Episode Transcript
Hello friends. Welcome to this week's episode of Grants of the Gospel. My name is
Reverend Katie Griffiths and it is good to be with you on this Easter morning.
Christ our Lord is risen. He is risen indeed and it is so good to be with
you and worship in this way on this day. Let us come together now in a time
of worship. The Lord be with you and also with you. Today's epistle lesson comes
from the letter from Paul to the people of the Church of Colossus. We are in
the third chapter of Colossians verses one through four. Here now the
word of the Lord. So if you've been raised with Christ, seek the things
that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your
minds on things that are above not on things that are on earth. For you have
died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your
life is revealed then you also will be revealed with him in glory. The
word of God for us the people of God. Thanks be to God. As we recite the word
to the Apostles Creed let us be ever mindful of the sections that highlight
the life, death, and resurrection of Christ as we celebrate this Easter
morning. Friends what do we believe? I believe in God the Father Almighty
maker of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ has only sent our Lord who
was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead and buried. The third day he rose from the
dead, he ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the
Father Almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of
saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life
everlasting. Amen. Would you pray with me? Dear Lord we are so thankful that on
the third day you rose from the dead, walked out of the tomb, and became the
Savior of the world. We are thankful for these things that we can
celebrate with exuberance and with joy. We are thankful for the lessons
that you taught us during Lent and the joy that we get to celebrate on
this day. Hear us now as we pray those words that your Son, our Savior, taught
us to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this
day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those
who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil, for that is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Today's gospel lesson comes from the gospel according to John. We're in the
20th chapter verses 1 through 18. Hear now the word of the Lord. Early on
the first day of the week when it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the
tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran
and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one who Jesus loved, and
said to them, They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know
where they have laid him. Then Peter and the other disciple set out and
went toward the tomb. The two were running together but the other
disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down and saw
the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter
came following him and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying
there in the cloth that had been on Jesus's head, not lying with the linen
wrappings, but rolled up in place by itself. Then the other disciple who
reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed, for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead. Then
the disciples returned to their homes. But Mary stood weeping outside the
tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and she saw two
angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the
head and the other at the feet. And they said to her, Woman, why are you
weeping? And she said to them, They have taken away my Lord and I do not
know where they have laid him. When she said this, she turned around and
saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus
said to her, Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?
Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, Sir, if you've carried him
away, tell me where you've laid him and I will take him away. And Jesus
said to her, Mary, she turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabonai, which
means teacher. Jesus said to her, Do not touch me because I've not yet
ascended to the father, but go to my brothers and say to him, I am ascending
to my father and your father to my God and your God. Mayor Magdalene
went and announced to the disciples, I have seen the Lord and she told
them all that he had said these things to her. The word of God for
us, the Easter people of God. Thanks be to God. Would you pray with me?
Lord, as we come together on this Easter morning, let us be revived
and renewed in our joy and our excitement over our salvation for
this moment that we hear in scripture and we live out every day with our
salvation and renewal of spirit. Help us to share that gospel with all
those who come in contact with us. Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of all of our hearts be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, our
strength and our redeemer. Amen. My brother and I spent a lot of time
with my grandparents in the car when we were younger. Back when cars had
cassette tape players and not Bluetooth capabilities. One such car
trip on one such car trip, my grandmother had brought a tape that
she found of my great, great uncle playing the piano. Ford Montgomery
was a concert pianist, but would never play for his family because
he thought it was too much like bragging. I only heard him play
in person one time, so the tape she found of him playing was quite
the treasure. We listened intently as we drove down the state road
between Macon and the nursing home in Gray, Georgia, that now cared
for Ford, his twin brother, John, and their sister, my great
grandmother, Lucy. In the middle of the piano recording, with no
warning whatsoever, the voice of their older sister, Ethel, cut
into the music. Out of nowhere, her very distinct cadence and
pitch began speaking. Ethel, or A.E. as we called her, had been
in her own tomb for a while, so it was quite a shocking moment.
Morris almost drove us off the road with shock, and Goeghe, who
was normally stoic and steady, was even taken aback. This voice
from the dead was very unexpected. It was sudden and
shocking, and after we got ourselves together, it made for a
good laugh. All these years later, I can still feel my heart
skip a beat thinking about her voice coming from out of
nowhere. I cannot even imagine how Mary Magdalene felt that
day. It had been a long few days. The procession into
Jerusalem, the Last Supper, watching her friend and
teacher brutally die. I'm sure she had not slept much
in the last few days. Sure that she was exhausted and sad
and overwhelmed. No wonder she didn't recognize Jesus through
her tears. They had to be distorting her view of the
world. Her exhaustion had to be clouding what she could see.
Even when she heard his voice, she didn't recognize it.
