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S. Easter Vigil.26 Mark 16:1-8

‘So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid…’

That’s how you celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord!—this is the way!—trembling and amazed!

I’ve had a delightful year with our 3 confirmands and have learned a lot with and from them. The teacher always learns more than the student. I have found this is most certainly true. But the more astute the students, the more you learn. And this was a very sharp group.

But if there is one takeaway for the 3 of you and all the rest of you here this evening (because the Vigil was traditionally the time of baptism and confirmation in the early church and it never hurts for us to re-confirm our faith in Jesus) it would be this: trembling and amazed is always how the Word of Jesus should leave you. If it leaves you curious, intrigued, questioning, confident in your piety, I don’t think you get it!

And I mean that. Seriously. This is not irony or sarcasm—well hardly any, really. If ever the Story of Jesus leaves you otherwise than trembling and amazed, Houston, we have a problem!

When I was confirmed at age 13, I was not trembling. I wasn’t even slightly amazed. I was bored. Indifferent. Because 4 years of scholastic based 17th century Calvinist tinged orthodoxy had sucked all the trembling and amazement out of me. Because they had explained and rationalized and systematized the whole Jesus thing to death. They’d killed him for me, long before we got to Holy Saturday. He’d been dead to me since around age 10.

Soren Kierkegaard (whose wry words brought Jesus back to life for me through the person of Paul Holmer) said that the guy who had the bright idea of defending Christianity in Christendom is Judas #2. Only, his treason is that of stupidity. Because whatever you defend, you disparage. If you are defending and giving reasons for believing in Jesus, it is proof you don’t believe a damn thing yourself. Or rather, more precisely, that you only believe the things that lead to damnation!

SK says a man who professes to be madly in love with a girl but then gives 3 reasons why loving her makes sense—well, now! He does not know what love is or what girls are for! And our relationship with Jesus is, as the entire scriptures declare, a love story, a very stormy one with a lot of unfaithfulness, desertion and cheating on our side, and pain and suffering and ultimately death on a cross on his side…

But it ends (as every good love story does 😉 with marriage—the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, for those who will fall on their face trembling and amazed when they see him—that is, those who are head over heels just crazy about Jesus. That’s how his Bride the Church is!

We have no words, no reasons, no neat explanation for any of these holy mysteries—his incarnation, his 3 years chasing us, the miracles, the hilarious tongue in cheek little stories, his brutal suffering and death at the hands of Israel and Rome’s and the masses’ leaders. And more than this, we have no words for his Resurrection, for his appearing (after all we’d done to him!) with a simple “Rejoice!”, the hole marked hands open in welcome… assuring us that all is well and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well!

And this is how a disciple of Jesus should always be. Trembling and amazed at all of this. Gob-smacked into witless, wordless wonder.

The two Marys and Salome model this beautifully for every disciple of Jesus! You can learn everything you need to know about how to be with Jesus in that one verse. Then, run from the tomb! Those heavenly messengers are scary and not good company for the likes of us. Even when they bring good news!

Clear out fast, trembling and amazed. And don’t say nothin’ to no one! Because fear has a lovely way of shutting us up. And besides, nothing you say is going to get Jesus across to those who don’t already get him.

Only the word and sacraments get Jesus across to us in trembling and amazement. And gob-smacked into witless, wordless wonder, you’ve got to where Peace, surpassing all understanding, guards your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. Amen.