More Than Words

Walking around shouting "Jesus! Jesus!" really isn't it.

We’ve just traversed twenty-seven chapters of Matthew’s gospel. We’re now into the last one. Of course, it features the resurrection. It also features what we’ll read tomorrow on Sunday, that thing important to so many evangelistic Christians known as the Great Commission. And then there are some other details in here we somewhat touched on yesterday (the effort of the religious leaders to explain Jesus’ missing body).

The resurrection is the lynchpin of the whole Jesus story. And yet, the resurrection narratives within the gospels are so short compared to the rest of Jesus’ life. In one sense, what more is there to say about the resurrection? But put another way, the rest of what we read about Jesus should be filtered through the belief that he did indeed conquer death.

Earlier in Matthew, in the sermon on the mount, Jesus tells us that many will call him Lord and yet not fulfill the Kingdom of God. This is such an important conclusion, perhaps particularly for moments like these. Jesus is as clear as anything, not the least of which in Matthew, that doing the will of God brings the inheritance of the Kingdom.

Walking around yelling Jesus’ name ain’t it. It just isn’t.

The nature of the faith Jesus both calls us to and demonstrates is to do. “Being” is a prerequisite. But it is not the complete thing.

What does this have to do with the resurrection in today’s passage?

So often we think of the resurrection as something to which we must mentally assent. But our human minds just cannot completely do that. We can think about it a lot. We can try to reason with it. But in the end, assent toward the resurrection comes through how we live.

…as though it were true.

James implores followers of Jesus to show their faith by how they live.

Jesus did it before him.

(Not to jump too quickly to tomorrow’s passage, but we see this in his final words to the disciples in Matthew - Go, make, baptize, teach [to obey].)

Matthew 28:1-15

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the tomb. Look, there was a great earthquake, for an angel from the Lord came down from heaven. Coming to the stone, he rolled it away and sat on it. Now his face was like lightning and his clothes as white as snow. The guards were so terrified of him that they shook with fear and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Don’t be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He isn’t here, because he’s been raised from the dead, just as he said. Come, see the place where they laid him. Now hurry, go and tell his disciples, ‘He’s been raised from the dead. He’s going on ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there.’ I’ve given the message to you.”

With great fear and excitement, they hurried away from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples. But Jesus met them and greeted them. They came and grabbed his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go and tell my brothers that I am going into Galilee. They will see me there.”

Now as the women were on their way, some of the guards came into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. They met with the elders and decided to give a large sum of money to the soldiers. They told them, “Say that Jesus’ disciples came at night and stole his body while you were sleeping. And if the governor hears about this, we will take care of it with him so you will have nothing to worry about.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were told. And this report has spread throughout all Judea to this very day.

Psalm 37:3-28

Trust the Lord and do good; live in the land, and farm faithfulness. Enjoy the Lord, and he will give what your heart asks. Commit your way to the Lord! Trust him! He will act and will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, your justice like high noon. Be still before the Lord, and wait for him. Don’t get upset when someone gets ahead—someone who invents evil schemes.

Let go of anger and leave rage behind! Don’t get upset—it will only lead to evil.
Because evildoers will be eliminated, but those who hope in the Lord—they will possess the land. In just a little while the wicked won’t exist! If you go looking around their place, they won’t be there. But the weak will inherit the land; they will enjoy a surplus of peace. The wicked plot against the righteous, grinding their teeth at them.
But my Lord just laughs at them because he knows that their day is coming. The wicked draw their swords and bend their bows to bring down the weak and the needy, to slaughter those whose way is right. But the sword of the wicked will enter their own hearts! Their bows will be broken!

Better is the little that the righteous have than the overabundant wealth of the wicked.
The arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous. The Lord is intimately acquainted with the lives of the blameless; their heritage will last forever. They won’t be ashamed in troubling times, and in a period of famine they will eat their fill. But the wicked will die, the Lord’s enemies will disappear—disappear like the beauty of a meadow—in smoke. The wicked borrow and don’t pay it back, but the righteous are generous and giving. Those blessed by God will possess the land, but those cursed by God will be cut off.

A person’s steps are made secure by the Lord when they delight in his way. Though they trip up, they won’t be thrown down, because the Lord holds their hand. I was young and now I’m old, but I have never seen the righteous left all alone, have never seen their children begging for bread. They are always gracious and generous. Their children are a blessing.

Turn away from evil! Do good! Then you will live in the land forever. The Lord loves justice. He will never leave his faithful all alone.

Prayer

God,

Help me to believe with my very life.

By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.