Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:04 Hi and welcome to that makes total sense. The podcast where we talk about faith, finance and everyday life in a way that makes total sense. I'm your host Alexis city. On this podcast you'll hear the personal stories of friends I'll be interviewing who are doing familiar things in new and innovative ways. We'll answer questions specifically about money and our relationship with it and we'll explore faith and Bible teaching together in all of these. It's not about changing our convictions as much as it is about messing with our methods. We'll have a lot of moments here together where we pause and say that makes total sense. Hi, I'm Alexis <inaudible> and welcome to that makes total sense. So I am recording this right now on Sunday afternoon, on Easter Sunday afternoon actually. And um, yeah, it's a bizarre Easter Sunday. But praise God, Jesus is risen. He is King, he is on the throne and he knew exactly what we would all be doing on Easter Sunday and that it would look different than we thought it might just a couple of months before.
Speaker 0 01:18 And of course I'm watching the news or reading the news and, and listening to sermons and podcasts leading up to Easter and everybody's talking about it. Um, whether or not people believe that, what this holiday celebrates, which is like the widest known miracle in all of history, um, that Jesus Rose from the dead. Um, regardless of whether or not people believe that they are talking about Easter, we have what would normally be a very communal holiday, not just in America but across the world. And many of us are celebrating it in some very degree of isolation. But it's okay. It's okay because I think that this isolation has led us to think more and more about our relationships and how important they are to us and how we want to live in those in a deeper way. And that's kind of where I want to go on this podcast.
Speaker 0 02:29 I want to talk about the resurrection and I want to talk about relationships. And I believe that he is asking us to respond not just this Easter but, but now and always in a relational way to him and to each other. Just like his earliest followers responded to the news of his resurrection in the context of relationships. So that's of where I want to go. Is this just some thoughts I had after re reading the gospel accounts of the resurrection was like, wow, this was, we see this as as the huge beginning of, of what it really was. That this spreading of the gospel, this beginning of what we now know as Christianity, but they were just being in relationship with each other. So I'm going to unpack that a little bit as we go forward. But first I want to read an excerpt from one of the accounts of Jesus' resurrection.
Speaker 0 03:35 And this is actually, um, the entire chapter of Mark 16. And this is in the passion translation. On the first day of the week as the Sabbath was ending, Mary Magdalen, Mary, the mother of Jacob and Salone made their way to the tomb. It was very early in the morning as the first streaks of light were beginning to be seen in the sky. They had purchased aromatic and bombing spices. So they might anoint his body and they'd been asking one another who can roll away the heavy stone for us from the entrance of the tomb. But when they arrived, they discovered that the very large stone that had sealed the tomb was already rolled away. As they stepped into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, dressed in a long white robe. The women were startled and amazed, but the angel said to them, don't be afraid.
Speaker 0 04:27 I know that you're here looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He isn't here. He has risen victoriously. Look, see the place where they laid him, run and tell his disciples, even Peter, that he is risen. He's gone ahead of you into Galilee and you will see him there. Just like he told you, they staggered out of the tomb AUSTRAC with their mind swirling. They ran to the disciples, but they were so afraid and in deep wonder. They said nothing to anyone. Early on, the first day of the week after rising from the dead, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalen from whom he had cast out seven demons. After she had seen Jesus, she ran to tell his disciples who were all emotionally devastated and weeping excitedly. Mary told them he's alive and I've seen him, but even after hearing this, they didn't believe her. After this, Jesus appeared to two of the disciples who were on their way to another village appearing in a forum.
Speaker 0 05:26 They did not recognize. They went back to Jerusalem to tell the rest of the disciples, but they didn't believe it was true. Then Jesus appeared before the 11 apostles as they were eating a meal. He corrected them for having such hard unbelieving hearts because they did not believe those who saw him after his resurrection. And he said to them, as you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the gospel to the entire human race, whoever believes the good news and is baptized will be saved. And whoever does not believe that good news will be condemned. And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe. They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues, they will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous, and they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.
Speaker 0 06:16 After saying these things, Jesus was lifted up into heaven and sat down at the place of honor at the right hand of God. And the apostles went out and now Insing the good news everywhere as the Lord consistently worked with them, validating the message, they preached with miracle signs that accompany them. So the women who first witnessed his empty tomb, two of the Mary's, clearly they were not expecting to see anything spectacular. We know this because they were stunned. They, they'd been like batting it back and forth, like who is even going to remove this stone? Like we're going to have to figure this out if we're even going to get in to be able to touch his body and rub these, these spices all over him. They were stunned. The stone was already moved and then they see this angel that completely shocked him.
