What Kind of Angry are You?

You need not be a nerd who hangs out every Friday night at the comic book store to have heard of Dr. Bruce Banner.

One version of his story goes like this: Dr. Banner was a researcher whose personal tragedies made him interested in anger, particularly the physiological phenomena associated with anger.

Anyway, during his research Dr. Banner was involved in an accident involving Gamma Rays and soon thereafter, whenever he became angry, he changed into a huge, green-skinned creature capable of tearing through doors and trouncing the toughest thugs. Dr. Banner became the Incredible Hulk. Of course, this was science fiction and they never tried to answer all the questions the story raised. Questions like, Why didn't anyone ever notice the Hulk was wearing Dr. Banner's shirt, tattered though it might have been? Questions like, How did the unemployed Dr. Banner afford to replace all those shoes?

The Incredible Hulk, a TV program on from 1978-1982, had its tongue-in-cheek moments. The opening showed the usually mild Dr. Banner telling a nosy reporter from a tabloid, "Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry."

One reason this character from the Marvel universe is so interesting is that many of us know a lot of people we don't like when they're angry. Sometimes we don't like ourselves when we’re angry. You see, each of us has a little of the Hulk within.

Like Dr. Banner, we Christians want to know more about anger, especially about controlling anger.

Several years ago I examined what the Bible said about anger and concluded the Bible pictures two broad categories of anger: Loving Anger and Loveless Anger.

More recently, I've had the occasion to look at what some psychologists have to say about anger. I found it interesting that some of them also divide anger into two broad categories: Aggressive Anger and Assertive Anger. And, although they don't use the same terminology, what they have to say in describing these two types of anger is roughly parallel to what the Bible has to say about what I've called Loving and Loveless Anger. In fact, you might be surprised at some of the areas of agreement. Let me point out just two:

• Both the Bible and the psychologists say that anger has a proper place in our lives.

• Both the Bible and the psychologists warn that anger, even appropriate anger, can degenerate into something destructive and unhealthy.

Of course, there are some major areas of disagreement. That becomes obvious as you examine the details of what both have to say. Remember that whether you're looking at the Bible or a field of study such as psychology, there is danger in just giving the material a cursory examination. For example, for a while "pop psychologists” warned that keeping anger bottled up inside was dangerous; they recommended letting it all out in emotional explosions. This, of course, is contrary to what the Bible says about avoiding "rage." More recently psychologists have begun to say that such emotional outbursts are actually unhealthy.

We live in an angry time. Just as I sat down to prepare this posting I heard about a woman in Cleveland who pointed a gun at the barber she thought was taking too much time to cut her son’s hair.  Fortunately no one was hurt, at least physically.  Her seven-year-old son did, however, see mom’s actions and may have learned this is how you should handle situations you don’t like.  Stories about out-of-control anger seem to be everywhere.  We are a culture needing help with our anger.

So I want us to take a look at what Paul has to say in this passage (Ephesians 4:26-27, 31-32) about anger. Later, we will look at some other passages on the subject.

As we examine the text we'll discover that, with God's help, anger may be right rather than wrong. Since there is so much confusion on the subject, we need to begin by seeing that there is. . .

A PLACE FOR LOVING ANGER

Paul's words come very close to being a mandate-"Be angry.... " He seems to be saying that it's never right to sin, but it's often right to feel angry. Commenting on the verse, John Stott writes, " ... the verse recognizes that there is such a thing as Christian anger and too few Christians either feel it or express it. Indeed, when we fail to do so, we deny God damage ourselves and encourage the spread of evil.“

Such anger is a reflection of love-love for God, love for others, and love for ourselves. The element of a proper self-love is essential to this understanding of anger; it is reflected in Les Carter's definition of anger:

'Anger is the emotional response that is tied to one's psychological sense of self-preservation. Anger involves standing up for one's sense of convictions and one's sense of self-worth. When an individual feels angry he is being an advocate for himself and his beliefs. (Les Carter, Mind Over Emotions, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985, p. 14.)

Such anger is never simply a matter of self-love. Carter goes on to say that an individual expressing such anger "is attempting to make a stand for his personal convictions or self-worth while at the same time considering the needs of other persons involved." (Carter, p. 6)

Loving anger as an expression of love for ourselves can manifest itself in a variety of ways:

• It may be reflected in the public statement of our beliefs and opinions. For Christians this is important to remember. In Galatians we can imagine the fire in Paul's eyes as he writes to defend the truth of the gospel.

