, and done most of the menial chores at the same time as they had listened to him. And, it is the same sort of thing that we see today, as well. For in most United Methodist churches it is the United Methodist Women who do most of the dinners and raise so much of the money which is needed by the group of people we still call "The Body of Christ in the world today."

Indeed, I do not think that it was by chance or coincidence that the first news of the resurrection came to women, instead of to men. For these were the ones who had stayed with him through thick and thin. These were the ones who had been with him, standing at the foot of the cross. And these were the ones who couldn't stop serving him, even though he had died and things looked as desperate and hopeless as they did.

But, then, Jesus always did have a special place in his heart for those who were humble. Jesus always did seem to favor those who were considered by society to be second class citizens. Earlier in his ministry he had met a sinful Samaritan woman who had come to get water from a well and turned her into a witness to her whole town. And then there was the woman who had been caught in adultery who Jesus saved from death by forgiving her and setting her on a new path. And who could forget the incident of the sinful woman who came into the room where Jesus was eating with some Pharisees and knelt at his feet and washed them with her tears and her hair? Jesus even lifted this woman up and set her free to serve the Lord.

And, certainly, this is how Jesus still works, today. He saves those who are of a humble heart. He still works for the underdog, for the poor, for those who are at the brunt of discrimination and injustice. And as we think of how Jesus is working in our lives we need to be in constant examination of ourselves: Are we always as humble as we ought to be? Do we care for the poor, the hungry, and the homeless? Do we serve the needs of Christ's Body even when it is inconvenient?. Even when it becomes a hardship? Or does pride and materialism and false piety get in the way of the news getting to us that Christ has risen for us?

No, it should not come at all as a surprise that it was two women who first got word that Jesus was no longer in the tomb.

Matthew says that there was a violent earthquake and that an angel of God came to the tomb, pushed the stone away, and then sat on the stone, looking down at the women. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were as white as snow.

Now, most of us would probably say that we have never experienced anything like that. But, then, perhaps you've got to make the effort and follow the Spirit's leading in order to see things like that. In today's world fewer and fewer people take the effort to expand their souls. Fewer and fewer people do what is needed to listen to God's Spirit. And, yet, we still want the miracles. And when we can't have the miracles, because of what it would demand from us to have them, then we are at least satisfied with seeing them on television or at the movie theaters. If we can't have miracles in our own lives, we seek the catharsis of seeing them invented in drama or in technology or in some kind of diversion. And we begin to feel empty and we may even wonder why we go to church at all, when we can go out an buy a miracle that will make us happy, at least for a while. But in our pursuit of the imitations, we miss the real miracles, the personal miracles, the ones God has reserved for us.

I'm reminded of a familiar hymn that was written by William Longstaff:	Take time to be holy,

Speak oft with the Lord;

abide in him always,

and feed on his word.

Make friends of God's children,

help those who are weak

forgetting in nothing

his blessing to seek.

Those women, heading to the tomb, were going to serve the needs of the Body of Christ. Certainly, as they went to the tomb, they thought that their task would be pretty mundane, even distasteful. But, when they got there the situation was radically different than what they had expected. The one they thought was dead was now alive.

A remarkable story is told about an exceedingly costly jewel that for many years was considered of no more value than a mere pebble.

Gustaf Gillman, a Chicago rock collector, was at work in his shop, according to the story that is told, when a man by the name of John Mihok, a laborer from Omaha, entered and pulled out of his pocket a rough red stone and handed it to Gillman.

"I want you to cut and polish this," said Mihok.

"Where did you get it?" gasped the experienced rock collector, as his eyes almost popped out of his head.

"My father picked it up in Hungary fifty years ago," was the reply. "He thought it was a pretty pebble. Then, when I landed in this country, I found it in my suitcase. It has been lying around the house ever since. The children have played with it. My last baby cut his teeth on it. One night I even dreamed it was a diamond worth a lot of money. But, as you can see, it's not a diamond -- it's red."

But the rock expert looked at the man and said, "No, indeed, it is not a diamond. Rather, it's a pigeon blood ruby, and it's worth anywhere from one hundred thousand to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars."

The big, rough stone, we are told, was cut to a flawless ruby of 23 and nine-tenths carats. It is believed to be the largest ruby in this country and possibly the largest in the world.

And all of this points to the fact that what we may think is mundane, boring stuff, like prayer, bible study, Christian education, worship, serving the Body of Christ, and following the Spirit's leading, has far more value than we may know. What we may think is dark and dreary work, like the work Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses set out to do, may actually lead us to angels. The earth may move and the dead may rise.

Our gospel lesson for today tells us that before these two women got back to tell the disciples about their remarkable discovery that they even met the risen Lord, himself.

Let me suggest the same certainty for us today. For Christ, indeed, has risen from the dead! It is through humble faith, frequent worship, constant prayer, and humble service that we meet him face to face. Amen.