Speaker 0 07:10 And then ultimately of course they saw Jesus himself and that was spectacular and surprising and nerve racking and all of the things. But even after all of the incredible things that they saw and heard, I don't think they were trying to do something incredible themselves. I think they were just responding in a relational way to Jesus. So go back to why they were even there in the first place. The two marries were they're on their way to the tomb because they were doing what anybody would do after the death of one of their loved ones and they were doing everything they could, making sure that the remains of that loved one was treated with respect. So I got to thinking about this. I read a book over the weekend called grace from the rebel by a an attorney and author named Jeannie Bishop. And Jeannie grew up in Oklahoma city.
Speaker 0 08:17 She's from Chicago and she lives there now as I understand it, but she grew up a lot of her childhood in Oklahoma city and I really just couldn't put the book down. It tells the story of forgiveness and reconciliation of the father, of one of the victims of the bombing, of the Moreau building in Oklahoma city that took place in 1995 and by Timothy McVeigh and the father of Timothy McVeigh himself. So these, these two dads, one the dad of the bomber and one the dad of one of the victims and it, she in a beautiful way tells their story of them building a relationship and, um, build on forgiveness. And part of the reason this book was so enticing to me is because, like I said, I'm from Oklahoma and I, it's one of those things you remember where you were when you heard the news of the bombing, if you're an Oklahoman.
Speaker 0 09:10 And I do remember exactly where I was. Um, I was in, uh, middle school and they put the news on the television. Uh, in fact, they originally thought it was a different building where I had a relative who was working at the time. But then we found out it was the Moreau building. Um, the first and only marathon I ever ran in my whole life was the Oklahoma city marathon run. And it's, it's on the anniversary. They have it on the anniversary, um, weekend every year. When I was in school at the university of Oklahoma, one of my professors and the <inaudible> in my undergraduate program actually was the architect who was chosen among like so many architects in the world. He was chosen to design the Memorial that stands on the ground where the building previously was. So there's obviously an emotional connection to me, um, to that story because of my roots and my relationships.
Speaker 0 10:07 I mean, I'm an Oklahoman. And one chapter that was particularly moving outlined how the family members would wait at this church that had been turned into kind of an administrative slash pastoral slash counseling center where the family members would receive the news of their loved ones, who they had been missing, um, who were in the building at the time of the attack. And so it was at this church where the family members would learn whether or not their loved ones had been found, if they were injured, if they had passed away. And if so, what was had become of their bodies. And an entire community as she writes of professional volunteers was set up in what red, like a, like a makeshift hospital waiting room where relatives anticipated their loved ones, names being called. And that news being brought to them from that point. Mother's husband's brothers, father's children who had previously been on standby now moved into grief filled action to determine the next best course for their loved ones to be put to rest with honor.
Speaker 0 11:32 Mary and Mary in this story 2000 years ago, they were doing the same thing. They had waited until after the Sabbath of that Passover week and no doubt they were anxious just like those family members in Oklahoma city, but they waited. In the case of the Mary's, I don't think they were waiting for the news that may, their loved one could be found among the dead. I think they were just trying to be respectful and and wait until the holiday was over until that time had been deemed appropriate for them to get back out and make that walk outside of the city to the cemetery. They were obviously anxious because the gospels say that they got to the tomb as the sun was rising. I think this is what they'd been waiting for, so they could go and take care of Jesus as soon as they were able to head in that direction. They did and they were prepared. They had spices and they had everything. They would need some bombing fluids, everything. They would need to make sure that Jesus' body received the proper treatment after his death. They wanted to be sure that he was laid to rest with honor.
Speaker 1 12:47 Yeah.
Speaker 0 12:48 But then they received the best news of their entire lives and how did they respond? I can't, I can't even imagine how they responded. I can't imagine how any of us would respond. They were astonished. They hadn't the entire gamut of human emotions that this text tells us their shock, fear, excitement, nervousness, anticipation, and when they recovered enough to be able to physically move again, they responded in the context of relationship. They didn't go to the authorities or to the crowds and they didn't keep the news to themselves. They went to Jesus Berry best friends and told them first because they knew that they would want to know that Jesus was alive and have the chance to see him for themselves.
Speaker 0 13:46 They were among the first preachers of the gospel, and I know we've heard that, heard that and if you want to call them that, I think that's good and right, but I don't believe that they thought they were starting a new world religion in that moment. I think they were just being relational. They were responding like any of us would if we were put in that position. The women continued to respond relationally and the other disciples soon followed suit. They ate with the risen Jesus like friend. They asked him questions they felt as scars. They told their friends and their friends' friends and the good news about the resurrection spread eventually into all the world just as Jesus directed them to do. But the spreading of the gospel works the same way with us. Jesus has done something huge in our lives. He died for our forgiveness and reconciliation to God.
