Homily for April 20, 2025

Often, when I think of the most disorienting situations I’ve been in, I think of weird dreams I’ve had—like in the movie Inception (which is a great film, btw)—  my brain blends in people that I knew in college   but with the neighborhood I grew up in   while I know is 2025.   Like, I know my way around the house I grew up in, but why are my college friends there—I haven’t met them yet!

Now, of course, it’s a dream, so the craziness is fair game.   Whenever I have a dream like this, it’s so disorienting and I feel like I’m going crazy—nothing makes sense.   I recognize the houses but the people don’t match the life I lived there.    I think we live full of expectations: I expect to grow up and be a successful businessman, doctor, farmer, counselor;    find a spouse, have a beautiful family of 4;   buy our dream house and another one for vacationing;   travel every summer.

These are the types of expectations that are thrown at us and we are persuaded by them b/c they provide comfort.   I can only imagine the confusion among the disciples on the days leading up to Christ’s crucifixion. Jesus foretold them His death—that He would be judged, suffer, and die. Surely, He told them that He’d rise on the 3^rd day, but that doesn’t mean that the Passion is no longer painful.   To Peter, Jesus told: Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.

Where was Jesus headed/where did Peter follow?   Judgment, condemnation, suffering, death;   but also: life eternal.   Jesus rose from the dead, not for Himself, as if to show off or flex muscle that God can do this—to have the Fear of God!   (I mean, Yes, do receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of the Fear of the Lord and kneel before God almighty.)   But that was not the primary purpose Jesus rose from the dead.

Again, we’re back to the element of unmet expectations.   The disciples might have been sharp enough to remember that Jesus told them He’d rise on the 3^rd day, or that He’d rebuild the Temple in 3 days!    But that’s never really happened before—for someone to come back to the dead (especially not after such a gruesome death, a crucifixion).   The expectation remains: it is over.   What will the disciples do,   go back to their former life: tax collector/fisherman?   ‘He was just another prophet, after all. He will go down the centuries as a great messenger from God, no doubt.’

It is only then that Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning with the spices [she’d] prepared.It was still dark, and [she] saw the stone removed from the tomb.   She told Peter and John, both of whom ran there, OFC.   John (famously) won the race but could not believe his expectations were shattered; Peter went inside the tomb to have his expectations also shattered—[John] bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.   Then, he took a deep breath and went in; then, he saw and believed.

That was the “straw” the broke the camel’s back.   Their own eyes witnessed dozens of miracles, yet this was the one thing not to be joked around with: death.   You can’t trick death; you can’t escape it.   But their Rabbi/Master—the Messiah just destroyed that very thing.    They believed, though they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.   Their expectations continued to be challenged.

Now, why would He do this?   By now they know it’s probably not the first answer they’re thinking about. It’s not to show off.   But they remember what Jesus told Peter: Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.   This is where He was going; not to death but through death onto new life.

Sometimes the expectations we have are shattered by reality.   Something as simple as a bizarre dream can cause much confusion—now imagine finding the tomb of your closest friend, empty.   And not desecrated by robbers but with the burial clothes [neatly] rolled up.    They knew they were facing something new; something frightening yet peaceful.   They weren’t only witnessing what happened to Jesus, but He was the forerunner for what would happen to them—what is happening and will occur to us,   you and I here.   Judgment, suffering, death.   The many expectations for comfort that we have may or may not be there.   But we take delight in knowing that, after any & all sufferings, they are always followed by a glorious resurrection if our faith is firmly rooted in the Risen Christ Jesus, who is our Lord, for ever and ever. Amen. Alleluia!