Who will roll away the stone?

 Read Mark 16

Think this morning about this verse from Isaiah.

Before they call I will answer;

while they are still speaking I will hear.

The Sabbath had ended. Actually, it ended in the darkness of the evening before, but these women who were headed to the tomb where Jesus had been placed would need sunlight.

Joseph of Arimathea donated his tomb.  Actually, revisionists think that it might not have been a donation. As it was just a short weekend stay, it might have just been an Air BnB rental.

But in any case, Jesus was placed in the tomb with some hasty preparation by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus the Pharisee who had come to see Jesus at night. It was a best-effort job that had to be done before sunset and the beginning of the Sabbath.

Obviously, the hasty job by the men did not satisfy the women’s standards so at sunrise they are headed to the tomb in which Jesus was placed. It had been a long and fearful Sabbath. The disciples were afraid and gathered together. What would they do?

For the women, there was no discussion. Before anything could be done, the body of Jesus had to be given proper preparation, and two women named Mary and one named Salome were headed to the tomb. One Mary is Mary Magdalene and the other is likely the mother of Jesus though she is identified as the mother of James—who was the half-brother of Jesus.

Salome was probably Zebedee’s wife. In any case, three women fully equipped with spices, were headed to do things the right way as far as the body of Jesus was concerned.

Then it hit one of them.  Who will move the stone away? It’s a big stone and takes several men. Who will do this?

Who will roll the stone away?

So, the women turned back and went to round up some men for that job. Not!

They kept going and found the stone had already been removed. We will continue with the story. It’s a good one for sure, but let’s stop and consider these women.

They know that they have to do right by their Master when it comes to his final preparations. They know what to do. They don’t know how they are going to get into the tomb, but they keep heading that way. They know their part and they keep moving forward.

There is saving faith—the for God so loved the world stuff—and there is healing faith. Jesus talked about the faith of the mustard seed and about moving mountains.

These gals just needed a big rock moved. They didn’t know how that would happen but they continued on their mission to do what they knew to do. They continued forward expecting to do their part.

That’s faith.

I know what my part is. I don’t know how the rest of this will fall into place. I will move forward to do my part.

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.

The men are all back at their Air BnB in a terrible funk but the women are doing what they know to do.

Before they call I will answer;

while they are still speaking I will hear.

Were these women led by faith? Was it ignorance? Did they just have to get out of that house full of brooding men who didn’t know hat to do next?

Any might be the case. I’m going with faith—plain and simple faith. This is how I live my life every day faith.  I say it was faith.

The women did not fully understand, but they knew their part.

Sometimes, we just need to pay attention to our parts. Sometimes we need to know less about the big picture and just keep our eyes fixed on what God wants us to do.

Sometimes we just pick up our spices and head to the tomb. I know my part.

I think the women knew Proverbs 3:5-6. I think they were just trusting in the Lord and going to that tomb took a lot of trust—the with all of your heart sort of trust.

Now, let’s get to the part that got you up and in here early this morning. The women see the stone rolled away and a young man in a white robe sitting by the entrance.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”

I will talk more about Peter and some other nuances of this morning at the next service, but for now, be affirmed by these words.

He has risen! He is not here.

He is not here. Jesus of Nazareth is not in this tomb. You won’t be needing those spices after all.

He has risen! He is not here.

Those are our words of affirmation this Resurrection Sunday. Our words of discipleship—our challenge or our charge is this.

Before they call I will answer;

while they are still speaking I will hear.

God has good plans for us. We need to trust him enough to just do our part and not to worry about the rest. It’s ok to be afraid, but know that the spirit of fear did not come from God.

God will help you deal with your fear. Your part—our part is faith. Just keep the faith. We keep on stepping out in faith and doing our part and trusting God to do the rest.

He has risen! He is not here.

There is your affirmation.

Step out in faith. There is your challenge.

Celebrate today like no other day.

Step out from this place in faith, not fear!

Amen.

 

Matthew 7 - Part 2

 

Read Matthew 7

 

A long time ago, when I was filling the pulpit between Jim and Duawn, not knowing that you would have to endure me almost every Sunday in this new century, I used the Janis Joplin song, O Lord Won’t You Buy Me as a parody of our prayers.

Some may remember the message.  Many remember the song.

 

I'd like to do a song

Of great social and political import

It goes like this

 

As an act of mercy to all present, I will read not sing or scream the lyrics.

 

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz

My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends

Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends

So Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz

 

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV

Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me

I wait for delivery each day until three

So oh Lord, won't you buy me a color TV

 

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town

I'm counting on you, Lord, please don't let me down

Prove that you love me and buy the next round

Oh Lord, won't you buy me a night on the town

 

We ask for some crazy things in our prayers.  Sometimes we ask for very reasonable things.  Many have prayed for the health of a loved one.  Many have prayed for a job.  Many have prayed for those who have gone down the roads of alcoholism and drug addiction.

I’m not asking for a Mercedes Benz.  I just want my grandma to live a little longer.

I’m not asking for a new television.  I just want to pay the water bill.

I’m not asking for drinking money.  I just want it to rain.

Is God even listening?

How about this approach his throne of grace with confidence business?

How do I know that I am in a his grace is sufficient situation?

Do I take a little wine for my stomach, go to the emergency room, or just pray for God to heal the daily aches and pains?

Sometimes I need more than being told that God’s ways are higher than my ways.  Sometimes, that’s not the answer that I need to my prayers.

Ask, seek, knock—what do I do with these verbs?  I ask all the time.  Sometimes I seek the Lord and his kingdom and his righteousness.  Seldom do I knock.  I know it won’t do any good.  I haven’t lived up to my end.

Really?  Jesus offers an open invitation to God’s blessings.  Do you remember the beatitudes?  Repentance prepares us for blessing.

But can we be blessed in our sin?  Can we be blessed in our apathy or ambivalence?  I meet with people all of the time who want help.  Specifically, they want money but don’t want the yoke that Jesus offers that would give them rest and peace and provide for what they need.

Sometimes what people seek is not what the good plans that God has in store for us hold.  What if the answer we seek would rob us or someone else of abundant life?

What if God answers everyone one of our petitions with a good gift but sometimes we didn’t see it because it wasn’t exactly what we thought we needed.

God gives good gifts!

If your kid was hungry and wanted you to make him some breakfast, would you give him a plate of gravel?  Here, put a little Tabasco on it.  It will go down easier.

If your kid asked you for a fish, would you give him a water moccasin instead?

Who would do these things?

But if we who all fall short of the glory of God can figure out how to give our own children good gifts, how much more will our Father in heaven give to us?

What if our requests amount to asking for a rock when we should be asking for bread?  Would you want God to give you a rock just because you don’t know what to ask for?

Sometimes, our prayers defy what God has told us to do.  If God told you to plant tomatoes but you wanted to plant cucumbers instead, do you expect God to bless your cucumber crop when you have neglected the crop that God told you to plant?

Read the Proverbs.  Tom’s notes summarized much of these quips of wisdom into a simple dichotomy.  There is God’s way and there is everything else.  One of the names for that everything else is wickedness.

Ask for what God has told you that you need. It’s like he said put these things on your prayer list.  I know you need them.  I stand ready to give them to you.

Seek the things of God and his kingdom and his righteousness.  Then expect him to open doors for you as you live out the good plans that he has for you.

Let’s try it this way.  Do to others as you would hope they would do to you and expect God to answer your prayers.  Live by love for God and for each other and expect God to answer your prayers.

Seek God and his kingdom and his righteousness and you will recognize the answer to your prayers when you see them.

Amen.