Brown's Daily Word 4-23-09

Good Morning
Praise the Lord for the gift of this new day. Praise the Lord for the Good News that our Lord God omnipotent reigns ( Rev 19.6). The Risen Savior is the Christ of every crisis. He is the Lord in every situation.
We have a friend who is a dog lover. She thinks some baptized dogs go to heaven. She bases her hope on “No eye can see; no ear can hear; no mind can comprehend the good and beautiful things that God has prepared for those who love him.” No ear can hear, no eye can see, no mind can comprehend the beauty of God’s future.
There are some times in life when the word, “surprise,” is not strong enough and there is a need for stronger words. Sometimes words like astounded, astonished, amazed and awestruck, dazzled and dumbfounded are more appropriate, so you need a much stronger constellation of words.
The lead article in TIME magazine a few years ago was entitled, “Miracles.” It was a story about a family from North Carolina including a mom, a dad, and a grandpa who has been a surgeon for thirty-nine years. When their child was born some years ago, the child had droopy eyelids, but no one said anything to the parents so as not to upset them. As time went by the condition became apparent to the family, so they made an appointment with the neurologist. A scan was taken, which revealed a brain tumor. The family was devastated. The doctor performed the preliminary surgery and discovered a type of malignancy that no human being had ever survived. The prognosis was the future development of paralysis and then inevitable death. The family went down on their knees in prayer. The grandfather, who was a surgeon, prayed that the family would have good doctors. The father, a young attorney, prayed that the will of God would be done. The mother prayed that somehow she would be able to endure this tragedy.
Seven days prior to the scheduled surgery, and a friend came to visit. He was an Episcopal priest who prayed for a miracle, a healing, and he anointed the child with oil. Forty-eight hours before surgery, the surgeon drew fluid from the child’s brain and it was decided to postpone the surgery for two more days. The doctor drew out more fluid the next day, and when he examined it there was nothing amiss. Nothing. There were no lesions, no cancer, no tumor. According to the article, “He was …baffled. He was…bewildered.” The mother was astonished and astounded, amazed and awestruck, dazzled and dumbfounded, and overwhelmed. The mother then said, “If you ever see my thirteen year old Elizabeth running around, with the drooping left eye, do not feel sorry for her. I am astounded that my child is alive! I don’t understand it but my child has experienced a miracle.” - TIME Magazine.
In the world crammed with bleak news I will continue to dwell on the glorious news of Easter. Women approached the limestone graves, prepared to grieve Jesus’ death. Mary Magdalene, Mary, and her sister Salome approached the burial chamber and exclaimed, “Oh no, someone has rolled away the stone.” They went inside that vault and there were two angels, two messengers who said, “He is not here. He has been raised from the dead by the powers of God, just as he told you it would happen.” The women were astounded and astonished, amazed and awestruck, dazzled and dumbfounded, to say the very least. They ran as fast as their legs would carry them to report the news to Peter and John, who was, himself, the eyewitness among the four gospel authors. Only John’s gospel, written by an eyewitness, tells us so many juicy historical details. The women found Peter and John and told them about the empty tomb. Peter and John ran as fast as they could to the burial crypt. Young John arrived first and then older Peter, but Peter walked into the crypt first and then John followed. The linen shroud and the napkin that had covered Jesus’ face were there, all neatly folded. The disciples must have looked at each other, astonished and astounded, amazed and awestruck, dazzled and dumbfounded.
As Mary Magdalene stood there, weeping, crying, perplexed, she thought that she was speaking to the gardener and asked where he had put the body of Jesus. Jesus spoke one word, “Mary.” She knew the voice. She knew his voice. It was the voice of Jesus. She turned around and was the first person on earth to see the resurrected Christ. She was astonished and astounded, amazed and awestruck, dazzled and dumbfounded at his presence. He said, “Do not touch me because I have not yet ascended to the Father.”
A short time later, a similar event took place. The disciples had heard that in three days, Jesus would rise from the dead (Jesus had told them that three times). They had heard the words, “today you will be with me in paradise,” and the saying, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.” They had heard the story, but they weren’t yet ready for the reality of it all. Suddenly Jesus appeared to them, and the disciples were astounded by what they saw. The encounter with Thomas a short time later resounded with the same theme. He said, “Unless I touch the wounds in his hands and the wound in his side, I will not believe.” Jesus said, “Touch my hands. Touch my side.” Thomas was astonished and astounded, amazed and awestruck, dazzled and dumbfounded.
In many ways, we are like those first disciples. We are like the women coming to the grave, who had heard the promise of Jesus that on the third day, the Son of Man would be raised from the dead by the Powers of God. They had heard his promise to the thief on the cross, “Today you will be with me in paradise.” They had heard Jesus teach, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will never die.” Nevertheless, on that morning when they came to the grave, they came expecting death. You and I are like those women. Even though we have heard the promises of God, deep down in everyone’s soul is a pessimism that believes that this life is all there is... that when you die, you will be put into a box, entombed in a grave, and in time the box and the vault will decay, and your body will decay like all the others.
I participated in grave side burial yesterday, of a dear and beautiful woman, who died at the age of 90. I was called yesterday to conduct a service of death and resurrection next Saturday, for another dear man, who had a fall in church and died next day. Why do we have this inner feeling, this inner pessimism concerning death? Sigmund Freud calls it the “death instinct.” Common to all human beings and all animals, and human beings are part of the animal kingdom, we have this instinct. Deep down inside is this fear that this is all there is, as we come to the gravesides of our mothers and fathers, grandmas and grandpas. We ultimately come to our own deathbed and we quietly pray, “I believe, help my unbelief.” And then we die.
In death we sleep, and then we awake and say…” It is so incredibly beautiful!!! Stunned. Breathless. And we are astonished and astounded, amazed and awestruck, dazzled and dumbfounded the beauty that God has prepared for you and me. The Apostle Paul was right when he said, “No eye can see, no ear can hear, no mind can imagine the good and wonderful things that God has prepared for us.”
When we see Jesus face to face, it will take strong words to describe the good and beautiful things that He has prepared for those who love Him and having not seen Him we serve Him with Joy and great abandon on earth.
He is Risen.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCDa8XorgNM