Psalm 118: 1–2, 14–24 / Colossians 3:
1–4 / Matthew 28: 1–10
This is the homily provided for the
people of St. John’s, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania by Fr. Gene Tucker for Sunday, April
12, 2020. This homily was not delivered as part of Sunday morning worship,
because St. John’s is currently closed due to the COVID – 19 viral outbreak.
Instead, it was provided via electronic means and in hard copy to those without
email.)
“OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST:
BOUND BY TIME AND PLACE?”
BOUND BY TIME AND PLACE?”
(Homily
text: Matthew 28: 1–10)
What is the proper way to refer to Jesus: Should we
say, “Jesus was…” Or should we
say, “Jesus is ….”
Notice the difference: One way of speaking about
Jesus is in the past
tense, as we refer to the fact that He lived at a
certain time in history, in a certain place, and in a certain social context.
The other way of speaking about Jesus is in the present
tense, to affirm the reality that He is active in
the world today, continuing to do among His people the things He did during his
earthly ministry.
If we speak of Jesus in the past tense, we can
refer to the fact of His existence, a fact attested to outside the pages of
Holy Scripture, as we read in the first century historian Josephus’ works,
which record that Jesus was an important figure during the reign of Pontius
Pilate (26 – 36 AD). In the pages of sacred Scripture, we read the record of
His work, His teaching, His suffering, death and burial.
If, however, we speak of Jesus in the present
tense, then we must turn to the Easter events. For the four Gospel writers,
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, all present us with a picture of the risen Jesus
as being alive, as being free from the confines of time and of place.
We might begin by looking at the evidence for
Jesus’ freedom from the confines of place: John, for example, tells us that
Jesus is free to come and go, even through locked doors. Luke, to cite another
example, tells us that Jesus joins Cleopas and his companion on Easter Sunday
afternoon as they walk down the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus. When the three
of them reach Emmaus, Jesus joins them for a meal, and after having blessed the
meal, he vanishes out of their sight.
As to Jesus’ freedom from the confines of time, it
is Matthew who informs us that Jesus will be with us “until the end of the
age”. (See Matthew 28: 20) Moreover,
Matthew wants us to know that Jesus is present “whenever two or three are
gathered together in my (his) name.” (See Matthew 18: 20) It is important, in
Matthew’s understanding, to remind us that Jesus’ presence among is ongoing.
Matthew, it is critical to note, never narrates Jesus’ ascension.
How can it be that Jesus is able to have ascended
into heaven, there to stand at the right hand of the Father, making
intercession for us, but also to be able to be present with us here and now?
How is this possible? The answer is that, free of the confines of time and
place, our Lord Jesus can be all these things. Ultimately, this truth must be
accepted as a mystery, a truth that we must live out by faith.
This truth has important implications for us as we
live out our lives, day by day. For one thing, and in this very troubled time
of coronavirus pandemic, our Lord’s continued presence among us should reassure
us that we are not alone, we are not vulnerable in the eternal sense of being
able to be separated from God, no matter what should come our way.
The Lord gives us gifts whose purpose is to remind
us of His continuing presence. For example, He is present under the species of
bread and wine in the Holy Eucharist, reminding us of His enduring power….we
believe that He is “really present” in the elements of bread and wine. For this
understanding underscores the fact that the Eucharist is much more than a
memorial. He is present whenever two or three are gathered in His name, as the
Holy Spirit moves among us, reminding us of the Lord’s presence with us. He is
present whenever His healing work is manifest in ways that medical science
can’t explain. (Yes, those things still happen!)
The Easter message confirms that Jesus Christ is
more than a charismatic human being, a great teacher and compassionate leader,
a man who lived in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago. The Easter message confirms
that He is alive, that He is active both in heaven and on
earth today, and until he comes again in power and great glory. Even so, Lord
Jesus, come quickly to us!
AMEN.
