Third Sunday of Easter [B]

 


THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER


Let’s consider whether it was really necessary for Jesus to die on the cross? We know that he did die; but was it truly necessary? According to Jesus, it was. Note his choice of words in Luke chapter 24: 


These are the words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets must be fulfilled..[T]hus it is written that the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all of the nations, beginning in Jerusalem [verses 44-48, emphasis added]. 


In other words, the divine plan necessarily includes the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. Does this reflect an aspect of cruelty or severity? Perhaps it seems outrageous that innocent blood has to be spilled in order to satisfy God’s blazing wrath. 


And yet, suppose for a moment that it’s not about pacifying a vengeful God; suppose rather that it’s more about the prospect of turning everything around. Up until this point, the grave needed to be understood as a destination. Now, thanks to Jesus, the grave has been transformed into a passageway—a stage within a wider journey. That’s another way of saying that the previous order is being turned around. 


The previous order relates sin to condemnation. Now what are we hearing? According to this weekend’s second reading, we have to make room for the offer of redemption (1st John 2:1-2). Meanwhile, our first reading presents us with a new version of St. Peter. He comes across as a failure, initially. Now he’s demonstrating strength, as opposed to weakness (Acts 3:12-26). Not only has the order been turned around; PEOPLE are actually being turned around!


Could it be that we’ve passed through the Looking Glass? The author Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) introduces us to a young girl named Alice. Periodically she would stare at the Looking Glass; finally, overcome with curiosity, she literally steps through the looking glass. How do we describe what follows? She enters into a world of inversion—a dimension that has been inverted. 


Our scripture readings take us, similarly, to a place of inversion. The grave has been inverted as a result of the Easter event. The fixed link between sin and condemnation has been inverted. And we can say that the witness of St. Peter has likewise been inverted. What exactly does this mean for people like you or like me? It means that you can dare to hope. You can dare to hope, even if you regard yourself as a person of weakness. You can dare to hope, even if you are faced with tragic circumstances. You can dare to hope, even if sin continues to play a role in your life. 


Through the ministry of Jesus Christ you have been blessed with the gift of hope. Maintain your bond with Jesus. Foster your relationship with him. He will invert whatever it is that needs to be inverted. Alice had her experience of the Looking Glass; don’t be surprised if the Looking Glass ends up figuring into your story as well. 

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