An Idle Tale

An Idle Tale
Rev. Mark Schaefer
Kay Spiritual Life Center
April 8, 2007--Easter Vigil
Luke 24:1-12

Luke 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened.

BEGINNING

When I was a kid, there were two books that were really popular in our elementary school library. One was a book on UFOs. The other was a book on ghosts and the paranormal. I was much more interested in the UFOs. Not just because it had to do with space--I've always been a big fan--but because on some level I found stories of UFOs to be, well, more reasonable. I mean, we were in space, why couldn't someone else be? Was it really that much of a stretch to believe that other planets had life and that they could travel the stars to visit us? No. That seemed reasonable.

Ghosts on the other hand, that was just silliness.

I have never had a really good appreciation for the paranormal, for the supernatural. My favorite X-Files stories were always the ones that had to do with the aliens, not with the ghosts and goblins. Ghost stories have never really impressed me. In fact, a friend once told me a legend about a local house as we were driving through the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. The story turned out to be a shaggy-dog story with a groaner of a punchline. That was 45 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.

THE TEXT

And so I find myself sympathetic to the disciples who hear the report of the women about the empty tomb and the encounter with the angels. As Luke writes, "But these words seemed to them an idle tale and they did not believe them."

I mean, who would believe that? They had just had their hearts ripped out by their experiences of the past week. They had come into Jerusalem in triumph and victory--or so it had seemed. They had been with Jesus when he had engaged in a controversy about the temple, knocking over the tables in the marketplace. They had celebrated the Passover only to have Jesus betrayed--by one of their own--arrested, handed over to the Romans, and crucified. One can imagine them hiding out in that upper room on that Sunday morning, completely emotionally exhausted, fearful, and despairing. And then the women come and say that the tomb is empty and that an angel told them that Jesus had been resurrected.

Sure, Mary. Sounds great. Thanks for letting us know.

What's interesting is that it reports that Peter alone gets up and runs to the tomb and sees it empty, with the linen cloths laying there. He returns home "amazed" at what had happened.

IDLE TALES

If we had not grown up with these stories, we could probably be forgiven for thinking they were idle tales, too. The stories about feeding the multitudes with five loaves and two fish and the walking on water are hard enough to believe as it is. But someone coming back from the dead, three days after having been crucified? I can understand how people might react to that story the same way I, as a kid, reacted to ghost stories and other tales of the paranormal. "That doesn't happen."

So much of our experience is mundane and ordinary, that it is hard to accept anything miraculous. In fact, it's gotten to the point where we have devalued the meaning of the word "miracle" because of that. "Miracle" now means any happy occasion that was mildly unexpected: "It was a miracle we made our plane on time with all that traffic." "We didn't think we'd make our stewardship pledge goal, but we did--it was a miracle." (I haven't looked into the correlation, but this has happened at the same time that the word "ironic" has come to mean any coincidence that has a mildly negative result).

Is our devaluation of the word "miracle" the result of our diminished expectations for and belief in the miraculous? Is it perhaps the result of living in a world that continues to be engulfed in violence and tragedy? A world in which children continue to live in poverty, are born with AIDS, where nations still settle their disputes by killing each others people, where injustice, greed, bigotry, intolerance and hate seem so prevalent? Against an increasingly cynical and post-modern background, it is perhaps understandable that our stories of faith, up to and including our proclamation of the Easter message, seem to the world an idle tale.

EASTER

But it is not an idle tale.

The experience of the disciples did not end with the women's report or even with Peter's visit to the empty tomb. Two disciples would encounter Jesus along the road to Emmaus. Jesus would appear to Peter. And then to the Twelve. And then to many. They would not just hear stories about Jesus, they would encounter the Risen Christ. They would have an experience of Christ in their midst. And they would understand this experience of the Risen Christ as confirming their hopes in their own resurrection from the dead.

I cannot describe for you the nature of the experience. Nor, it seems can the gospel writers themselves: Jesus is sometimes unrecognizable, but sometimes exactly recognizable with wounds in his hands, feet, and side. He appears to be able to enter rooms that are locked, but at the same time is physical to the touch and eats and drinks. In short, the Resurrection cannot be explained easily, the way one might account for UFOs.

