“You brought confusion on the guards at your tomb, but joy to your disciples.”
This was a verse that I came across the other day, and it made me stop. For a really long time.
“You brought confusion on the guards at your tomb, but joy to your disciples.”
In Matthew 27 and 28 it talks about that confusion and joy, “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”
Okay, I will admit that if an angel of the lord came down from heaven, looking like lightening and clothed white as snow, I might be a little bit shaken. But that was not the point. This was not some random walk along Brush Creek, this was standing before the place where Jesus had been laid to rest.
The significance of the place was lost on the soldiers. You brought confusion on the guards because they did not know what was going on. That was the point that made me stop, because they did not know”. Think of all the times that we stood before a place where Jesus was present, and we did not know. A person, place or thing where Jesus was present, and we were confused. Why here, why that, why them? “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and did not help you?”
I can not help but believe that the soldiers were just playing “like dead men”. Maybe, they were hoping that if they did not move or open their eyes it will all go away. Sort of like that scene from Jurassic Park when they are confronted by the T Rex, and some one say, “They have really poor eyesight, if you don’t move they won’t see you.” Perhaps it worked, we don’t hear from them for the rest of that part of Matthew.
It could work for us as well, if we just don’t move, if we just stand still maybe the angel will go away.
Yesterday’s gospel ended with, “I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit
whom the Father will send in my name — he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” And today we hear Jesus say, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid”. So, we have nothing to worry about. The Holy Spirit is there, always teaching us, always reminding us of all the things that Jesus taught us. And Jesus himself tells us not to worry. You would think that this would make it so easy. One person of the triune God is spending all of His time talking to us and teaching us and loving us, and yet we sill find ourselves standing there like dead men.
Why not like the other half of that verse that I started with? Why not “brought Joy to your disciples”? Instead of being struck with fear why not hear the voice of the angle as he said. “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you …”
The wonderful thing of that scripture was that when they listened to the angel they hurried from the tomb, and they were “afraid but filled with Joy”. There you have the two opposing alternatives: “standing like dead men” and “filled with joy”. An easy choice, especially when you consider the fact that the as the women ran, filled with Joy, who did they run into? Suddenly Jesus met them.
“Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers …”
We should not be confused; we should not be confused, and we should definitely not be standing like dead men. Remember we have the Holy Spirit. Yes, Jesus is risen, he has conquered death and has left to make a place for us in heaven. But we are not left alone. We are not abandoned; we are not orphaned. We are loved, cared for, nurtured and constantly watched over.
Remember, Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
Amen, Alleluia
JN 14:27-31
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you.
Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
You heard me tell you,
‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’
If you loved me,
you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;
for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you this before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe.
I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming.
He has no power over me,
but the world must know that I love the Father
and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”
May 17, 2022
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