Easter Sunday The Resurrection of the Lord
A question has always plagued my mind. If the birth of Jesus, his life, his death and resurrection was indeed meant to be the turning point in human history, then why is the world still a mess? What really is the implication of the death and resurrection of Jesus? We are here in Church, celebrating Easter! But in various parts of the world violence is still raging, wars are still being fought, children are still dying of hunger, human life is still being unconscionably destroyed, creation is being destroyed by our endless consumerism, and we are yet to understand that all human persons are created equal. Don’t get me wrong. I am not being pessimistic. I am not looking at the glass half-empty. I am not oblivious to the presence of immense goodness in the world. But I question why the stubbornness and hate that killed Jesus still prevails today. Earth could be like heaven. So why is it not? Why did that first Easter not usher in the promised new creation?
I have titled this homily, “The Resurrection is Grace, Not Magic.” I would like to reflect upon this in three points.
The Resurrection is not Magic
The resurrection came at the end of Jesus’ life. If Jesus was not faithful to the Father’s will, if he abandoned his mission, if he did not embrace his passion, if he did not accept the cross, and if he did not willingly die for the salvation of the world, there would be no resurrection. Please do not misunderstand me when I say this, but Jesus had to work towards the resurrection. Having embraced the world and his human nature at his incarnation, Jesus spent 33 years in the world working towards the resurrection. Yes, God raised Jesus from the dead. Sure, the resurrection is a miracle, but it did not happen as if by magic. It took everything out of Jesus – his life, the very last breath, the very last drop of blood.
The resurrection was the fruit of Jesus’ fidelity, his goodwill, his compassion, and his righteousness. It was the result of Jesus’ faithful love for humanity. It was the result of his humble obedience to the Father’s will. It was the result of his steadfast trust in God’s power beyond death.
If the world and the human condition should change for the better, it won’t happen like magic. The Resurrection is only the beginning. The Resurrection is the grace we need to let heaven take root on earth. The resurrection gives us the grace, the power, and the hope we need to let God’s reign become a reality on earth. But we will have to work towards it knowing that the resurrection of Jesus has shown us the way.
The Resurrection – A Promise
It is true that the world is far from what God created it to be. It is also true that Jesus worked hard to restore the world back to God’s original vision. Despite Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are not there yet. But the resurrection of Jesus reveals that those who commit themselves to God’s work are exalted in ways that defies our wildest imagination.
When the opponents of Jesus put him in the tomb and covered the entrance with a heavy stone, they thought that had eliminated him forever. They thought that when they buried him, they had also buried his promise of a new world. Little did they know God cannot be contained by death. Little did they realize that God live not in the bowels of the earth but in heaven. Jesus had to rise.
God’s faithfulness for those who work toward God’s reign on earth is endless and eternal. The resurrection of Jesus is the realization of God’s faithfulness. This Easter, we too must keep the faith. Like Jesus, we must not lose hope. Our love must never fade. The resurrection is not magic. It a promise. It is the promise that if we join hands with Christ, His destiny awaits us as well.
The Resurrection - An Invitation
Today is Easter! We are here in Church! We believe that Jesus is the Son of God. We believe that not only is he risen from the dead, but that he is alive and among us at this very moment. For this reason, we will bow to Christ in worship and receive his very Body and Blood. But that is not all there is to it, is it? If that were the case, then there was no need for Jesus to send his disciples out on his mission. But as he told Mary Magdalene who was first to see the risen Jesus, “…go and tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him, as he told you’” (Mk 16:7).
If the resurrection has no implications for us and for the world, then it would not be necessary for Jesus to say to his disciples, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:18-19).
Really, then, the Resurrection is an invitation. It is an invitation to join hands with Christ to continue the work of human redemption. And I hope, you and I, like the women to came to tomb, like Mary Magdalene, like his disciples, will be the first people to join hands with Christ to make our world a heaven on earth.
The resurrection is grace, not magic. This Eucharist is grace, not magic. The bread and wine that we receive is transformed into the Body and Blood of Jesus not by magic but by grace. Let us take that grace – the grace of the new life of Jesus Christ to the rest of the world. Happy Resurrection! Happy Easter!
- Fr. Satish Joseph