Moving
the Stone
“But on the first day of the
week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had
prepared. They found the stone rolled
away from the tomb.”
I may have known, but I had kind
of forgotten, that Luke doesn’t mention “the stone” until we get to the events
of Easter morning. He writes that the
stone has been rolled away, but he says it as if we know what stone he is talking
about.
And I guess we do.
Matthew and Mark both speak of
the stone being rolled over the entrance to the tomb. Matthew goes on to include action, on the
part of Pilate, to seal the tomb and appoint guards so that no one might come
and take the body. But Luke just assumes
we know that there would be a stone at the entrance, as does John. Both of them speak of the stone being
removed, but neither of them says anything about how it got there in the first
place. They just assume that we know
there would be a stone.
And I guess we do.
The stone, being removed from the
entrance of the tomb, is the preceding act to our being able to see that the
tomb is empty. It is the first and
essential step in our beginning to realize that nothing, not even death, could
put an end to the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Before anything else can happen that stone has to be moved.
The women, who go out there on
that first day of the week seem (in Luke’s story) not to have thought about
this. They had prepared the spices and ointments
for the anointing of Jesus’ body, but they had made no preparations for the
removal of that stone. I would love to
know what they thought was going to happen, when they got there.
Again, in Matthew and Mark, these
same women were present the day that Jesus is laid in the tomb. They see the stone which is placed at the
opening. They then go home and begin to
make “preparations” for the anointing of Jesus’ body, but they make no
preparations for getting to that body once they return to the tomb.
I know that you need to be
careful not to give too much emphasis to one part of the Easter Story – rather than
hearing the whole story. But by
separating this part just a little we might create an opportunity to increase
our appreciation for what this day – this Easter day – is all about. You see - the God whom we gather to worship
would not let some silly stone stand in His way. The God whom we adore would have us know that
we need not worry over a stupid rock. “Proceed
with what you are doing and forget that it is even there.” “Make your preparations and set about the task
of serving.” “Leave the removal of
stones to God.”
I want to believe that these were
the thoughts running through the heads of the women who went out to the tomb on
that first Easter morning. It seems
reasonable to me to think that their encounters with the Jesus in the months
and years before arriving in Jerusalem had made them realize that everything
would be okay. Something in his
teachings, in his actions, in the way he had died – something had informed
these women, at the very core of their existence that everything would be taken
care of it. Taken care of by Jesuss - even after dying. If the pre-Good Friday Jesus could instill
such confidence in them just think what the Easter Christ is able to do.
There is no stone big enough, or
heavy enough, or tough enough to stand in the way of Christ’s followers as we
make our way to the place where he was resurrected.
It was on an Easter morning some
years ago that I shared with you a stone which weighs heavy on my heart. It is the stone which bears the names of my mother
and my father – their tombstone. Mama
and Daddy are buried at our family’s church, in North Carolina. Cedar Grove Lutheran is the place I was
baptized and confirmed. It is the place
that I too will be buried.
There isn’t a stone for me there, yet. But there soon will be. My sister’s pancreatic cancer is no longer at
bay. She is undergoing chemo, but
getting weaker each day. She and her
husband, Laura and I will actually share a grave. One which no one else has claimed. It is tucked up close to one of the beautiful
cedar trees from which Cedar Grove takes its name. Fear of damaging the tree means they won’t
allow a vault or casket to be buried there.
So the grave is perfect for our cremains. Far too soon, there will be a stone erected to mark the grave. It will bear the name of my sister, with room
for the rest of us to be added.
I have been bearing the weight of that first
stone for nearly five years now. Sometimes,
it seems to be getting lighter – or at least easier to bear. Other times it almost crushes me to the
ground. I have great apprehensions about
the setting up of this next stone. It has
fallen to me to pick it out; and to get it approved by my sister; and then to
order the thing. God knows how I will
ever pay for it.
Here is where I am most like
those women in the Gospel lesson: I go
about the process of preparing the spices and ointments as if doing the menial
tasks will somehow be enough to allow me to do what it is that I must do but cannot. I set out to make ready the dressings,
without the foggiest idea of how I am ever going to handle the really big
problem. Like an eager beaver, I pop up
early in the morning and take up my baskets and head out to the graveyard –
forgetting or ignoring the stone which stands in my way.
How can we ever face the death of
those from whom we have drawn our own life?
How can we be so blind as to overlook the stones which stand between us
and the peace which we desire and seek?
Well, the story tell us. We plod along. We do our simple little tasks. And when we get there that big honker rock is
going to be gone.
I think this story, in the way
Luke tells it, drives home for us the central message that Easter is all about
God doing for us that which we could never hope to do for ourselves. God moves the stone which is too large or too
heavy or too overwhelming for us to even consider removing it.
The central teaching of Christian
Theology is that Jesus accomplishes what we never can. We cannot merit or earn our salvation, but
Jesus can accomplish it for us. The good
news expands to include other impossible tasks, accomplished on our
behalf. Eternal salvation is only the
last of a long line of situations in which, without him, no preparation is
sufficient. We make up our little
baskets. We go on our merry way. Only to be overwhelmed at what God is able to
do.
The more I wrestled with these
texts, the more appreciative I became of Luke and John’s failure to identify
the stone. Remember they are the two
Gospel writers who tell us that the stone had been moved away, without ever
having told us that a stone was put there in the first place. This omission on their part allows us some
license. Maybe the stone which stands
between you and the assurance that Jesus is raised is something other than
death. Perhaps it is apprehension, or
disappointment, or maltreatment. The
stone which stands in your way may be the betrayal of a loved one, or the
rejection of one whom you love. Illnesses
rob us of life. Mismanagement of our
affairs leads to insecurity. The stones
which would block our view of the empty tomb can take on any number of shapes
and descriptions. In failing to identify
the stone, Luke leaves open the opportunity for us to label the stone for
ourselves.
Whatever shape the stone takes,
the result is the same. The stone is
rolled away. Jesus lives up to his
promise.
Before I say “Amen” and sit
down. I want to acknowledge that as we
make our way, toward that place, the thought of the stone might slow us
down. I must admit, that the weight of
the burdens carried by many of you is overwhelming. I am not trying to ignore the hurt and pain
and fear which are the realities of far too many lives. But I stand before you this day offering the
confession which has made it possible for generation after generation of
believers to persevere. More than
endure, they have conquered, in His name.
The stone is gone. The grave is empty. Christ has lived up to his promise, making it
possible for us to live into ours.
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Amen. May it be so.
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