Matthew 28: 1-10
“All the Drama”
April 9, 2023 Easter Sunday
The way that crack of light peeks through the curtain, bouncing off the wall and how our eye jumps to it first thing before we even realize we are awake.
The smell as the first drops of coffee hit the mug and then the splash of a full cup, steaming ever upward toward our face, jolting us into something resembling attention before we’ve even taken a sip.
There’s the sound of all those tiny pieces of dry food hitting the dish that sends the cat racing in, getting underfoot in his effort to arrive at the same place with the same bowl that he did only a night’s worth of sleep earlier.
It’s the tiniest of details that grab our minds and imagination first, especially as a new day unfolds around us.
Today’s account of that early morning experience of the two Mary’s at the tomb is filled with fascinating details.
The drama starts off with a great earthquake, after all.
There’s a lightning-resembling angel.
The way the two Mary’s shower Jesus with adoration by grabbing hold of his feet.
But the one that I don’t believe I’ve ever considered much before that has all the makings of a key moment in a Broadway show was that detail in the midst of that dramatic earthquake and the dropping down of an angel from above is that after that angel did the actual rolling away of the rock, they sat on top of it – just plopped down.
That’s when his outfit was zapped snow white, enough so that the guards passed out in fright.
We can only assume that when he talked to the Mary’s he was still sitting on top of that huge rock that was big enough to seal a tomb.
To hear that message delivered from a dramatic-appearing angel sitting on top of a big old stone seems reassuring somehow.
This is in spite of the fact that the angel knows he’s really scary and his first words – ones that Jesus himself will repeat are – “Do not be afraid.”
Details are what make life most interesting.
They are what happens when we notice the intricacy of the stitches of a hand knit scarf or the subtle difference in coloring between a male and female robin perched on the tree outside your window.
Contrary to the old saying “The devil’s found in the details,” Jesus’ story of a birth where we know the gifts the magi brought him, through the details about the age or appearance of the men, women, and children he healed with a touch including his final miracle before the resurrection when we know that the name of the High Priest’s servant whose ear Simon Peter cut off in the Garden at Gethsemane.
The man’s name whose ear was sliced off and then put back in place by Jesus was Malchus.
It is more than just idle curiosity to want to know all the specifics about what distinguishes each of God’s children and all of God’s creation.
The story we have with all of its little details was built on the story of the lives lived by those who are trying to make sense of their world.
The two Mary’s we know, after their encounter with the angel who explains that Jesus has left the tomb and the angels instructions involve going and tell others what they’ve seen and what they haven’t seen.
We get the detail here that they are not just supposed to go and tell the disciples but hop to it!
And they take off both with “fear and great joy.”
Those two emotions, seemingly at odds with one another might just encapsulate all we know of this world.
Every one of us is afraid of something – it could be illness, the loss of someone we love, security – financial or physical, …it could even be another creature – snakes or bees.
But we balance our fears every day with the great joy that is individually ours.
For some that joy is found in meaningful and loving relationships.
There are those folks who find that joy in knowing that they’ve made a difference in the world.
For still others their joy is found in being surrounded by the natural world or beloved pets.
And there are those whose joy comes in the act of creating – with wood or food or paint or a camera or flowers or fabric or countless other media.
On this Sunday when we are filled with Alleluias because of this detailed and challenging and sprung open story, we celebrate because we know what Jesus experienced, in both his life and his death.
We are filled with joy on this holiest of days because we know that first Easter had its fair share of fear, especially after all that happened during the Holy Week that came before.
We and those women and those disciples received a tremendous insight into what is possible with God.
Here’s the greatest detail takeaway – God is with us – always.
God does what only God can do – he determines that Jesus – the one we know from his healing and teaching – is not dead.
There’s no snuffing out Jesus – not then, not now.
This empty tomb the Mary’s find?
It changes everything.
Jesus has assured them, “Do not be afraid” and go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee: there they will see me.”
If we pay attention to that detail found in those words,
we know that the resurrected Jesus is out there.
We just need to keep looking for him.
You will find him, even with your fears, our source of great joy.
Jesus, not the devil, is in the details.
As we are surrounded by the smell of these gorgeous flowers, signs of new life and the warmth and beauty of this season that is just getting started, hear then this poem from the great Lucille Clifton and consider where you might find Jesus. It is called “spring song.”
the green of Jesus
is breaking the ground
and the sweet
smell of delicious Jesus
is opening the house and
the dance of Jesus music
has hold of the air and
the world is turning
in the body of Jesus and
the future is possible
Alleluia and amen!