The Mystery of Belief … or Un-Belief
(Posted April 11, 2024)
“When you look at paintings from the Renaissance, have you ever wondered why the artists show Adam and Eve having belly buttons?“ - Anonymous
In the process of thumbing our way through the Bible, we’re bound to encounter some real mysteries along the way. Some examples:
While Eve gets the solo blame for the original sin of eating that forbidden fruit, was Eve really to blame for Adam creating his own bite?
After sailing that gigantic Ark full of animals on the waters of the flood for 40 days, who got stuck with the cleanup?
Finally, If Jesus always uplifted women and even chose them to be the first witnesses to the Resurrection, why did the apostles refuse to believe them when they ran back to them with the news?
Three ‘Mysterious’ Stories from the Bible
It's that last mystery that we want explore the most this Sunday. The Gospel writer Luke gives us three separate stories that all occur on the action-packed day we call Resurrection Day.
First, in Luke’s version of Easter, it’s the three women who return to Jesus’ tomb that morning, with spices to help prepare his body for long term burial. When they enter the empty tomb, they are greeted by an Angel, who tells them that Jesus has risen, and then they run back to the apostles to tell them, all of them hiding from the authorities.
The second story is that of two travelers the very same day who end up walking with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, and suddenly realizing who their companion really is. They run back to the apostles to tell them.
And the last is the best. Jesus appears in a flash in the room where the apostles are hiding, and their reaction is to think he is a ghost!
Explore the Mystery
As the old hymn goes, O What a Morning! There is so much to explore in these stories, including the role of women in Jesus’ life and later in the church. Why are women treated as untrustworthy, and how has this echoed down through church practices?
We will take a fascinating look at some of these questions when we meet this Sunday. We will also be treated to the music of Music Minister Jim Moriarty and our Chancel Choir, as the Easter stories continue.
Please join us.