Sermon by Herman Kauffman
Timbercrest Home
April 21, 2003
The Case of the Missing Body
Luke 24:1-12
Have you heard about the case of the missing body?
I love a good mystery. I grew up reading "The Hardy Boy" mysteries and Sherlock Holmes. Even now when I check books out of the library, they tend to be good mysteries. I've often fantasied about being a detective though I have now resigned myself to solving "book mysteries."
Which brings me back to the case of the missing body.
Some 25 years ago when Charlie Chaplin died at the age of 88, his body was buried in a swiss cemetery. Several months later a gravedigger discovered that Chaplin's body was gone; his grave was empty. All that could be seen was a deep hole where the casket had been. It was a mystery as to whom had stolen the body, why it was stolen, and where the body was. 11 weeks later, after an attempt to extort money from relatives, the grave robbers were captured and the missing body of Charlie Chaplin was recovered.
Which brings us back to another case of the missing body.
We find the basic report of this missing body case written by a physician named Luke (24:1-12):
On the first day of the week, at very early dawn, the women came to the tomb.... They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in, they did not find the body. While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. The women were terrified ... but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?"
Did you catch the report of their first reaction? Luke tells us the women were "perplexed" - they were puzzled. Ok now, all you amateur detectives, as the mystery pauses for a commercial break, tell me: What do you think? What happened to the missing body? Was the body stolen? Was somebody planning to extort money from the relatives, or the disciples? Who removed the stone? And where is body now?
And who are these two men who have suddenly appeared in the tomb? Are we to assume they are credible witnesses? Are they trying to lead us off in the wrong direction? Are they attempting to prevent us from delving further into the case of the missing body?
The "detective" is us might have made us skeptical. We might have asked some probing questions - just like Columbo - trying to ascertain their credibility, trying to gain a further clue.
But not so these women. Luke further reports that the women "remembered Jesus' words, and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest."
I've always thrilled to this Easter mystery story and I'm sure you have as well. It's like we experience the excitement of Jesus' resurrection for the first time every year. I find myself yearning to be among those who make the discovery ... and I realize that as I am caught up in the story, I am making this discovery for myself.
But there is another mystery in this story that I've discovered as well. Check out the facts of this case - who makes the initial discovery of the missing body? The women! Luke identifies some of them: Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James ... and the other women with them. It was the women who kept a faithful vigil and went early in the morning to anoint Jesus' body. It was the women who first came to understand the full meaning of Jesus' words about his resurrection. And it was the women who first proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Resurrection to the other believers!
Now here's the 2nd mystery related to this case: Why is it, with all this scriptural evidence, that some in the church today would prevent the women from proclaiming this same Good News?
But then I guess some men have always been a little slow to recognize the gifts of women. Certainly the apostles were - to them the women's words seemed like "an idle tale, and they did not believe them." Luke reports that Peter went to check it out for himself. When he saw the empty tomb and the linen cloths, he went home amazed at what had happened.
Back to the case of the missing body. The word is out. Jesus body has disappeared and some are saying that he has been raised from the dead. But as of yet, no one has found his body - it is still missing!
According to Luke's report, found in chapter 24 of his book, the first to actually see the body were two of Jesus' followers on the road to Emmaus - and they didn't even recognize him! They walked with him, they talked with him, but they didn't recognize him!
Perhaps you have found yourself in a similar situation. You're trying to unravel your own mystery - like where are the missing car keys or the pencil I was just using? You search high and low and finally discover the missing keys or pencil were right in front of you the whole time. You simply couldn't see them because you thought they were missing.
So it was on the road to Emmaus, the disciples did not recognize Jesus until they had gathered around the table for a meal together. There Jesus blessed and broke the bread and gave it to them. Then Luke reports, "their eyes were opened, and they recognized him...." They returned to Jerusalem shouting, "The Lord has risen indeed!" They shared with the other believers how they had recognized the Lord in the breaking of the bread.
Hang in there with me, now, we are about to solve "The Case of the Missing Body."
The crucial clue for solving this mystery is to be found earlier in the book (as is often the case with a good mystery). The setting is the Upper Room. Jesus is gathered with his disciples for their Last Supper together. Time is running out for Jesus. Death is near. He must leave them a clue for unraveling the mystery that is quickly moving to a climax. He looks around the room at those who will continue his ministry, and as he reaches for the bread, he says to them: "This is my body, which is given for you." He breaks the bread. "Do this in remembrance of me."
Here is the clue. "You are my body now," Jesus is saying, "and like this bread you will be broken but you will also keep my memory alive - yes, every time you break bread together, you will remember that I am with you ... and that you are my body alive and at work in the world today."
That, my friends, is the essential clue to solving "The Case of the Missing Body." The Body of Christ was never missing, it was only changed. It was in their midst but though they could touch it as easily as they could touch one another, they could not see it. It was only as the bread was broken that they remembered ... that though they were broken, Jesus was present with them.
Today is the 2nd Day of the Easter season 2003! Today we celebrate the victory of life over death. Today we celebrate that historical moment when Jesus was raised from death to life. We celebrate that moment when the very first Christians understood and experienced a new life. Today we celebrate because the Case of the Missing Body has been solved - and is here among us, alive in the world today! Amen. Allelujah! Christ is Risen!
Prayer:
God, we give you thanks for this day of life! We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and pray that as the Body of Christ, we might be found faithful this day and every day. Amen.