Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 4, 2021

The Resurrection (1665), oil painting by Luca Giordano (1634-1705). Residenzgalerie, Salzburg, Austria. (Click image to enlarge.)

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the victory of Jesus over death through resurrection. In the first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter is visiting the home of the Roman Centurion Cornelius, who is considering becoming a Christian. Peter has just had a vision in which God told him that he should join the Roman family at table. Now he tells this Roman family the story of Jesus’ life and work. He assures them that salvation through Jesus’ life, death on the cross and resurrection is meant for everyone, not just Jewish Christians. Forgiveness of our sins through God’s saving grace is given to every nation, to all people, to Jew and Gentile alike: Jesus is Lord of all.

Alternate First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9

The Prophet Isaiah imagines a sumptuous feast – a table piled high with rich food and fine wine – set out for all God’s people as a celebration of victory over death. Isaiah understood this as a national feast in the context of Israel’s dream of return from exile. Looking back through Israel’s tradition, early Christians adopted it as an image of God’s saving grace through Jesus.

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

A feeling of joy appropriate for our Easter celebration rings through Sunday’s Psalm (which overlaps substantially with last week’s Palm Sunday Psalm). This is originally a Psalm used to celebrate Passover, and we need to honor that context. The Psalmist sings of joy blended with gratitude: Joy and gladness over salvation; delight about victory over death; and thanksgiving for God’s goodness and mercy. God has heard our prayers and responded, the Psalmist sings, laying a new cornerstone for a just world. This is the day that the Lord has made: Let us rejoice and be glad!

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

As Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians draws to its close, he speaks of the centrality of the Resurrection to Christian belief: Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day and seen by the Apostles and by hundreds of followers. Everyone who witnessed the risen Christ, he writes – including Paul himself, remembering his vision on the road to Damascus – now proclaims to the whole world that God’s saving grace comes to us through the crucifixion and the Resurrection.

Gospel: John 20:1-18

Each of the four Gospels’ accounts of the resurrection is slightly different. John’s story gives particular attention to Mary Magdalene. It presents her in beautifully tender verses as the one who remained at the empty tomb after the others had left; the first person to witness the risen Christ, and the one sent to proclaim the good news of his resurrection to the rest. In a narrative similar to other accounts of Jesus’ mysterious appearances after his resurrection, Mary did not recognize Jesus until he called her name.

Alternate Gospel: Mark 16:1-8

The story of Easter morning as told by Mark, the earliest of the Gospels, is brisk and concise. It is sunrise, and three grieving women get up early to take spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ beloved body. When they get there, they find that the stone has rolled away from the door! A young man dressed in white tells them, “He has been raised; he is not here. … he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” It’s not surprising that they were terrified. They ran away and told no one. And just like that, the original version of Mark’s Gospel ends, leaving us to wonder what comes next.

Thoughts on Sunday’s Lessons for April 1, 2018

The Resurrection (1665), oil painting by Luca Giordano (1634-1705). Residenzgalerie, Salzburg, Austria. (Click image to enlarge.)

Christ is risen indeed! On Easter we celebrate Jesus’ victory over death through resurrection. In this reading from Acts, Luke’s story of the early church, Peter is visiting the home of the Roman Centurion Cornelius, who is considering becoming a Christian. Peter has just had a vision in which God told him that he should join the Roman family at table. No food is now to be considered unclean, a signal from God that salvation through Jesus’ life, death on the cross and resurrection is meant for everyone, not just Jewish Christians. God’s Good News in the Gospel shows no partiality, Peter tells Cornelius’ family. Forgiveness of sin through God’s saving grace is available to every nation, to Jew and Gentile alike: Jesus is Lord of all.

Alternate First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9

The Prophet Isaiah imagines a sumptuous feast, a table loaded with rich food and fine wine, set out for all God’s people as a celebration of victory over death. Isaiah foresaw this as a national feast in the context of Israel’s dream of return from exile. It echoes through the ages for us as an image of God’s saving grace through Jesus. “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast.” Amid the joy of the Resurrection and Easter Day, this affirmation that we repeat at Eucharist resonates for us as we praise God in gladness and rejoice in God’s salvation.