• It may be reflected in saying no when necessary.

• It may be reflected in setting boundaries.

• It may be reflected in openly seeking to clarify issues.

• It may be reflected as we insist upon our rights when necessary.

Some of you may be concerned about this talk about self-love. You've been taught there is no room for it in the Christian's life. I think that's a misunderstanding of the Scripture. There is a difference between self-love and self-centeredness. If we don't care enough about ourselves to respond with anger to injustices done to us, I doubt if we will ever care enough about others to respond with anger to injustices done to them.

Loving anger expressed as love for God and others may also be manifested in a variety of ways.

This is true because loving anger fuels the heroic impulse to take a stand against evil. This is seen in the lives of many great Christians who made a impact on their cultures. Harriet Beecher Stowe's anger at slavery prompted her to write passionately against the wicked practice. Catherine Booth's anger at the poverty of London's slum-dwellers led her to work tirelessly beside her husband, William, as they built a Salvation Army. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's anger at the injustice of the Nazi regime caused him to crusade against Hitler.

We could multiply examples, but the greatest model of loving anger was our Lord.

Jesus reminds us to be angry when people are exploited-especially in the name of religion. Imagine him kicking over the tables of the money-changers in the temple while brandishing his makeshift whip (John 2:13-17). Jesus reminds us to be angry when genuine human need is ignored. In Mark 3 Jesus is vexed at those who opposed healing a disabled man just because it was the Sabbath. Jesus reminds us to be angry at the mistreatment of the weak and powerless. In Mark 10:14 he becomes indignant with his own disciples as they try to keep children from coming to him. Jesus reminds us to be angry at the devastation cause by false religion. In Matthew 18 Jesus used vivid language to describe the fate of those who would lead trusting children astray.

Loving anger allows us to focus our energy on defeating injustice and doing good.

In fact, it often enables people to accomplish more than seems humanly possible. When Harriet Beecher Stowe-who openly acknowledged God's guidance in her work--visited Lincoln in 1862, the President is said to have greeted her: "So this is the little lady who wrote the book that made the big war.”

Loving anger can accomplish much that is good, but we have to keep in mind that loving anger can easily degenerate into a less noble attitude or emotion. So, as we consider the place for loving anger, we also have to consider ...

THE PERIL OF LOVELESS ANGER

While Christian love allows us to be properly concerned about our own needs, it is never focused only on our needs. When something happens and we become focused only on our needs, love is corrupted. Loving anger becomes loveless anger. When this happens, our focus becomes meeting our own needs, gaining superiority over others, retaliation for offenses real and imagined.

Whereas loving anger stresses the need for an open, honest acknowledgment of our feelings, loveless anger often does its work under a the guise of living above such emotions as anger. Once again, Les Carter helps us understand what is curiously described as "passive aggressive behavior."

Carter writes:

This type of aggressive anger is the most subtle and perhaps the most difficult to handle. The individual is very slyly communicating anger while not 'owning up' to it. Behaviors in this category include the silent treatment, holding grudges, social withdrawal, deliberate ignoring, cold and icy glares, laziness, procrastination, giving half-hearted efforts, chronic forgetfulness, and chronic tardiness. (Carter, p. 16)

Paul seems to recognize how loveless anger can manifest itself in a variety of ugly ways.

• He warns against "brawling." The word suggests making sure everyone knows the reason for your anger. The brawler gives everyone standing at the coffee machine a detailed indictment against the person who has inspired his or her wrath.

• He warns against "slander.” Our word slander has a somewhat narrower meaning. But here it means any form of speaking against another person. The Amplified Bible translates it as "evilspeaking, abusive or blasphemous language." Slanderers may engage in put-downs, gossip, and sarcasm directed at someone who has angered them. Sometimes slanderers may spread outright lies or innuendoes about the object of their anger.

We've all known such people. Sometimes we have behaved in this way.

Loveless anger, however it is manifested, brings with it some inherent perils. Paul lists some of them in this passage.

It's important to note how Paul begins this discussion. He warns that anger can give Satan a foothold. In other words, Paul is warning us that such anger can become the beachhead from which Satan may mount an assault on the rest of our lives.

