As Easter approaches, we tend to think of brightly decorated eggs, beautifully dressed children, and hollow chocolate bunnies. This year, let’s add three rocks to our traditional Easter basket. Perhaps each of them has a story to tell or a lesson to reveal.
First, the stones that might just rock out. After Jesus enters Jerusalem in a peasant procession, the crowds continue to worship the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Some of the religious leaders get annoyed and tell Jesus to calm the crowd and quiet the disciples. He replies, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:40) There are many spiritual lessons to be learned from the natural world. It makes sense to me that the beauty and power and order of all creation points to the Creator. Perhaps we might hear God in new ways if we stopped being stone deaf. If we listen, we might also hear praise at the rock concert.
Second, the crucifixion rock tumbler. Matthew 27:50 and 51, “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split.” The drama of the crucifixion story is intensified as we picture the unsettling power of the earth quaking beneath our feet. Perhaps one lesson to be learned from rocks that suddenly shift and sheer is the reminder that the appearance of solid ground isn’t always accurate. A sense of security based on past experiences with solid ground and even footing may not provide unwavering stability when your world is really rocked. A hymn from my childhood challenges me still to hang on to bedrock truth: when all around my soul gives way, God is still my hope and stay.
Third, the resurrection rock and roll. When the faithful women came to the tomb, they were stunned to see that the stone sealing the entrance had been moved. Mark 16:2-4, “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” The stone that was moved and the tomb that was empty signify life and freedom and victory. What’s killing you this Easter? What’s blocking you from experiencing and enjoying life that is rich and real? What barriers need to be removed so that you can fully and finally be set free from whatever your tomb is? Big rocks can still roll. When you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, move it! A mountain-moving God can surely help get a bothersome boulder out of the way.
The gospel story tells us that, over the course of the Holy Week, rocks could have cried out, did split, and were rolled away. This Easter, through faith and in love, may we all rock on.
Dennis Lynn
Redwood Church
