THE LAST RIVER MILE

A good friend of mine is digging deeply into the letters of the New Testament of the Bible. He’s an adept contextual Bible student, and he noted that most of the “Epistles” were written around 40 to 90 A.D. The four Gospels mostly were compiled near the end of that time period. So my friend was wondering about those first decades of the Jesus-following movement, with basically nothing in writing. Followers with a Jewish background had their people’s scriptures, but those from a non-Jewish background were not familiar with those. How did the movement survive and thrive before any kind of written standardization?

My friend observed that many followers of Jesus (including me) tend to idealize the first generation of Jesus-followers. In our minds, the early Church was a perfected set-up of pure commitment, singular purpose, and untainted zeal. In fact, as my friend pointed out, it was utter chaos. Internally, pockets of believers went off the rails regularly. (Do background study on the churches in Corinth and Ephesus, for example.) And the movement had to survive in the surrounding economic, social, and political turmoil of the era. Yet following Jesus spread like wildfire, against unsurmountable odds. How did that happen?

It most certainly did not take place because of a Jesus who is as domesticated as we try to make him now. It did not take place because of a Jesus who was just a good teacher or some kind of a professional “nice guy.” That kind of fire would not be fueled by a Jesus who came only to punch my personal ticket to heaven. And most certainly this would not be driven by a Jesus who is nothing more than a “law and order mascot” for whoever happens to be in power.

As another celebration of Easter approaches, we absolutely must not under-estimate the world-redefining power of the Cross and the Resurrection Day. In Jesus’ suffering and death, God is completely united with us and one with us in the very worst that human beings have ever and will ever suffer. The risen Jesus not only frees us every single manifestation of Sin and death, but shatters the very chains those things have forged. The Resurrection is the complete and forever defiance of every power and principality that breaks God’s heart and crushes the human spirit. It is the powerful reconciliation of all that is hopelessly divided, and the welcoming of those deemed unwelcomed by the world. The risen Jesus transforms people and all Creation into that which was God’s heart from Creation itself. In rising, Jesus claims ultimate and final Lordship over everyone and everything else that claims it in human history.

The very first thing that had to be said to those who found Jesus’ tomb to be empty was, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus risen is both world-upending terrorizing and completely compelling, beckoning at the same time. It could not be anything else and have exploded in those early years when literally there was nothing else to propel it.

This Easter morning may we be both blown-away terrified and inexplicably thrilled and drawn at the same time again.

I’ll see you around the next bend in the river.