How does this happen?

Loveless anger may lead you to loveless words and actions. An angry spirit will often recruit the tongue for its work. You might not strike out with a clenched fist but you might strike out with callous words. We've all known those whose anger finds expression in cursing, shouting, screaming, and name-calling. Sometimes such persons give vent to their anger by throwing things or even physical assault. We wonder if Paul knew people who were too dangerous to be allowed to drive a chariot when they were angry.

In verse 31 Paul uses words which embrace most of these behaviors.

• He warns against "every form of malice." These words imply doing whatever you can to hurt another person. Such anger is displayed in a variety of venues such as the home, the workplace, and the roads you drive on.  Some studies report "an epidemic of family violence in the US," reminding us that such malice may involve physical violence. Of course, we’ve all seen stories of workplace violence.  Some of us have witnessed the road rage that makes some drivers dangerous.

Paul understood that loveless anger has the power to destroy relationships. The word translated "wrath" focuses attention on damage done to a relationship. "Bitterness" speaks of anger allowed to grow old. It speaks of a resentful spirit that continually refuses to be reconciled. At the church I served in Texas there were two brothers who had grown up in the community. They had a third brother who was angry with both of them. This brother had not spoken to them in decades even though they lived less than twenty miles apart.

Paul understood that loveless anger was ultimately harmful to the angry person. In fact the Bible tells us that rage and anger are self-destructive.

As Job said, "the fool is destroyed by his own angry passions. "(5:2) A few years ago an article in US News and. World Report pointed out that grumpy old men may be fun in the movies but in real life they are time-bombs waiting to self-destruct. The report states, "In the grumpiest men, the guys who often feel like swearing and smashing things, anger more than tripled the risk of nonfatal heart attacks and fatal coronary heart disease.... "

In Proverbs we are told that anger blunts our ability to make rational decisions because 'a quick-tempered man does foolish things." (14:17)

Finally, loveless anger can destroy those things that are most precious to you.

Recall the destructive power of raging flood waters when you read “starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam...."(Proverbs 17:14) It can harm your relationship with God, mar your life in the church, and spoil the harmony in your family.

With all this in mind, how do we deal with loveless anger without denying ourselves the right to loving anger? Let me suggest. . .

A PRESCRIPTION FOR BALANCED ANGER

1. Deal with any of your emotions with the recognition that your entire personality should be submitted to Christ.

Be open to allow Christ to shape, mold, and transform you. When we open ourselves to his work Christ begins to develop the spirit of meekness or gentleness in us. The biblical word "meek" (praus) is so often misunderstood. It is not a synonym for wimp. It implies power under control. William Barclay explains the meaning of the Greek term: "The man who is praus is the man who is always angry at the right time and never angry at the wrong time."

2. Deal with your anger by owning your feelings.

Acknowledge that you are sometimes angry. For some reason, Christians often try to deny that anger is part of their lives. With red faces and steam drifting out their ears, they say, "I'm not mad, only hurt." Maybe we deny our anger because we’ve been taught all anger is bad. That simply not true. There is a proper place for anger in our lives. It keeps US from becoming doormats and victims. Because it is rooted in a healthy self-love it may be called loving anger.

At the same time, we have to acknowledge that sometimes our loving anger becomes distorted. It becomes loveless anger.

By honestly owning our anger we can seek God's wisdom in expressing our loving anger and seek God's grace in expelling our loveless anger.

3. Deal with your anger swiftly.

When Paul warns against letting the sun go down on our wrath he is not saying that if you get angry at the crack of dawn it's okay to fume until sunset. He is warning against allowing our anger to simmer, warning us against letting our anger turn gray. He is warning against cherishing our grudges.

I suspect it's even dangerous to allow loving anger to go unresolved for too long. Paul is certainly saying we must keep a watchful eye on any type of anger. Unless we are very careful even loving anger can lose its focus and become something ugly. Perhaps this is why so many who may have begun with an honest attempt to defend cherished Christian doctrine against heresy have fallen prey to a lifestyle of carping criticism and name-calling.

4. Realize that dealing with anger involves a spiritual pilgrimage.

Loving anger calls for action. Loving anger might lead you to a redemptive confrontation with another person. It may lead you to march in a protest. It may prompt you to write a letter. It may lead you to run for office or join a group of like-minded men and women. When we are confronted with such challenges we need God's help in deciding what to do.