Even though Jesus had told her everything that was going to
happen, he had been warning them for weeks. His voice had to
be the last one she thought she would hear. But then he said
her name, Mary, and the hazy, tear-filled view of the
world came into focus. The sound of her name from the
voice she knew and loved brought her back to reality. It
was really him. Standing right in front of her was Jesus, her
teacher, her friend, the one she loved. And in that
shocking moment, everything that he had been telling her
for all of these weeks had clicked into place. In the
Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Jesus
predicts his death three times. After he feeds the 5,000,
in Luke 9, he says, Jesus strictly warned them not to
tell this to anyone. And he said, the son of man must
suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the
chief priests, and the teachers of the law. He must
be killed and on the third day be raised to life. After
the transfiguration in Matthew 17, he tells us when
they came together in Galilee, he said to them, the
son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of
men. They will kill him and on the third day he will be
raised to life. And the disciples were filled with
grief. And on the way to Jerusalem, before the palms
were waved, Mark 10 sets the stage for the
resurrection. They were on their way up to Jerusalem
with Jesus leading the way and the disciples were
astonished while those who followed were afraid. Again,
he took the 12 aside and told them what was going to
happen to him. We're going to go up to Jerusalem, he
said, and the son of man will be delivered over to
the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They
will condemn him to death and will hand him over to
the Gentiles who will mock him and spit on him, flog
him and kill him. Three days later, he will rise.
And John, we see him tell his disciples when his
feet are anointed by another Mary and at the last
supper. And after hearing all of these things, Tom
and again, Mary Magdalene still can't totally
comprehend what is happening until Jesus calls her
name, Mary. And right in that moment was the first
calling to Christian ministry. He awakens in her
something that she had no idea would be true. Her
teacher, her rabbi was alive, was standing in
front of her calling her name. Jesus had changed
her life in so many ways before that. He had
shown her, like all of the other disciples, what
a life of faith was to look like. Healing the
sick, clothing and feeding and giving drink to
the needy, caring for the widows and the
children, loving her neighbor. And now that he
had taught her all of those things, and now
that he had fulfilled what he had promised, he
was calling her to a life of ministry greater
than anything she had done before. Now she had
a new story to tell. Now she had a wonderful,
amazing, life-giving and life-altering event
that she could tell people about. A new thing
was forming and Mary, with the utterance of
her name, was going to be the first to preach
the gospel. Jesus said to her, don't touch me
because I'm not yet ascended to the Father,
but go to my brothers and say to them I am
ascending to my Father and your Father, to my
God and your God. And Mary Magdalene went
and announced to the disciples, I have seen
the Lord. And she told them that he had said
those things to her. Easter is not just the
moment that salvation was born. Easter is not
just about the moment of the empty tomb.
Easter is the start of something beautiful.
It is the moment that each and every believer
has been called to share through love and
kindness ever since. We all have a call to do
that. And our calls are as unique and
individual as we are. No one else, not a
single soul that has ever walked this planet
has ever had the same calling as Mary Magdalene.
Like each unique fingerprint, Jesus calls
each of us to share his love and light
in our own way. He didn't just call Mary
that day. He kept calling all of us by
name to the life of ministry and light
and love that he wants for us. How is
Jesus calling you? Do you, like me, in an
age full of wisdom, have a new calling?
Have you known what your calling was
since you were young? How can Jesus use
an Easter moment in your life to shift
how you see him and how you share his
love? Mary couldn't believe what was
right before her tear-filled eyes
until she heard her teacher who had
become her savior say her name.
Like a voice out of the darkness, she
woke up to the thing that Jesus had
promised. I wonder if Paul
talked to Mary about that moment when
he started his ministry and mission.
I wonder if he had that story in mind
when he wrote to the people of Colossus.
He reminds them, for you have died and
your life is hidden with Christ and
God. When Christ, who is your life, is
revealed, then you also will be
revealed with him in glory.
That revelation happened for Mary
Magdalene at the tomb.
That revelation happens for us in
many ways throughout our lives.
What are some of your Easter
revelation moments?
When God reveals himself anew in
different ways right before your eyes,
what is God trying to reveal to you
that maybe you have not seen yet?
Will it take a startling moment like
a voice from the past to come
through your cassette tape player?
Will it be in the form of someone
in need?
Will it be something you see through
tears or through laughter?
Jesus is calling your name
just like he called to Mary.
He's calling for you to accept the
love and grace that he offers
and that new covenant that began
with his walking
out of the tomb. We know death was
not the end of the story for Jesus
and we see it even in our communion
liturgy.
The communion of saints, all the
company of heaven,
join us as we sing his praise and come
together around the table
to remember the moment in time and to
receive that outward symbol of his
inward grace.
Jesus calls me and he calls you
by name to come to his table
and commune with him and with each other.
Amen. As we go throughout this week,
this first week of Easter celebration,
let us look for those times, those
moments in life
that are new and different callings,
new ways of serving
and embrace them just like Mary
Magdalene embraced her new calling
at the tomb. Because in life,
in death, in life beyond death,
God is with us. We are not
alone. Thanks be to God.
Amen.
