April 23, 2023
Easter 3A – George Yandell
How do we followers of Jesus recognize him today? Maybe in those who ask us “What have you been talking about? What’s on your minds?” Those two disciples assumed they knew much more than the stranger who joined them. And often in the stories about Jesus and his disciples, when a named male is joined by another unnamed disciple, that unnamed one is female.
Jesus’ first action after the discussion on the road is significant: “He walked ahead as if he were going on.” In Near Eastern customs, the guest was obligated to turn down an invitation like Cleopas and his companion/wife gave until it was vigorously repeated. Theologically, Jesus’ action demonstrates that he never forces himself on others. Faith must always be a spontaneous, voluntary response to God’s grace. Luke’s Jesus was always going further, unless invited to stay for a while. [From the New Interpreters’ Bible, Vol.9, p. 479]
Frederick Buechner interprets Emmaus as “the place we go in order to escape – a bar, a movie, wherever it is we throw up our hands and say, ‘Let the whole [darn] thing go hang. It makes no difference anyway.’ …Emmaus may be buying a new suit or new car… or reading a second-rate novel or even writing one. Emmaus may be going to church on Sunday. Emmaus is whatever we do or wherever we go to make ourselves forget that the world holds nothing sacred: that even the wisest and bravest and loveliest decay and die;
April 16, 2023
Easter 2A – George Yandell
“Peace to you,” said Jesus to his disciples, huddled in the room in fear on Easter evening. Salem, in Aramaic, Shalom in Hebrew. They feared those who’d collaborated with the Roman officials to have Jesus crucified, they feared living without Jesus. They were scared enough to lock the doors and hide out. Maybe rumors of the empty tomb had reached them – maybe they were just still too traumatized by Jesus’ crucifixion to venture out of a safe place. But Jesus came, stood among them, and said, Salem. And he said it again. “Peace to you.”
Interestingly, he and the disciples were gathered in Yarusalem, the city whose name means “Foundation of God.” I think the disciples may have heard two complementary messages when Jesus spoke to them, and we might as well. 1) Jerusalem, the city of Zion, was the site of the crucifixion, and the resurrection. It became the foundation for their faith in the resurrected Jesus. 2) When Jesus spoke “Peace” to them, they also might have heard echoes of Salem, a name for God. I think they may have been quaking, seeing Jesus alive, and they may have realized that everything is different, the foundation of God has shifted, everything is new. All is right!! Jesus lives!
The peace Jesus spoke is the new foundation of the new city of God. Poor Thomas – he’d missed the appearing of Jesus, so no wonder he didn’t get it. How could he? He had to hear the word himself from Jesus,
April 9, 2023
An Easter Story – George Yandell
In memory of Debbie Micklus
Billy and his mother moved into a sixth-floor apartment. It was one of those massive gray New York City buildings. It dwarfed all other apartment buildings Billy had seen before. When moving in, Billy’s mom’s friends helped carry their odds and ends up the six flights of stairs—Billy stood at the top of the stairs and watched—his mattress, his toy chest, now filled with comic books.
Behind him Bill heard a door open; turning, he saw an old gray-haired man look gloomily out at him and the moving procession. He croaked to Billy, “You my new neighbor?” “Yup,” said Billy. Then Billy asked, “What’s wrong with you?” The wizened old man stared, then barked out, “I’m old and alone and I drink too much. What’s wrong with you?’ the old man asked.
“I’m young and moving and I’ve got cystic fibrosis. I’m eleven. My name’s Billy,” he responded, offering his small hand to the old man. The old man replied, “My name’s Bill, same as yours. How long you had cystic fibrosis,” his voice softening.
Billy replied, “All my life. How long you been drinking too much?”
Old Bill laughed and said, “Seems like a long time.”
Then Billy’s mother staggered up the stairs. Billy introduced her to Old Bill. “Mom, I want you to meet my new friend. His name’s Bill too. He’s old and he drinks too much.”
Billy’s mother blanched,
April 7, 2023
Good Friday – George Yandell
I want to talk of grief. The words grief and grieve from the Latin gravare = to burden, from gravis = heavy. As they pass through Old French, grief and grieve pick up the sense of ‘to harm’. Our word grieve means ‘to cause to be sorrowful; distress’. Grief means ‘deep mental anguish, as that arising from bereavement’.
Our understanding of grief and grieving has undergone remarkable changes in my lifetime. In the early 1970’s Elizabeth Kubler-Ross identified 5 distinct stages of grief. We now have come to understand that grieving is not predictable, but is personal – everyone grieves differently. Approaching death is not a cookie-cutter experience. As we hear Jesus with his friends throughout the gospels, he frequently speaks to them of his coming death and theirs as well. These are instances of preparatory grieving – of anticipatory grief.
Listen to these moments when Jesus speaks of his impending death:
In the very center of Mark’s gospel Jesus says to his disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” Jesus immediately began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after 3 days rise again.” Listen to how Peter responds – “Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him,” to deny that Jesus could die that way. Peter was attempting to bargain Jesus out of his destiny.