Along the way this pilgrimage may lead us to a better understanding of ourselves, our needs, our weakness, our fears, our pride. This pilgrimage may lead us to a deeper understanding of forgiveness, especially forgiveness directed toward those who have inspired our anger. This pilgrimage may inspire new depths of compassion within us. Paul even dares to suggest that we might come to a place where rage is replaced with tenderhearted understanding.

5. Seek God's wisdom in shaping your response to loving anger.

A little girl complained to her pastor that her older brother and his friends had built some traps to try to catch birds. The boys planned to mistreat their captives.

"What did you do?" the pastor asked.

"I prayed that God would keep the birds out of the traps," the little girl said. "Anything else?" the pastor asked.

"I prayed that if the birds went into the traps, the traps wouldn't work,' she answered.

The pastor asked, "Is that all?"

The little girl answered, "No, after I prayed I went out and kicked the traps to pieces."

I like that story—whether it’s true or not.  While I’m not sure God told the little girl to put on her sturdiest shoes and go destroy the traps, I do believe God sometimes urges us to take action when we see a problem that troubles us, that makes us angry. 

*****

Dr. Bruce Banner longed to be free of the Hulk within him. Even though the Hulk did so much good, Banner was constantly afraid of what the beast might do.

The Bible teaches us to be circumspect regarding anger but it never calls for us to try to rid ourselves of this powerful emotion. It doesn't because God knows how much good can be accomplished by one person who is angry for all the right reasons.

Let this emotion be directed by the power of love.

[In the interest of continuity, I have posted a slightly revised version of a message from  June 2013.]

Are You Living a Lie?

A Time magazine cover asked, “Is Truth Dead?” The editor pointed to the new president’s aids offering “alternative facts” to insist his inaugural was one of the best attended in history.

Of course, no one believes this president or his staff were the first to play creatively with the truth.  Remember the president who argued that the answer to a question might depend on something like the meaning of the word “is.”  That same president so narrowly defined “sexual relations” that he could publicly deny having had an affair with an intern. His party offered the infamous—but still used—defense: “Everybody lies about sex.” 

     William Lutz, in The New Doublespeak: Why No One Knows What Anyone 's Saying Anymore, found three terms being widely used—strategic misrepresentation, reality augmentation, and terminological inexactitude—that all mean "lie".  

    

"A lie is an abomination to the Lord

and

an ever present help in trouble."

            -Henry Kissenger

      Apparently many Americans see the value of a good lie. James Patterson and Peter Kim, authors of The Day America Told the Truth, present some startling statistics about lying in our culture. 

       

       • 91% of us admit to lying regularly. 

       

       • 20% of us say we can't make it through the day without a conscious, premeditated lie. 

       

       • The young lie more than the old. 

       

       • Men lie more than women; though other studies suggest the opposite. In any case, the genders are separated by fewer than ten percentage points. 

       

        Among their conclusions, Patterson and Kim say, "There are more serious liars right now (liars who do harm) than at any other time in our nation's past.”  I’m not sure how they know this; liars in the past may have just been better liars.  All of this leads them so say, “Lying has become a cultural trait in America. Americans lie about everything and usually for no good reason" 

So much for “honesty is the best policy.”  Interestingly, almost everyone in the first century agreed that lying was wrong.  Paul's sentiments in Ephesians 4:25 are echoed in the writings of the non-Christian moralists of the first century.  So, it may seem strange that he should mention lying. Of course, believing lying is wrong does not mean there are no liars.  More importantly, Paul adds a theological dimension to his arguments.  The arguments go something like this.

       

       -- Christians are the people of God. God is the God of truth. Therefore, Christians should be a people of truth. 

       

       --The second argument reflects the nature of the community to which Christians belong; the intimate relationship we have with each other as the new people of God should preclude lying to each other. 

       

       Still we lie. Such lying is often motivated by the same selfish concerns driving liars outside the church. When such lying is discovered, the liar needs to be confronted and called to repentance.

 But sometimes our 'lying' takes place at a deeper level than our mere words. 

      Make no mistake, Paul was talking about lying with our words, but he might also have been talking about lying with our lives.  