But this we do know, the experience of the Resurrection was real. And we know this by its effects. Those apostles, huddled fearfully in that Upper Room, leave there to go throughout all the world proclaiming a message of hope and reconciliation to God. Their message would get them in trouble with religious leaders in their own community and with the political powers of Rome. Some would be stoned to death. Others crucified. So powerful was their experience of the Risen Christ that it would quite literally transform their lives. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times would live into his name and become the Rock of the early church. A persecutor of the church named Saul would become its greatest champion. They would travel throughout the Mediterranean world proclaiming the message of salvation.

Their disciples in turn would continue this proclamation for generations afterward. They would be a force that would change the world. They would convert the very Empire that had crucified Christ. They would go on to found great religious communities and orders. Engaging in charitable work that would restore communities. They would build universities, hospitals, and other centers of community. They would travel the entire world seeking to help others. They would oppose slavery, tyranny, and war. They would champion human dignity and civil and human rights. They would work for justice. They would build communities that were inclusive of all peoples regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, class, national origin, orientation, ability, or any other human distinction. The religion that the disciples of Jesus would leave the world would change it forever.

This is hardly an idle tale.

For, Christians in all ages have continued to experience the power of the Risen Christ in their lives--in ways both great and small. In awesome and mysterious mystical experiences and in the simple kindnesses of one person reaching out in faith to help another--the Risen Christ is experienced.

We, the Church, as the body of Christ, continue to be a way that people encounter the Risen Christ in their midst.

END

Today is Easter. We have waited these six weeks of Lent, wandering in the wilderness, waiting to enter our Promised Land. We have walked the desert road between the palms of Palm Sunday and the Lilies of Easter and come upon the Empty Tomb and the Great Feast. It is the Day of Days, when we proclaim the heart of the Gospel: Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!

It is a message that continues to have power. And continues to have presence. We continue to encounter the Risen Christ in our midst, in the Eucharist that we are about to celebrate and in the love of the community of which we are a part.

We are called to proclaim this message not only with our lips but with our very being. We move into the world as an Easter People, a people of the Resurrection, being the Body of Christ, bearing the Love of Christ for the world. And with the Grace of God, we may be agents for a world in need, that through us they may experience the Risen Christ and in turn may proclaim to the world not an idle tale, but instead the greatest story every told: Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! Hallelujah!

