After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
And suddenly there was a great earthquake;
for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven,
came and rolled back the stone
and sat on it.
His appearance
was like lightning,
and his clothing
white as snow.
For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men.
But the angel said to the women,
"Do not be afraid;
I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said.
Come,
see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly
and tell his disciples,
"He has been raised from the dead,
and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee;
there you will see him.'
This is my message for you."
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy,
and ran to tell his disciples.
Suddenly Jesus met them and said,
"Greetings!"
And they came to him,
took hold of his feet,
and worshiped him.
Then Jesus said to them,
"Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
-Matthew 28:1-10
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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Two days ago on Good Friday,
and last week on Palm Sunday,
we remembered
that Jesus was arrested
because of he dreamed.
And not just because of he dreamed,
but
because Jesus spoke his dreams out loud:
Blessed are the poor.
God’s reign is near.
You who are hungry will be fed with a Banquet that has no end.
You who suffer will play and laugh like children in the Spring, looking for eggs in the park.
Blessed are you who suffer now.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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Not only did Jesus speak his dreams out loud.
But he spoke them from a dinner table.
And when he spoke them from the table,
a table he shared—with “sinners”
and tax collectors,
untouchables and undesirables—
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his dreams of a new Reign, of a Lord of Love,
when Jesus spoke his dreams
over this shared meal with these forbidden people,
something miraculous happened.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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God’s kingdom come…
God’s will be done… Daily bread, give us on earth…
When Jesus spoke his dreams from the table
There was a change, a transubstantiation.
Jesus’ dreams left his heart through his mouth, took the shape of words,
and entered into the ears and penetrated the hearts of his companions.
When Jesus spoke from the table,
his dreams became flesh,
his dreams became their blood, their bodies.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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When Jesus spoke his dreams from the table,
Jesus’ dreams became flesh.
His dreams moved them.
They marched.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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singing their way toward their dreams
and toward the cross:
Hosanna! God save us!
The last shall be first.
The lowly shall be lifted.
The powerful shall be torn from their thrones.
Love one another…
The people followed Jesus, shouting their dreams and their desires, praying out loud.
The people rose up.
Because of Jesus, they became alive.
They were Resurrected.
Jesus’ dreams Resurrect people.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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And as the people dreamed, and prayed and marched,
the priests and the kings became frightened.
And also annoyed.
They knew that the prayerful, the “prayer warriors,”
the people who are moved by a love for a world that is not yet their own
can be threats to what is, can be threats to them.
They knew that hope can blind people from the paralyzing beauty of the status quo.
They knew that hope can shake us from sleep.
Dreams of a savior can really turn the world upside down!
And so the powerful people were afraid of the Savior.
They were afraid of Jesus, the Christ.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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“Thy kingdom come?” the priests again questioned his prayer. They explained to him his insubordination.
“We pray for the king,” the accused, “but never for a new kindom!”
The powerful just couldn’t take the risk of the people dreaming.
And so the priests and the kings, they killed him.
They killed Jesus.
They nailed him to a tree.
And they hoped for the end of all hope.
That his dreams and his movement would die with him.
They pierced his side.
They sealed the tomb.
[Pause].
Friday. Saturday. Sunday.
On the third day, which is the first day of the week,
the women who loved Jesus, who ate with him, who shared with him prayers and dreams and bread…
The women who loved Jesus arose before daybreak
and they went to remember him.
To place a bouquet.
To cry.
To reminisce about Jesus’ dreams,
and to name out loud the absence
that now seemed to take over their hearts.
On the way,
the moon rolled away to make room for the sun.
Darkness became light.
And finally, at daybreak, they arrived at the tomb.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+++
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+++
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+++
And in that moment, their whole world was shaken.
Angels were lightening.
And snow.
The book that had been slammed shut was now opened.
The tomb could not confine this love.
Neither height nor depth nor anything in all of creation could hide away this love of God in the flesh.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+++
All that had seemed lost…
for a moment, it seemed to be found again.
Death became a flower. The grave held the scent of lilies.
And once again, Jesus’ dreams filled their hearts.
He was with them. And he would be with them always.
Even until the end of the age.
And so the women who loved him went to tell the disciples. And their friends. And Jesus’ family.
And they told them the Good News:
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Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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Do not be afraid! For I have risen.
I live in you. And you live in me.
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Do not be afraid. You are my body. You woo will arise.
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Do not be afraid. You will see visions.
And you will dream dreams.
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
And this crucified, tortured world will be Resurrected because of my Love, because of your love.
A love that cannot be contained, neither in the heights of life nor in the depths of the deepest grave.
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
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Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
+++
Christ is Risen!
Christ is Risen, indeed. Alleluia!
May we breathe and dream and embody this Resurrected Love.
Amen.
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