Several English translations say we are to put away “falsehood.” The word has an interesting history.  It recalls the days when one's profession was announced by the type of headgear or "hood" worn. Persons hoping to swindle the unwary sometimes wore the hood of a profession for which they were not trained. They were said to wear "falsehoods." Persons who practice falsehood expend energy trying to appear to be what they are not. 

       Larry Richards comments on the verse, "This exhortation calls for far more than a refusal to lie. It is a call to live openly with each other, honestly sharing the reality of our lives rather than attempting to project illusions that make us appear better than we are." 

Christians should live authentically. 

To understand this we need to look at. . .

       

THE PROBLEM OF LIVING IN FALSEHOOD 

       

             Christians who practice falsehood wear masks so no one can see who they really are. Often, these masked Christians aren't hypocrites who delight in deceit; they are motivated by fear. 

       

They live in fear they won't be accepted. They embody the philosophy expressed in the old Melissa Manchester song: "Don't cry out loud, keep it inside, learn how to hide your feelings.” So they wear their masks wherever they go. 

What kind of masks do they wear? The mask of jolly optimism. The mask of unceasing victory. The mask of effortless prayer. The mask of unfailing insight. 

Why are masked Christians so prevalent? 

The wear masks in church because they have a mistaken notion of Christianity.  That mistaken notion might have been supported by preaching that suggests Christians have no problems and the fact some new believers have never known that many mask free Christians in the first place. 

Years ago some of the pre-teens from the church I served in Texas attended a church camp.  Late one night, a prankster ran through the dorm wearing a Freddy Kreuger mask. It caused panic and confusion. 

In many churches panic and confusion would result if Christians removed their masks. 

Wearing a mask can be uncomfortable but we don't want to spoil the mood, don’t want to be the one to cast doubt on the “reputation” of the church. To counter this we need to appreciate. . .

      

    

       

       THE POWER OF LIFE WITHOUT FALSEHOOD 

       

       Open, mask free living is empowering, 

       

       Mask free living makes possible the kind of honest fellowship for which God has made us. 

       We crave a place where we can drop our masks. Long before Cheers invited us to “a place where everybody knows your name,” Bruce Larson described this vision for Christian fellowship. 

       

       The neighborhood bar is possibly the best counterfeit there is to the fellowship Christ wants to give to his Church. It's an imitation, dispensing liquor instead of grace, escape rather than reality, but it is a permissive, accepting and inclusive fellowship. It is unshockable, It is democratic. You can tell people secrets and they usually don't tell others or even want to. The bar flourishes not because most people are alcoholics, but because God has put into the human heart the desire to know and be known, to love and be loved, and so many seek a counterfeit at the price of a few beers. Christ wants his Church to be unshockable, democratic, permissive=a fellowship where people can come in and say'I'm sunk!' 'I'm beat!' 'I've had it!' 

Alcoholics Anonymous has this quality. Our churches too often miss it. 

       

     Mask free living frees you from the awesome burden of being perfect and  helps you free others to accept themselves. 

     Dr. Jeff Ray was a professor of preaching at Southwestern Seminary for many years before his retirement. Several years after he retired Ray was asked to speak to a class at the seminary about some of the issues pastors face. During the Q&A session following Ray's lecture, a seminarian asked, "Dr. Ray, tell me, when do you stop finding yourself attracted to women?" Dr. Ray thought a moment and then answered, "Son, I don't know but it's after seventy-one. " 

    That must have been a liberating moment for that young student. Of course, it didn’t give him license to lust; but he did learn his struggles were normal, that he wasn't a freak. 

       

       Mask free living is essential if you would win a hearing for your witness. 

       

       We sometimes think that we must hide the fact we face trouble and have doubts if we ever hope to persuade people to trust Christ. Years ago I had a chat with the director of a college choir, a choir that travelled throughout the midwest attempting to attract students to the Christian school.  I told the director, “Your singers smile so much you’d almost believe they never have any problems.”  “It wouldn’t matter if they did,” he responded, “I insist they smile so their witness won’t be spoiled.”  I had nothing to say to that.

       Wendy Zoba probably would have. In an essay she wrote for Christianity Today she listed the characteristics of "the millennials", those born about 1980. One is particularly relevant. She says of this sub-generation of young people: "Their BS detectors are always on." 

