BEaster3 Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4; 1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48 April 26, 2009 O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread, open the eyes of our faith that we may behold him in all his redeeming work. In Luke’s gospel, when the women went to Jesus’ tomb early that morning and his body was not there, they were asked a question by heavenly messengers: Why do you look for the living among the dead? A leading question. A not so subtle hint left for us… that if we are looking for Jesus, we will not find him in satisfactory answers about history and tombs. If we are looking for Jesus as a problem of history to be resolved we will not find him there. If we are looking for Jesus as a mystery among the living to be celebrated we will surely find him! After they stopped looking into the tomb, Jesus made himself known… And our collect today continues to ask that the eyes of our faith be opened. How did Jesus make himself known after his resurrection in Luke? What was the risen Jesus like? What were those who encountered him like? As we read the accounts of his resurrected appearances we aren’t given conclusive facts and analogies about an isolated incident. We are given language that is somewhat allusive and densely symbolic as they tried to convey a completely new dynamic going on among them. So what did they say the risen Jesus was like? He was physically real – not a figment of the imagination or an apparition. Yet, while not physically exact - he was continuous with the earthly Jesus they had known. If he wasn’t exactly the same physically in their eyes, How did they recognize him? They repeatedly recognized him in the scriptures. Twice Luke has the risen Jesus taking people into the scriptures to help them recognize him. To the travelers on the road to Emmaus and then to disciples back in Jerusalem as he explained scriptures from Moses all the way through to his life – as they saw the ways of God, they saw him. And, they repeatedly recognized him in the breaking of the bread. Now, let’s look at what those who witnessed him were like. Three times we are told that he opened them up. Their eyes were opened to see. Their minds opened to understand. They went from sad, frightened, startled, terrified, doubting, disbelieving, wondering, no momentum - to hearts burning, joy overflowing, and we feel lively enthusiasm fill them and move them, like the dry bones of the prophet Ezekiel being brought to life. We wrestle with the hard questions we ask in order to understand. But historical research and scientific scrutiny will only get us so far. These are but narrow slices of a larger reality. We can find traces of the historical Jesus if we stay at the tomb. If we are to recognize the living Jesus, the first accounts will tell us that it is in the depths of the human heart that the Risen One calls to us and meets us, and we surrender and allow our hearts and minds to be opened. And so, what? What do we do with hearts opened, minds heightened, bodies enlivened? Hang out together and enjoy the sacraments of word and bread? Look for him in scripture, meet him at the table? Important, apparently if we would continue to enjoy his living presence. But what he tells us to do with it is this: He said to ‘Preach repentance and forgiveness of sin in his name’. Not just on our own terms in our own place (Jerusalem) but to the ends of the earth. From what we have control of – to what we don’t From what we understand – to what we don’t From what we love – to what we don’t. Let’s put it in slightly different words. The words of our collect today: That we may behold him in all his redeeming work. How did he do this? He preached forgiveness to those who were unforgiveable. He forgave those who did him wrong. How do we do this? First, we behold his redeeming work in us. Just as Jesus is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be celebrated, So, in him, are we. You are not a problem to be solved, But, in Christ, you are a mystery to be celebrated! Today members of our congregation will go to the cathedral to confirm or reaffirm their baptismal vows. When they were baptized these prayers were said for them: [read from baptismal service] delivered opened filled kept taught sent brought To preach that is to live it over and over, Allow it to happen for us over and over, And then allow it for others over and over. For, this creation and people we deal with are not problems to be solved. In Christ, they are mysteries to be celebrated. We regret something we did or something we failed to do – and we surrender and accept and behold his redeeming work. We defend for years something we did, and then finally when we admit that we were to blame, or we contributed to the sin, we surrender and accept and behold his redeeming work. Someone asks our forgiveness – and we surrender and accept and behold his redeeming work. Someone does not ask for or want our forgiveness – we surrender and accept and behold his redeeming work. O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of the bread, open the eyes of our faith that we may behold him in all his redeeming work.