“Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
2018년 4월 1일An ancient Jewish legend says when Moses went to Pharaoh to demand he set the Hebrew slaves free, Pharaoh asked the name of Moses’ God. “Yahweh,” he replied. So Pharaoh summoned his priests and had them recite the names of all the known gods of Egypt: Ra, Isis, Osiris, Horus, Nut, Anubis etc. Pharaoh told Moses there was no god named Yahweh on their list. Moses replied, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
The is the exact question the angel asked the women who came to the tomb of Jesus at sunrise that Sunday morning, to anoint the corpse of their dead Messiah. The empty tomb filled them with fear and dread, for they thought surely grave robbers had stolen Jesus’ body or perhaps someone moved it. It was only when Mary Magdalene encountered the Risen Lord did the reality of the Resurrection fill her with joy, wonder and awe. And history forever changed.
The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. If he did not rise from the dead, St. Paul says, then our faith is in vain and we are the most pathetic of all people. But if Christ is truly risen, then we must allow him to transform our lives by this good news. If Christ is risen, he is no longer subject to the confines of time and space. He is as present to us today as he was 2,000 years ago to those weeping women at the tomb, to the dejected fishermen, to the disciples in the upper room, to Thomas and to Peter.
All four gospel agree when the women came to the tomb, the stone was already rolled away. This detail is important. If the gospels simply wanted to prove that Christ was risen, the stone would have remained in place, with the seal intact. Then when the Roman soldiers rolled it away so the women could anoint the body —Ta DAH— empty! Proof that Jesus is risen. But we are not saved by physical facts but by fervent faith. Faith depends on doubt, like light needs shadow. Perhaps grave robbers did steal the body. Or maybe the gardener moved it. Or they might have gone to the wrong grave. Or the earthquake swallowed it. Or maybe, just maybe, the tomb is empty because Jesus is really risen!
Let us encounter the risen Lord in scripture, in the liturgy, in prayer, in service to the poor, and in our hearts. But let us not seek him in weird superstitious practices like Tarot cards, fortune telling, astrology or cults. We seek the Crucified One who lives. No need to search for him among the dead.