That agrees with what Dr. Joseph Stowell says of the entire "baby buster" generation, "They can spot a phony a mile away."

      Those who never acknowledge experiencing a “dark night of the soul” don't end up appearing more saintly, just less human. 

     Mask free living enables you to display your true identity. It reminds us, God doesn't make Christians with a cookie-cutter. 

       

       With the value of authentic living in mind, we appreciate seeing . . .

     

       THE POSSIBILITY OF LIVING WITHOUT FALSEHOOD 

       

       Paul, who knew so much about the riches of Christian fellowship, couldn't avoid speaking about the possibility of mask free Christianity.  

       He sometimes reveals himself as a living example. In I Cor. 2:3, he told the Corinthians, “I came to you in a state of weakness and fear and great trembling.”  He wouldn’t have embraced the motto, “never let them see you sweat.”   Later, when he wrote to Timothy he acknowledged he had needs beyond just having the churches pray for him.  He asked Timothy to bring him his coat because he had physical needs and the jail cell was cold, he ask that Timothy bring the “books and parchments” because he needed to focus his mind on something other than his immediate situation, and he asked that his friend hurry and join him because he had social needs.

       Paul could remove his mask because his ultimate faith was in God. It was a reflection of being justified by faith. His acceptance didn’t depend upon his efforts.  He accepted the fact he was accepted.

       Paul would have us know that the dream God had in creating one new people in Christ cannot become a reality until we remove our masks. 

       Such mask free living is a natural expression of the miracle God worked in us when we trusted Christ. (2: 10 "you are God's work of art") 

       Now, there is a note of caution: Mask free living isn't a license to gripe or grouse; it is freedom to be your self, to declare your hopes and your fears, to proclaim your victories and admit your defeats, to affirm your certainties to ask your questions--knowing that you are accepted in Christ warts and all. 

       Poet Kate Wilkins Woolley wrote 

       

       Free to be me, God, I really am free; 

    Free to become what you want me to be. 

             Free to live fully, to follow your way, 

  Give myself wholly, to die every day; 

Free to be real, God, to strip off my mask, 

  Be your creation, it's all that I ask.

       

       Facing life without that mask may be tough at first. You may be alienated and misunderstood.  You may be passed over for someone “spiritual.”  You may make others feel uncomfortable. 

       

       On the other hand, you may discover depths of fellowship you thought impossible, you may discover that God's creative work within you can take place more rapidly now that you're rid of the mask. 

       Taking off your mask is an act of faith. In some cases, you may be the only one who takes off your mask.  But you may also discover there were others just waiting for someone to be the first to rip off their mask.

       

       Above all, you will discover the reality of the freedom Christ gives. 

       

*******       

       Many Christians who would never tell a lie will live a lie. 

       It's hard for us to take off our masks. But it is the only way we can breathe free.

        

        Mask free living in the church will help us see the rich variety of God's grace. It will help us see we are not all at the same place in our pilgrimage. It will help us see those who need help and encouragement.

       

       When Jesus confronted people he unmasked them. He didn't save you to wear another mask! 

       

       What about you? Are you wearing a mask? Do you sing "It is Well with My Soul" while you feel as if your about to fall apart on the inside, that your soul can't take one more blow? Do you feel there is no one you can go to because it would mean taking off your mask, letting them see the real you? 

       

       There's a reason why so many Christians can remember the old hymn “Just as I Am” playing when they first trusted Christ. It's because they saw in Him one who would love them without their masks, love them in their barefaced being. He hasn't changed. Trust him to accept you without your mask. 

       

One Tomb: Barely Used

Can I interest you in a barely used tomb?

The tomb is in a lovely location. Of course, you know what they say about “location, location, location.” And, while the tomb was used once, it wasn't used long. It's in great shape.

What do I mean, wasn't used long?

Without going into all the details let me simply say that the former owner of the tomb, a respectable leader in the community, once made it available for a dearly departed friend of his, a friend he greatly admired, a friend who, shall we say, died suddenly. Then, unexpectedly ... well, let's simply say the third day after he was dead and buried the tomb became available again.

No, no, there's nothing wrong with the tomb. It is made well. Hewn out of solid rock, in fact. No expense was spared in building this tomb.

