We hear the story of the Resurrection today. The Resurrection—something without which Christianity would be meaningless. Mary of Magdala tells Jesus’ disciples, who were still unsure of everything that had transpired over the past week, that someone has taken Jesus from the tomb. Then we hear, “They both ran but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there … when Simon Peter arrived after him he went into the tomb…He saw and believed.”
We all have a mental picture of this gigantic boulder rolled away from the tomb on Easter morning. We all can picture Mary of Magdala trekking to the tomb before dark followed by Peter and John. Interestingly, even the disciples had their boulders to remove—after all, they were seeking the “living among the dead.” These days we have our own boulders as well. Many walk through life as if we were already dead. We get caught up in all the false promises of this world and find ourselves in tombs—wrapped in burial cloths of depression and fear. Yes, trapped in tombs of our own making. Sure, we all occasionally feel “entombed” by our limited human condition -its struggles and uncertainties, its frustrating search for true happiness. Unfortunately, some of us never leave the tomb.
Today, however, we get the “Big Picture” from God! Easter is our “reality check”, reminding us believers that the Resurrection is real and it spits in the face of the Death of this world’s tombs! Today, there is a great message for us–roll away those heavy stones! Leave the tombs behind! Accept the gift we have been given by Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection. Unbind the self-imposed burial cloths and walk out into the bright Light of Easter.
The time has come for us to remove all the stones that keep us away from Christ. The time has come to clear away from our hearts and minds: fear, doubt, anger, resentment, jealousies, frustrations, and even our very own sins. Look around. See all the people who gather to celebrate Easter. What faith they have—just like Peter on that first Easter morn.
So, walk confidently in the brightness of a new Easter Day - a Day of Hope and Healing. Grab a hold of this thirst for Life that will spring up for us even in the very face of death itself! Rejoice as we now take our Lenten theme one step further—out of ashes and into Light!