Prince of Peace Lutheran Church
3rd Avenue at 111th Street
in the historic Lansingburgh section
of the city of Troy, New York
Sermon Links
Lent - Easter Sermon Series 2006
The Sunday of the Resurrection of our Lord
Easter Sunday
"Trading Spaces for an Extreme Makeover"
("Welcome Home!!")
April 16, 2006
Isaiah 25:6-9
1 Corinthians 15:19-26
Mark 16:1-8
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Grace and peace to you from God our Father
and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Welcome home! Over the past 6 weeks, we have been both examining our homes, our "selves" during this season of "Trading Spaces," and looking forward to the "Extreme Makeover" of creation even of our very selves. We talked of the front door, the living room, the kitchen, the den, the bedroom and the hallways as we examined the centrality of the Cross in the furniture scheme, in the blueprints of our selves. In so doing, we considered the "Extreme Makeover" of creation that allowed us to be "Trading Spaces" with Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One.
The Jesus of Mark's Gospel constantly points to the Cross as the defining moment of history. Jesus wasn't just "affixed" to the Cross, of course he was brutally nailed to it after being nearly beaten to death. The soldiers, the religious leaders, indeed, nearly all of Jerusalem were more than happy to then say to Jesus, as he was nailed to the Cross, "welcome home!" If you've seen "the Passion of the Christ," if you've gone to a Good Friday worship service, if you've listened intently over the past 6 Sundays, you've heard this message over and over again "welcome home, Jesus," not to rest and comfort but to the Cross where hands were nailed, where head held a crown of thorns, where feet were nailed and heart pierced, where Jesus would be Trading Spaces with us. It is on that Good Friday, that Joseph of Arimathea traded his final resting place with Jesus, that Jesus might have a grave, a tomb, a home in which death might welcome him.
During our consideration of the Cross we are confronted with the facts that we know all too well. We've made the front door to our hearts difficult to access and, when needed, we have put our feet up, refused to expose ourselves to the heat for others, remained remote from God and each other, not allowed each other to share their heart, their troubles and concerns, instead pacing the hallways of our lives, never getting anywhere. Considering our actions and our failures to act, at this time, write upon the paper Cross you were given, that concern, that confrontation in your heart that has kept you from feeling at home at the Cross. {pause} The Cross, which Carol put together for us, has small sticky circles to which you will affix the Cross you have written upon. Please now come forward and affix your Cross to the Cross. {the people come forward} God's action on the Cross is God's statement that we can find access to God's love and forgiveness for our actions and our failures to act. Welcome home to the Cross.
And now, it is PC "Post Cross," in Mark's biography of Jesus; that defining moment of history has occurred and is now past it is in today's Gospel lesson where we find the three women Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome going to the tomb, what they thought was Jesus' final "home." They had hoped to embalm his body, prepare it for final burial in this place that seems so similar to that small cave or manger where Jesus had begun his life. The women have no keys to open the front door to the tomb; no, all 4 Gospel writers state that they had no expectation of easy entry - it was a very large stone, emphasis on the "very large." A young man from the security system company was there ahead of them "Welcome home." - "don't be alarmed." They didn't even need a code word, password or key. "Welcome home don't be alarmed," that is to say, before you get all worked up, I'm here to tell you the "Good News." You can hear their thoughts "can't you tell us the bad news first?" But, unlike the media of today, this strange messenger doesn't have any bad news only good news.
Welcome home! Welcome to a whole new day, a whole new home, a whole new you! It is now PC "Post Cross," in our lives, as well. We come to this room, this spiritual home for our fellowship, our family, many of us expecting to have no easy access to God's love and forgiveness. That thing that we had done to hurt or refused to do, in order to help; surely that would act as a very large stone, emphasis on the "very large," keeping us out. Well, I am here, the young man (ahem) young man from God's security system company "Welcome home." "don't be alarmed." Unlike the Gnostics, as in the so-called gospels of Judas and Thomas, you don't need a code word, password, key or special piece of knowledge to hear the words "Welcome home don't be alarmed," for here is Good News! It's moving day! You have moved from "out there" to this new home a new place where you can find comfort, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, reconciliation. You didn't need a U-Haul to move here Jesus hauled it all for you! The architect of creation has built a home for us all; in John's Gospel, Jesus said, "in my Father's house are many rooms, I go to prepare a place for you." And now, on Easter Sunday, Jesus calls to us "Welcome home!" - saying that the home is now ready for us whenever we move in.
The young man from God's security system company then tells the women Jesus would be going on ahead of them to Galilee, that they shouldn't worry but get going, one day they will meet him there, just as he promised. They're to tell Jesus' friends, including Peter (probably said to make the point that Jesus wasn't angry with Peter because of his betrayal on Good Friday). Mark tells us the women left "distressed and terrified."
Sounds pretty reality-based to me I mean, if it were me (or you) wouldn't we be "distressed and terrified?" But we have some good news, some Gospel, of which at the time of their leaving the empty tomb, these women were not aware. Jesus would appear to them and to the disciples. When they returned to their homes in Galilee, Jesus would be there to say "Welcome home!" So, when we later leave here, and each day when we leave our "comfort zone," we don't have to be "distressed" or "terrified." We know that whenever and where-ever we go, Jesus will be there saying to us "Welcome home!"
As you leave this, your spiritual home; as you move from this place to your house; you will take with you a Cross. Consider how to include it in the furniture scheme in the rooms of your life how through hand, feet, head and heart action, Jesus' Cross gives us access to the loving home of God. As you step through the door lintel into your house, consider the "Extreme Makeover" of Creation that allows us to be "Trading Spaces" with Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One, how when we sing "Lift High the Cross" we can do so in joy because Jesus took our place- transferred our messages onto his Cross, and like his now is, our Cross is empty. Consider the centrality of the Cross in the furniture scheme of our life. Consider God's great actions of love and hear the words of Jesus, "Welcome home!" "Welcome home to the words, Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed!" Now, that is more reality that you'll EVER see on ANY TV show! Amen!
The peace of God which passes all understanding,
keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