And, given the kind of world we live in, you should know this tomb can be made extremely secure. I can’t give you all the details but it involves a very, very large stone. You can place the remains of your loved one or plan to use the tomb yourself when the time comes-many years from now, we are sure-with the assurance that "Rest In Peace" will be a reality.

What was that? Has such a security system ever failed?

No, never. Well, almost never. The truth is, it happened once but it hasn't happened again.

When and where did it happen?

Funny you should ask that question. It just so happens-no, I don't want to be accused of spreading rumors. Besides, not long after it supposedly happened the Emperor Claudius decreed that anyone caught vandalizing a tomb in this area would be executed. [Note: A copy of the decree, found in Nazareth in 1930, is in Murray J. Harris's Three Crucial Questions About Jesus, p. 57.]

What was that? Well, perhaps you're right, sometimes where there's smoke, there's fire. You've asked a fair question: Why would the Emperor make such a law if something hadn't happened? Still, I don't know if I'd say it was like locking the barn door after the horse was gone.

Look, I don't want to sound prejudiced. I sell plots to anyone. I believe you can believe whatever you want to believe. But you and I both know that certain people are getting a lot of mileage out of the fact that their leader-who had been executed by the Romans-supposedly appeared to some of them on the third day after he was dead and buried.

Yes, yes, I suppose it is coincidental this tomb became available on the third day after it was first occupied. But we don't want to dwell on the past, do we?

You think this was the same tomb! Do you think I would try to keep something like that from you?

Oh, you do. Okay, I give up. Let me tell the story, as I understand it. No doubt most of you have heard about Jesus of Nazareth. If you haven't, you should know that all the most reliable records report him to have been a remarkable man. Those who knew him best say he spent his entire life doing good for others. They also report he said some amazing things about himself-don't be too shocked but he claimed to be God in the flesh.

Anyway it wasn't long before he attracted the attention of the religious authorities. They didn't like him much but seem to have thought the people would eventually grow tired of him. That didn't happen.

So, after about three years of ministry Jesus himself began to hint that the conflict would come to a head the next time he visited Jerusalem. Sure enough, that year at Passover Jesus was arrested, tried, convicted, and crucified all in a single day.

Some of you, I'm sure, have seen crucifixions. You know the Romans are experts at killing people in that brutal way. It was a sad way for a life to end, even if he was confused about who he was.

At this point a man named Joseph, from Arimathea, stepped forward to claim the body. I might as well tell you, Joseph was the owner of this tomb. He had built it for himself but admired Jesus so much he had his body placed in it.

The story takes some strange turns from this point. For example, the religious leaders asked Pilate for a contingent of guards to watch the tomb.

It seems they had heard rumors about claims Jesus had made, claims about coming back to life. The priests figured the followers of Jesus might take the body and try to convince people that Jesus had kept his word.

Where had his followers gone?  Good question.

Most of Jesus' closest followers had gone into hiding, afraid what had happened to Jesus would happen to them. Still, the guards took up their post.

Everything was quiet until the morning of the third day, the first day of the week. That morning a handful of women came to the tomb planning to anoint Jesus with oils. They found the tomb empty.

That's right, empty.

What had happened to the guards?  They weren't there.

After a while some rumors began to circulate. The rumors claimed the guards had fallen asleep and Jesus's disciples had stolen the body.

Do I believe that? Why shouldn't I? It makes sense, doesn't it? After all, as good citizens, shouldn't we believe the authorities on matters like this? Excuse me, what did you say?

Yes, I do know the punishment for failing asleep while on duty is death. No, I don't know why these guards were never punished. And, you are right, the followers of Jesus were hiding and it does seem unlikely they would have been brave enough to try to take the body from tomb while the guards were there.

What? That's a good question, too. I suppose I don't know how the guards knew the disciples stole the body if they were asleep.

Look, can I be honest with you? Deep down inside I've got some doubts about this whole "the disciples stole the body" scenario. I don't claim to know how Jesus's body got out of the tomb; I just know if it hadn't been empty, what began happening next would have ended pretty quickly. The priests would have stopped it by giving tours of the tomb, the tomb with Jesus's body still in it.

You see, once the empty tomb was found, things started happening pretty fast. At least Jesus' followers are claiming they did.

Let me ask, how many of you have ever heard these "Jesus-followers" talk? Then you know they claim Jesus-a living Jesus—began appearing to various people in various places.

