April 1, 2018 Easter Mark 16:1-8

            When you read a book or watch a movie I assume you’re like most people in that you connect with a certain character that you can relate to.  Maybe it’s the hero of the story and you’d like to think yourself capable of such things too.  Or maybe it’s a side character whose life mirrors your own.  I think we do the same thing when we read Bible stories.  We like to connect to some character in the story, or take on a point of view that puts us in the story.  Most people don’t put themselves in the role of Jesus.  That feels too arrogant, but we pick some character.

In our gospel reading for today I think the gospel writer Mark wants you to identify with one character in particular, although you may think this a bit strange, and it may make you blush.  That character is the young man at the empty tomb.  Now don’t let what you think you know about the story cloud your understanding of it.  Don’t say, “Pastor, it wasn’t a young man.  It was an angel.”  Doing that is bringing in ideas from the other gospels stories about the resurrection.  This is Mark.  The way Mark tells it, it is one young man.  And Mark makes one other very very important point – what he is wearing.  He is wearing a white robe.

Now that may seem like a completely bizarre thing to note, however, it is important because we’ve met this young man in the gospel before.  His clothing was noted then too, and this is where it makes you blush.  If you were here on Maundy Thursday you may remember we read about the Last Supper and Jesus going out to the Mount of Olives to pray.  Judas leads a crowd to Jesus and he is captured.  And let me read a couple verses from that scene to you.

Jesus said, “’Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit?  Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me.  But let the scriptures be fulfilled.’”  All of them deserted him and fled.  A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth.  They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.”  (Mark 14:48-52)

My, my, what to do with that detail?!?  What on earth is the point of including that in the story of Jesus?

Well let’s note something.  This “linen cloth” is an okay translation but it would be better translated as a “burial shroud.”  Now the mystery has gotten even deeper.  Why would a young man be running around on the Mount of Olives in a burial shroud?  This is sounding like hazing from a college fraternity!

If you’ve been with us all the way through our reading of Mark’s gospel you’ll remember that Mark’s story is quirky and unpredictable.  We realize Mark has other writings and ideas in the background that he builds from.  You may especially remember the way he spoofs of Greek philosopher Plato.  And another thing in the background that we haven’t looked at yet is baptism.

Let me read to you about how the early Christians did baptism, especially for adults.  Keep in mind from Mark’s gospel the young man dressed in a burial shroud, then it taken off him at Jesus’ arrest, then appearing again in a white robe at the empty tomb.

This is from the research of Frank Senn, “On the [night before Easter those to be baptized ] assembled at the font while the faithful kept a solemn vigil waiting for the Lord’s appearing.  [Those about to be baptized] received a final exorcism, renounced the devil, confessed their faith in God the Father, his Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the holy church, were stripped, anointed and immersed [in water].  They emerged from the pool in the same way in which they emerged from the womb: naked.  As a sign of their new birth they were clothed in new white garments.  They were then led into the assembly of the faithful, still damp and aromatic from their anointing.”

Are you getting a feel for what Mark is getting at with this young man, the attention to his clothing, and why Mark wants you to identify with him?

For Mark the resurrected Jesus has already happened.  Jesus is gone and on the move.  That’s why he doesn’t show up!  Jesus is no longer part of the story.  His part is done.  The resurrected Jesus never shows up in Mark’s gospel!  Now you are the newly dressed one, fresh from your baptism, and at the empty tomb.  What are you going to do?

Mark’s going to give you an answer.  But before we get to his answer, which you may have already guessed, let’s take a moment to really understand the transformation Mark wants us to understand from baptism – and that goes for whether you were baptized as an adult just yesterday, or as a baby years ago.

Let me get at it this way.  Many of you know that I had an old farm tractor that we used at the garden project.  It was worn out and had lots of problems.  Last fall I decided to rebuild the engine and make a lot of other needed repairs.  I tore the engine apart and sent the head and block and crank shaft off to a machine shop to be tested and trued up again.  The machine shop then contacted me and said that they found cracks in the engine block that couldn’t be repaired.  What did I want to do?

I did what I think was the right idea.  I gave up on the tractor, listed the good parts on Craigslist, and was prepared to scrap the rest.  A guy called me and offered to buy the whole thing.  I was all too glad to get rid of it quickly and sold it to him for little more than it’s worth in scrap metal.

A week ago I happened to see that tractor appear for sale on Craigslist again.  Except now it was all in one piece and freshly painted.  Had he figured out how to fix the cracks in the engine?  Had he gone to all the work and bother of repairing everything that was broken and making the tractor like new again?

I read his description, which wasn’t exactly a lie, but nowhere near the truth.  He basically put it back together, flaws, cracks, and all.  Hastily sprayed a fresh coat of paint on it – even painting over the numerous dents and dings it had, and listed it for sale at almost nine-times what he paid me for it.

For a moment I was livid!  I felt stupid.  Why had I let him have it for such a low price if he was just going to turn around and put a lot of money in his pocket.  But then I noticed that the ad had been up for a while and no one had bitten.  Apparently he’s not taken in anyone – at least not yet.  Some fool may buy it.  I’m sure it’ll run great for several hours but then all the problems will start to show themselves.

I’m appalled at the ethics of some people, but I’m not surprised.

The ancient baptismal practices Mark is using in the gospel were symbolic of what happens to a person as they die and enter eternal life.  God is not a con artist.  We are not to have a quick paint job put on us over the outside of a ruined old person: pretty on the outside but still a wreck on the inside.

If I would have kept that tractor I would have searched out and paid for all the right parts in good shape.  I would have carefully reassembled it all to the original specifications.  I would have taken out the dents, cleaned off the rust, and when I was done the tractor would have not only looked like new it would have run like new too.

The resurrected life God promises us will be like that.  God’s already done the work for us.  He did it on the cross.  Then is when God took all the brokenness, all the cracks and warps and flaws onto himself.  God took all the rust and dents of the world upon himself.  God put in the work to make it all right and good again.

Now you, clothed in the resurrected promises of God are ready – inside and out.  You are the young man in the story.  Jesus has already gone ahead.  Now is your time.

I made the translation of Mark’s gospel myself in order to highlight the bizarre last sentence.  “And nothing to nobody they spoke, they were terrified because.”

You may remember me saying many times these last few months that Mark’s gospel is circular.  And if you remember that you’ll also remember that Mark’s gospel ends with an incomplete sentence and it begins with an incomplete sentence.  You put the two incomplete sentences together – that is 16:8 and 1:1 and you get, “They were terrified because the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

What are we to do?  The story is now our story.  The actions are now our actions.  Our lives, rebuilt from the core up, are to be lived bringing Jesus’ will into reality.  Jesus said many times, “The kingdom of God has come near.”  Or, “The kingdom of God is at hand.”  That was not some poetic turn of phrase.  That was a statement of reality that he brought.

We are to do the same.  With the same boldness, certainty and strength we are to be Christ in the world.  There is no need to shirk.  No need to second guess yourself.  No need to wonder what to do.  Act with rebuilt strength and boldness living in powerful love.  Though our bodies may age and break down, for we must still live this life and God’s not done with us, we are surely God’s people and nothing can cause permanently damage the new life God gives.