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

This hymn of exultation in God’s goodness and mercy may have originally served as a processional hymn as the congregation came up the steps surrounding the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, singing out their gladness. Celebrating the people’s triumph as God saved them from slavery in Egypt with a mighty hand at the first Passover, it is filled with both joy and gratitude. We, too, are overjoyed at our salvation. We are delighted at our victory over death. We are grateful for God’s goodness and mercy. As with ancient Israel, God has heard our prayers, laying a new cornerstone for a just world. This is the day that the Lord has made: Let us rejoice and be glad!

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Near the end of Paul’s first long letter to the Christians of Corinth, he offers thoughts that serve well for our contemplation on Easter Sunday. Paul points to the central place of the Resurrection in Christian belief: Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day and seen by the Apostles and by hundreds of followers. Everyone who saw the risen Christ, he writes – including Paul himself, forgiven despite his unfitness as a former persecutor – now proclaims to the whole world that God’s saving grace comes to us through the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Gospel: John 20:1-18

Like four witnesses discussing a memorable event, each of the four Evangelists tells the story of the first Easter morning in a slightly different way. John’s Gospel gives particular weight to Mary Magdalene, describing her in beautiful, tender verses as the one who discovered the empty tomb and then, after the excited men had come and left, remained there and thus became the first person to witness the risen Christ. In a narrative similar to other Gospel accounts of the risen Christ’s mysterious appearances, Mary did not recognize Jesus until he called her name. Then she became the one sent to proclaim the good news of his resurrection to the rest.

Alternate Gospel: Mark 16:1-8

Mark, the earliest of the Gospels, tells of the events of Easter morning in brisk, concise language, as is the style of Mark. The sun has risen, and three grieving women get up early to take spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ beloved body. When they arrive, worrying about who will move the heavy stone that bars the door, they find to their amazement that it has already been rolled away! A young man dressed in white tells them, “He has been raised; he is not here. … he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” It’s not surprising that they were terrified: They ran away and told no one. And there the original version of Mark’s Gospel ends without another word, leaving us to wonder what comes next.

Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for April 5, 2015

The Resurrection of Christ, fresco over the main entrance to the Basilica di San Marco in Venice.

“Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast.” Amid the joy of the Resurrection and Easter Day, this joyous affirmation that we utter at every Eucharist echoes the Prophet Isaiah, who imagines a sumptuous feast set out for all God’s people as a celebration of victory over death. Isaiah saw the feast in the context of Israel’s return from exile; we understand it as God’s saving grace through Jesus. All together praise God in gladness and rejoice in God’s salvation.

Psalm: Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24

We can feel a sense of Easter joy in today’s Psalm (which overlaps substantially with last week’s Palm Sunday Psalm). Christians should take note that this is also a Psalm used to celebrate Passover. It sings of joy blended with gratitude. We are overjoyed at our salvation; we are delighted at our victory over death; and we are grateful for God’s goodness and mercy. God has heard our prayers and responded, laying a new cornerstone for a just world. This is the day that the Lord has made: Let us rejoice and be glad!

Alternate First Reading or Second Reading: Acts 10:34-43

These verses from Acts, the Evangelist Luke’s account of the life of the early church, tell us that salvation through Jesus’ life, death on the cross and resurrection is meant for everyone. Peter, speaking to the family of the Roman Centurion Cornelius, declares that God’s Good News in the Gospel shows no partiality. Forgiveness of our sins through God’s saving grace is given to every nation, to all the people, to Jew and Gentile alike: Jesus is Lord of all..

Alternate Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

As Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians draws toward its close, he speaks of the centrality of the Resurrection to Christian belief. All who witnessed the risen Christ, he writes – including Paul himself, remembering his vision on the road to Damascus – now proclaim to the whole world that God’s saving grace comes to us through the crucifixion and the Resurrection.

Gospel: Mark 16:1-8

Here is the story of Easter morning as told by Mark, the earliest of the Gospels. It is sunrise, and three grieving women get up early to take spices to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ beloved body. When they get there, they find that the stone has rolled away from the door! A young man dressed in white tells them, “He has been raised; he is not here. … he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” It’s not surprising that they were terrified. They ran away and told no one. And just like that, the original version of Mark’s Gospel ends, leaving us to wonder what comes next.

Alternate Gospel: John 20:1-18

Each of the four Gospels’ accounts of the resurrection is slightly different. John’s story gives particular attention to Mary Magdalene. It presents her in beautifully tender verses as the one who remained at the empty tomb after the others had left; the first person to witness the risen Christ, and the one sent to proclaim the good news of his resurrection to the rest. In a narrative similar to other accounts of mysterious appearances, she did not recognize Jesus until he called her name.