Puzzling, Terrifying Nonsense

Homily for the Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord

Each year, as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Resurrection of the Lord, we read one of the Gospel accounts of what the women found when they went to the tomb of Jesus. There are several words in the account of Saint Luke that stand out to me.

Early on, we read that upon entering the tomb they stood there puzzling over the fact that they did not find the body of Jesus. The word “puzzling” immediately caught my attention. In other words, the women have encountered something difficult to understand or explain, an enigma.

Shortly thereafter, we hear that the women were terrified by the appearance of two men in dazzling garments. It seems the puzzle has become even more complex. In the face of their terror, they bowed their faces to the ground. They were so afraid that they could not continue to look at the place where the body of Jesus had lain. Nor could they continue to look at the two men in dazzling garments.

As the two men spoke to the women, they remembered the words of Jesus. At this point, it would be helpful for us to remember who these women were. Saint Luke takes great pains to tell us of these women on several different occasions. Women as individuals are scarce in the Gospels. However, in chapter eight of his Gospel, Saint Luke gives us the names of three individual women who provide financial support for the ministry of Jesus – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna.  In chapter twenty-three, we hear that the same women are standing at a distance during the crucifixion of Jesus. In the Gospel passage from St. Luke, it is these same women plus Mary, the mother of James who come to the tomb. These women have been with Jesus since he began his ministry in Galilee. They had obviously heard his words, particularly the words that revealed that he would be killed by evil men and rise three days later.

Consequently, when they remember the words of Jesus, they made the decision to return to Jerusalem where they inform the eleven apostles and his other disciples. This information is followed by St. Luke’s surprising statement that the women’s story seemed like nonsense and that they were not believed.

There are obviously people in our world today who still find this story puzzling, who are still terrified by the event, and who still fail to believe the story about the empty tomb, concluding that it is so much nonsense. However, throughout the coming week, we will hear seven stories of the appearance of the risen Lord to various people. In addition to these seven stories, in his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul mentions that Jesus appeared to more than 500 brothers at once. These appearance stories are critical to our faith. In the years that followed, it was these appearances that fortified the faith of believers who were persecuted for their faith and willingly gave their lives rather than deny it.

In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul reminds us that those of us who have been baptized have been baptized into the death of Jesus. Our baptism is compared to being buried with Jesus so that we can also rise with him. St. Paul goes on to tell us that death no longer has power over us. Consequently, we must think of ourselves as being dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.

Just as this story had ramifications for the people who came to believe in Jesus in those first years of the Church, this story must have ramifications for those of us who place our faith in the resurrection of Jesus today. In fact, St. Paul tells us that if Christ has not been raised from the dead, our faith is futile. In other words, all the people who have lived during more than 2,000 years of the history of the Church have lived their lives in vain.

Despite the fact that the first people to hear the story found it puzzling and terrifying and nothing more than nonsense, it has become the foundation of our Christian faith. It is the story that gives us hope. In this Jubilee year, which has been dedicated by Pope Francis as a pilgrimage of hope, we are reminded once again that God created us, redeemed us, and continues to sanctify us through the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is in the Eucharist that we find our greatest motivation to live as people who believe in the resurrection of Jesus, who place their hope in Jesus, and who love as Jesus has loved us.