Morning Surprise
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 28:1-10
We don't normally associate fear with joy. They seem like complete opposites. When we are surprised, however, our minds don't know exactly how to respond. The rush of hormones and signals to and from the brain have to be interpreted. It can take a while to us to make sense of the unexpected. The more unexpected, the harder it is for us to accept, appreciate, and approach a new understanding. It can be difficult for us to deal with surprise. For children, surprise is often a question of wonder. Once we think we know how the world operates, surprise can be threatening. Can we trust God sufficiently to face the unexpected with the wonder of a childhood discovery?
The guards were shocked to silence and immobility. They had nothing on which to pin what they were seeing before them. An earthquake by itself would have been one thing. The appearance of strangers would have been another. For such a stranger to come down out of the heavens was something they had only heard speak of in myth and legend. To then watch this stranger roll back the stone from before the tomb was too much of a shock. They were completely unprepared for such an event. Were they seeing things that were not there? Was this what people meant by the effects of hallucinogens? Had they been poisoned by some unknown ingredient in their food? What is the military protocol for responding to divine encounters? Where was the officer in charge when you needed him?
The women were just about as shocked. They had at least heard Jesus reference his impending death along with those senseless words about seeing his followers again. They had not made sense, but they had at least heard the words. They also had some sense of who Jesus was. They knew at least that God was with Jesus. There were stories in their tradition about God bringing people back from the dead. They had even witnessed Jesus bringing back Lazarus and had ...
Christopher B. Harbin
Matthew 28:1-10
We don't normally associate fear with joy. They seem like complete opposites. When we are surprised, however, our minds don't know exactly how to respond. The rush of hormones and signals to and from the brain have to be interpreted. It can take a while to us to make sense of the unexpected. The more unexpected, the harder it is for us to accept, appreciate, and approach a new understanding. It can be difficult for us to deal with surprise. For children, surprise is often a question of wonder. Once we think we know how the world operates, surprise can be threatening. Can we trust God sufficiently to face the unexpected with the wonder of a childhood discovery?
The guards were shocked to silence and immobility. They had nothing on which to pin what they were seeing before them. An earthquake by itself would have been one thing. The appearance of strangers would have been another. For such a stranger to come down out of the heavens was something they had only heard speak of in myth and legend. To then watch this stranger roll back the stone from before the tomb was too much of a shock. They were completely unprepared for such an event. Were they seeing things that were not there? Was this what people meant by the effects of hallucinogens? Had they been poisoned by some unknown ingredient in their food? What is the military protocol for responding to divine encounters? Where was the officer in charge when you needed him?
The women were just about as shocked. They had at least heard Jesus reference his impending death along with those senseless words about seeing his followers again. They had not made sense, but they had at least heard the words. They also had some sense of who Jesus was. They knew at least that God was with Jesus. There were stories in their tradition about God bringing people back from the dead. They had even witnessed Jesus bringing back Lazarus and had ...
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