“HE’S ALIVE”
Saint Mark 16.
1-8
THE FEAST OF THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD:
31 March Anno Domini 2013
Father Watson
SSP
HE IS RISEN!
In The Name of
The Father and of The + Son and of The Holy Ghost
There was a woman; a very fallen and sad
woman. She was doomed. She had not lived her life the way Her Creator and
loving Lord had made her so to do.
Mother Eve had spit on God and His good food
to eat the dragon poison. Think of the guilt that she and her mate shared over
dooming the entire race of men to tears, pains, deaths and burials. Think of the anguish to know that YOU have
caused the death of your children and grandchildren.
There was a woman; a very fallen and sad
woman. She
was doomed. She had not lived her life the way Her Creator and loving Lord had
made her so to do.
Mary Magdalene may have been a prostitute.
But whether fallen “that” way in
body, she nonetheless had fallen in wantonness and spiritual lust to such a
degree that she had been possessed by the dragon with seven demons. Her tears and gut-wrenching, and brain-aflame
pain must have been horrible—Eve’s sin her sin; Adam’s guilt—her guilt.
There was a woman; a very fallen and sad
woman. She was like you—a sinner; she was like you—doomed to die in her sin.
But thanks be to God she had been given the Word of God in Hebrew Scriptures;
Holy Prophecies which God the Holy Ghost spake by the prophets. She like many
others was waiting for the coming Redeemer promised to Mother Eve all those
years before.
The Lord came to this woman, and took flesh
from her flesh and blood from her blood and dwelled in her womb for nine months
as He, the Second Person of the Trinity became a man—born of a Virgin.
This perfect and spotless and obedient and
loving Son of Mary was also the Son of the Most High. He came and began fixing
all the brokenness and the hurt. He
filled His mother’s life with light and life and she believed He was the
eternal heir of David and that His kingdom would last forever. Her supernal joy
in her son was tempered only by that strange prophecy of Saint Simeon that her
soul would be pierced through with sadness like no other, or no others.
This God/Man waxed strong in spirit and
wisdom, being one with the Paraclete and the Father. This Nazarene Rabbi
ushered in a preaching and teaching ministry such as the world had never
seen. This Christ of God named
Jesus—Savior, was to announce the arrival of God’s Kingdom. He called for repentance and good works. He assembled to His side 12 Apostles and many
more devoted followers and disciples.
One who would follow Him forever was the that Mary from Magdala—the
Magdalene. Was she also known as Mary of
Bethany? We will know all identities in
heaven. What we do know now is that the Lord healed her from her demonic torture;
restored her to a new life and light and joy IN HIM. Where Christ’s ministry took Him, these
faithful women, the Magdalene and the Blessed Virgin were no doubt very
close. The retinue of the “12” may have been in His presence just
about every moment, but the faithful women were with Christ during the course
of just about every week, if not every day during His three years of service
and seeking and saving.
And then after the joys and thrilling
expectations of His heralded entrance to King David’s city on Palmarum, as
joyous as was your own experience this Monday past—THE SAME BODY AND BLOOD, the
same words from His Godly mouth and hands—it all fell apart.
He was arrested and bound. He was unjustly
and corruptly convicted by agents of Satan. He was mocked, spit upon, slapped
around, and punched. He was treated poorly by Government and Church and
sentenced to die like a common criminal, between two thieves. But first He was
scourged within an inch of His life and had a horrible crown of long razor
thorns pressed into His sacred Head.
Blessed Mary, both of them, were no doubt
there when He was marched through the streets to Calvary. His Mother, the one who had suckled Him and
tucked Him in, and played with Him, saw Him nailed down on the wood. His dear friend the Magdalene who owed Him
her life and soul and…everything, heard Him cry out in pain and agony.
They saw Good Friday and they saw the
darkness. They saw His death—the death of God, and they beheld His lifeless
corpse. They saw what Eve’s sin and what
your Sin did and meant.
HE IS RISEN!
Augsburgers: Listen, Hear, Believe…HE IS
ALIVE, He is not in the tomb, He is in the room—THIS room! He is not prone and cold but upright and
warm, affectionate, smiling, and joyful.
He is not inert and still but moving, teaching, preaching, washing +,
clothing, feeding, giving to drink, and embracing.
Saint Mary Magdalene saw Him with her own
swollen, red, and wet eyes!!! He talked
with her, she touched Him…she touched the same God/Man that will be placed on
your very tongues!!! She, the first
missionary of the Gospel, the first trumpeter of the Resurrection, told the “12,” told every creature she could find
on that First Day of the Week! Her story
is forever preserved in the Holy Evangels and will be celebrated for eternity
in eternity. He is alive, He is raised,
He is victor, He has triumphed over sin, death, the grave, the devil, and all
that is broken and lost. Abel now is alive and Jacob’s hip is mended. Both
Isaac’s dimming eyes and Samson’s burned-out eyes are restored with 20/20
eagle-eye clarity. Stephen is un-bruised, while the Baptizer, Peter and Paul
have heads connected that they might bow to their Risen Head! Rachel weeps no
more but chants Holy, Holy, Holy with Sarah, Rebecca and Ruth. Mother Eve with a smile so broad it makes
Noah’s rainbow pale, sings the Hallelujah. The Blessed Virgin’s Magnificat is
joined by the celestial choir of Paul, Peter, John, Abraham, Moses, Elijah and
the others. And the Magdalene, she sees
Jesus sitting glorified between the Virgin and the Baptizer, reigning,
glorified and resplendent, Body and Blood, breath and eyes gleaming, teeth
shining, cheeks rising to laugh with joy, and she weeps all the more in pure
release and peace and Easter Passover.
The Magdalene is not in a garden this
morning. She is not at a tomb or a place of death. St. Mary of Magdala walks
with Christ to this Feast of Life to be with you and yours, as you too, like
her, are forgiven, exorcised, strengthened, given joy and embraced with peace
which passes understanding.
For a little while longer you may feel like
you are still in a dark garden looking at a cave-side mausoleum, but at This
Table, at this banqueting dawn, He touches you; He wipes away your tears; He
opens your eyes of faith to His real presence and says: I love you; I am with
you always to the end of the age.
HE IS RISEN!
In The Name of
The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost
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