Speaker 0 14:49 He allowed himself be buried in a tomb. He conquered death and he Rose from the grave for us to have abundant life on earth and eternally with him, and we get to respond relationally. We don't have the burden or what can feel like a burden of continuing some vast world religion. We don't carry the responsibility to do something necessarily wide and far reaching. We just get to respond to Jesus relationally. Just like the women at the tomb. The women told the disciples and then they responded in the context of their relationship with Jesus in each other. The disciples wanted to see for themselves, so they ran to the tomb. PS, if you have a chance to read it this week, I love the account and the gospel of John where we read exactly who won the foot race to the tomb, who got there first and then who was too apprehensive to actually look inside, but they wanted to see from the self, so they ran, they responded in relationship.
Speaker 0 15:54 They met Jesus in Galilee where he said he was going to be next. They ate together. They were friends, so I don't believe they were consciously thinking, we need to do this. Do we need to respond this way? In the context of our relationship, it was just natural. It was natural for them to do what they did to respond even to this supernatural event. I'm saying this because I think sometimes as believers we can put so much pressure on ourselves to do the next big thing for God. We think we have to preach like Billy Graham or serve like mother Teresa and some of us might get to be a part of an extended reach of the gospel. In a personal way like them. But even those bold moves that we saw, those those faithful disciples make in the public began with very personal relationships with Jesus.
Speaker 0 16:50 And they began with, with them responding to Jesus and what he had done in their lives. Just like the women who heard the angel and saw the empty tomb and the folded quads, they went to tell their friends because they couldn't help it. They had to tell someone and they raced to tell the people they knew would want to know. And that's what we get to do this Easter. And every day we get to race to tell the people who would want to know that Jesus conquered death by his resurrection. And so the question is in your life and in mind, who would want to know? Who would want to know that good news? Maybe that colleague whose wife is sick, he would want to know about a healer. Maybe that parent at your kid's school who's suffering because her child is rebelling. She would want to know about a gentle shepherd who doesn't judge our current place of sin but seeks to free us from it. Who would want to know, maybe the family member who's been trying with all his might to shake that destructive habit, but he just can't, you know, that one who oscillates between guilt and shame and determination and feelings of failure. He would want to know of a savior who will take that burden right off his back. We get to respond relationally to the people in our lives, just like the women responded on that day when they found Jesus walking in the garden.
Speaker 0 18:22 Recently I was having coffee with one of my friends and she was waiting for me to get there and she had struck up a conversation with a guy sitting at the table next to us, uh, before I arrived. And I really didn't know going in that this trendy little coffee shop was also like an unofficial study site for seminary students all over town. Um, and before this guy left, we ended up chatting with him a little bit more and he told us about his viewpoint. On the garden. And um, I hadn't heard this reckoning necessarily before, but when you look at the scriptures, it's, it's as he pointed out, it's obvious end. He basically said that what started in the garden of Eden, um, ended in another garden when Jesus Rose. And the more I think about it, the more beauty I see in that aspect of the narrative.
Speaker 0 19:18 Um, God started something in the garden and then it was, was tampered with and then he gave us a new beginning and another garden, um, with a full of tunes. Right? And it's just so powerful. And I, I started looking at this and, and like he said, it's obvious. I think I've seen another, I think it was Beth more recently had a, had a social media post about it doesn't take a scholar to go through and see these connections, but I just wanted to throw a couple of them out today of what we see in Genesis with the garden of Eden and what we see with Jesus in these women and the disciples in the garden where his empty tomb was, is what Satan tried to do in the beginning in the garden of Eden when he introduced sin and death to Adam and Eve, Jesus put all of that to death in the other garden with his resurrection and in the garden of Eden, Satan tried to convince Adam and Eve that God was a liar and that he couldn't be trusted and outside of an empty tomb in another garden, though Jesus declared once and for all by his actions that he is the truth.
Speaker 0 20:31 He definitely can be trusted. In Eden, Eve was looking for knowledge of what is good and what is evil and she stumbled upon death instead. But on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary was looking for death and she found a life so good at Concord, all evil forever. The snake in the garden of Eden twisted God's words to bring confusion. But in the other garden, Jesus clarified, he is God's original word and he lives among them. The snake convinced Eve to eat the bad fruit and to tell her husband to join in, but Jesus called himself the true vine and calls us to abide in him as branches and bear good fruit. Adam and Eve became ashamed and they hid from God when he came looking for them. But in the other garden, Jesus called Mary by name and she reached for him to embrace him. And Eden banishment was the consequence in this new garden, reconciliation is the reality. So I just want to encourage you with that on this Easter Sunday or whenever you're listening to this, that even, and especially in this world of social distancing, whether it's Easter or another day, or when we get back to life, I just want to encourage you that relationship is the context of this new normal in Jesus.
Speaker 0 22:16 Okay. So thank you again so much for listening. Don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss an episode. Share the link with your friends. You can visit us at <inaudible>. That makes total sense.com and until next time, this is Alexis Piseti remembering to do well for ourselves so we can do good for others.
Speaker 2 22:36 <inaudible>.