Yes, I have heard their claim that he first appeared to some of the women. Imagine that. A woman can't even testify in court and these people want us to believe Jesus first appeared to women.2 Believe me, if I were making up a story like this, I certainly wouldn't have women as the first people claiming to have seen him. [Note: Several books discuss the significance of the early appearances to women, including those by Stein, Harris, and Strobel.]

What was that? Could they be telling it that way because that's what really happened, that they weren't making up the story?

Well, what if it was just wishful thinking? What if they were all seeing things? After all, thirsty men lost in the desert sometimes believe they see pools of water in the distance but there is nothing there but sand.

What did you hear? Ah, well, I suppose if Jesus's followers really didn't expect him to come back to life, they probably wouldn't have had such visions, certainly hundreds of them wouldn't have had such visions. And, you are right visions wouldn't explain the tomb being empty.

By the way, did you say hundreds claim to have seen the Risen Jesus?

Really. I only knew about his closest followers having seen him while they were in hiding.

Well, yes that's also an interesting point, I suppose. Something must have happened to change them from cowards to talking so courageously about the risen Jesus. Still, you know those gullible Galileans. They will believe anything.

What do you mean they weren't so gullible? Who was this Thomas?

Oh, one of Jesus's followers. This Thomas said he wouldn't believe unless he saw the wounds from the crucifixion. Then, if I understand you correctly, Jesus appeared to him and showed him the wounds. That is interesting but I never intended us to spend so much time on this issue. I don’t want all this talk to make you afraid to consider this fine barely used tomb.

I mean if you're concerned the followers of Jesus will try to make this tomb some kind of shrine, don't be. Saul Of Tarsus, a fine young scholar working for our religious leaders, has been commissioned to seek out and arrest any believers in Christ. He's doing such a great job that you won't have anything to worry about.

I’m sorry, what did you say? You're kidding, right? Paul has become a believer in Jesus and even-claims to have seen the Risen Jesus? Oh, my.

Well, look, that's interesting and I suppose this all deserves some more attention. But the shadow on the sundial is moving along and right now this salesman wants to get back to where we started, back to this barely used tomb.

What was that? I suppose you're right: Quite a lot started with this barely used tomb, this empty tomb.

*********

If you will allow me to leave aside the persona of that first century real-estate huckster, I'd like to say a few words on behalf of the Easter Faith.

The Apostle John (John 20:1-9) hints that the empty tomb may have ignited a spark in his heart that eventually became a blazing Easter faith. Keep that in mind as you think about this imaginary encounter. If you've ever wanted to give a salesman a hard time, maybe you enjoyed this.

Our salesman discovered what has been foundational for centuries of arguments supporting the Christian claim that Jesus rose on the first Easter morning. Our imaginary salesman was on the verge of discovering that Christ’s tomb being empty three days after his crucifixion is at least as well attested as any other event in ancient history and may be better attested than some.

If we come to the New Testament with an open-mind, refusing to unfairly discount its record simply because it challenges us to think beyond our narrow world of experience, we are left with the three-fold evidences which must somehow be explained:

·       We must somehow explain that-empty tomb,

·       We must somehow explain the claims of so many people to have seen the Risen Jesus,

·       We must somehow explain the change in the disciples, explain how they went from hiding behind closed doors to boldly proclaiming the gospel. (For that matter, we must explain how Saul the persecutor of the church became Paul the  tireless missionary.)

These matters do deserve more attention. This Easter, if you've never placed your faith in the Risen Lord, take the time to consider his claims. You may only think you know him.

If you take the time to look at what the Gospels tell us about him, you’ll see a life that was remarkable in every way.  You’ll see a life lived without sin, lived in absolute obedience to God.  You’ll realize that if he had not defeated death, it would have been the greatest injustice in the history of humankind.

If you take the time to look closely at what the New Testament says about Jesus Christ, you'll discover that his resurrection is God's confirmation ....

--that Jesus was who he claimed to be, the Son of God and Savior,

--that He can offer you true forgiveness for your sins,

--that those who trust him can face life and death with the assurance of sharing his victory.

If you take the time to look at the gospel of hope and joy, the message preached by first Christians, trace it back to its source, you'll find a barely used tomb.



[For another treatment of this passage, see "An Easter Way of Seeing" from April 2011.]