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*An Idle Tale* Rev. Mark Schaefer Kay Spiritual Life Center April 8, 2007--Easter Vigil Luke 24:1-12 Luke 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again." 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened. BEGINNING When I was a kid, there were two books that were really popular in our elementary school library. One was a book on UFOs. The other was a book on ghosts and the paranormal. I was much more interested in the UFOs. Not just because it had to do with space--I've always been a big fan--but because on some level I found stories of UFOs to be, well, more reasonable. I mean, we were in space, why couldn't someone else be? Was it really that much of a stretch to believe that other planets had life and that they could travel the stars to visit us? No. That seemed reasonable. Ghosts on the other hand, that was just silliness. I have never had a really good appreciation for the paranormal, for the supernatural. My favorite X-Files stories were always the ones that had to do with the aliens, not with the ghosts and goblins. Ghost stories have never really impressed me. In fact, a friend once told me a legend about a local house as we were driving through the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. The story turned out to be a shaggy-dog story with a groaner of a punchline. That was 45 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. THE TEXT And so I find myself sympathetic to the disciples who hear the report of the women about the empty tomb and the encounter with the angels. As Luke writes, "But these words seemed to them an idle tale and they did not believe them." I mean, who would believe that? They had just had their hearts ripped out by their experiences of the past week. They had come into Jerusalem in triumph and victory--or so it had seemed. They had been with Jesus when he had engaged in a controversy about the temple, knocking over the tables in the marketplace. They had celebrated the Passover only to have Jesus betrayed--by one of their own--arrested, handed over to the Romans, and crucified. One can imagine them hiding out in that upper room on that Sunday morning, completely emotionally exhausted, fearful, and despairing. And then the women come and say that the tomb is empty and that an angel told them that Jesus had been resurrected. Sure, Mary. Sounds great. Thanks for letting us know. What's interesting is that it reports that Peter alone gets up and runs to the tomb and sees it empty, with the linen cloths laying there. He returns home "amazed" at what had happened. IDLE TALES If we had not grown up with these stories, we could probably be forgiven for thinking they were idle tales, too. The stories about feeding the multitudes with five loaves and two fish and the walking on water are hard enough to believe as it is. But someone coming back from the dead, three days after having been crucified? I can understand how people might react to that story the same way I, as a kid, reacted to ghost stories and other tales of the paranormal. "That doesn't happen." So much of our experience is mundane and ordinary, that it is hard to accept anything miraculous. In fact, it's gotten to the point where we have devalued the meaning of the word "miracle" because of that. "Miracle" now means any happy occasion that was mildly unexpected: "It was a miracle we made our plane on time with all that traffic." "We didn't think we'd make our stewardship pledge goal, but we did--it was a miracle." (I haven't looked into the correlation, but this has happened at the same time that the word "ironic" has come to mean any coincidence that has a mildly negative result). Is our devaluation of the word "miracle" the result of our diminished expectations for and belief in the miraculous? Is it perhaps the result of living in a world that continues to be engulfed in violence and tragedy? A world in which children continue to live in poverty, are born with AIDS, where nations still settle their disputes by killing each others people, where injustice, greed, bigotry, intolerance and hate seem so prevalent? Against an increasingly cynical and post-modern background, it is perhaps understandable that our stories of faith, up to and including our proclamation of the Easter message, seem to the world an idle tale. EASTER But it is not an idle tale. The experience of the disciples did not end with the women's report or even with Peter's visit to the empty tomb. Two disciples would encounter Jesus along the road to Emmaus. Jesus would appear to Peter. And then to the Twelve. And then to many. They would not just hear stories about Jesus, they would encounter the Risen Christ. They would have an experience of Christ in their midst. And they would understand this experience of the Risen Christ as confirming their hopes in their own resurrection from the dead. I cannot describe for you the nature of the experience. Nor, it seems can the gospel writers themselves: Jesus is sometimes unrecognizable, but sometimes exactly recognizable with wounds in his hands, feet, and side. He appears to be able to enter rooms that are locked, but at the same time is physical to the touch and eats and drinks. In short, the Resurrection cannot be explained easily, the way one might account for UFOs. But this we do know, the experience of the Resurrection was real. And we know this by its effects. Those apostles, huddled fearfully in that Upper Room, leave there to go throughout all the world proclaiming a message of hope and reconciliation to God. Their message would get them in trouble with religious leaders in their own community and with the political powers of Rome. Some would be stoned to death. Others crucified. So powerful was their experience of the Risen Christ that it would quite literally transform their lives. Peter, who had denied Jesus three times would live into his name and become the Rock of the early church. A persecutor of the church named Saul would become its greatest champion. They would travel throughout the Mediterranean world proclaiming the message of salvation. Their disciples in turn would continue this proclamation for generations afterward. They would be a force that would change the world. They would convert the very Empire that had crucified Christ. They would go on to found great religious communities and orders. Engaging in charitable work that would restore communities. They would build universities, hospitals, and other centers of community. They would travel the entire world seeking to help others. They would oppose slavery, tyranny, and war. They would champion human dignity and civil and human rights. They would work for justice. They would build communities that were inclusive of all peoples regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, class, national origin, orientation, ability, or any other human distinction. The religion that the disciples of Jesus would leave the world would change it forever. This is hardly an idle tale. For, Christians in all ages have continued to experience the power of the Risen Christ in their lives--in ways both great and small. In awesome and mysterious mystical experiences and in the simple kindnesses of one person reaching out in faith to help another--the Risen Christ is experienced. We, the Church, as the body of Christ, continue to be a way that people encounter the Risen Christ in their midst. END Today is Easter. We have waited these six weeks of Lent, wandering in the wilderness, waiting to enter our Promised Land. We have walked the desert road between the palms of Palm Sunday and the Lilies of Easter and come upon the Empty Tomb and the Great Feast. It is the Day of Days, when we proclaim the heart of the Gospel: Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! It is a message that continues to have power. And continues to have presence. We continue to encounter the Risen Christ in our midst, in the Eucharist that we are about to celebrate and in the love of the community of which we are a part. We are called to proclaim this message not only with our lips but with our very being. We move into the world as an Easter People, a people of the Resurrection, being the Body of Christ, bearing the Love of Christ for the world. And with the Grace of God, we may be agents for a world in need, that through us they may experience the Risen Christ and in turn may proclaim to the world not an idle tale, but instead the greatest story every told: Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed! Hallelujah! Back to Sermons page Back to AU UMC Home Copyright © 2007. Mark A. Schaefer. No part of this text may be reproduced or otherwise disseminated without the express written consent of the author.

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