Resurrected Bodies
The Third Sunday of Easter
14 April 2024
The Rev. Robert J. Kossler
Jesus himself stood among the disciples and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified and thought they were seeing a ghost. (pp. Lk. 24:36-37)
An eleven-year-old girl asked, "Is it possible for there to be ghosts?" (Markovsky, 2023) How many of you have asked the same question? After all, lots of people believe in ghosts. A sociologist and emeritus professor wrote an article about ghosts and people’s belief in them. He noted that in a recent poll of 1,000 American adults, 41% said they believed in ghosts. More remarkable is that 20% said they had personal experiences with ghosts. (Ibid.) Mapping these statistics across the entire population of the US, more than 50 million spirit encounters happened! The professor wrote that it was not unusual for people to tell him about their encounters and offer videos as proof.
In his article, Professor Markovsky focused on three questions: Are Ghosts possible? What is the evidence? And are there alternative explanations? He points out that people sometimes think they are experiencing ghosts if they hear strange voices, see moving objects, witness balls or wisps of light, or even translucent people. He commented that nobody ever describes ghosts as breathing, nor do they ever see them eating or drinking. If ghosts glimmer, move things, and make noises, they act like physical bodies made of matter. They take up space and have mass. But they cannot be material if they pass through walls or vanish entirely into thin air. All of which makes me wonder what a "Resurrected Body" is. Is it material – corporal, or immaterial – without substance?
Paul introduced the concept of the spiritual body in his First Letter to the Corinthians, in which he described the resurrected body as "spiritual" in contrast to the “natural” body. Paul wrote:
So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. (pp. 1 Corinthians 15:42-44)
Over the centuries, many theologians studied Paul's writing comparing our resurrected bodies to our mortal bodies trying to add a rational to his writing. In summary, Paul explains that our resurrected bodies are a different kind of body: a "spiritual body," which is an incorruptible and immortal body. (Ibid., 15:53—54)
We have yet to experience spiritual bodies but all humans experience mortality, the death of others – loved ones, friends, and even strangers. The Apostles' experience of Jesus’ death was more visceral, stark, and sometimes cruel – than our own experiences. Seeing Jesus in their midst, the "Resurrected Jesus, would terrify anyone after his horrific death. Given our modern scientific understanding of life and death, think about how we would react seeing someone who we know died, in physical form in front of us?
Luke paints an arc of Jesus' resurrected life, starting with the tomb on Easter morning.
They found the stone rolled away from the grave, but when they went in, they did not find the body. (Lk. (Coogan, 2001)24:2)
The women were met by "two men in dazzling clothes" who explained Christ's absence. "He is not here but has risen." The startled women left the tomb and returned to where the disciples stayed. They described what they had witnessed to a group of unbelieving men. The men called it an "idle tale." Despite their dismissal, Peter left for the tomb to see for himself and returned "amazed."
Luke then tells the story of two of Jesus' followers traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus. As these two men walked, Jesus joined them. They failed to recognize this stranger. He listened to their story about Jesus' death and of the empty tomb. After listening for a time, Jesus chastised them for their lack of understanding and belief. As they neared the town, he agreed to join them, and they sat down to dinner. At one point during the meal, Jesus took bread, blessed it, and gave it to them. He vanished just as they recognized him.
Luke continues this arc with the two travelers back in Jerusalem, describing their encounter with the "Resurrected Jesus." The disciples tell them “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” (Ibid. Lk. 24:34) Our Gospel reading starts here.
While the disciples and two travelers were speaking, Jesus appeared. His entrance was abrupt, just like his exit from the home in Emmaus. His sudden appearance startled and terrified his followers. Jesus finally appeared to everyone in his circle. And, like the Gospel of John, he told them to look, touch, and believe.
Despite the physical evidence in front of them, his followers question what they see with their own eyes. Belief is a tricky thing. We see it today, with some still denying the impact of the pandemic on our society. Some people are adamant "anti-maskers" and "anti-vaxxers." Covid conspiracies continue – 5G networks spread Covid; the Chinese created it as a biological weapon; it was a plot developed by the "Deep State." I could go on, but despite all the evidence to the contrary, it is still hard to get everyone on board. Imagine what it would be like in that room or on the beach with your mind saying one thing and your eyes witnessing something else. What am I experiencing – is this real or is it a dream?
Faith and belief are complicated when the inexplicable contradict our learned experience. Our faith contains mysteries despite centuries of trying to prove and explain what is ultimately a matter of belief that we cannot explain through human thought, experience, or understanding.
Jesus knows full well that the disciples will have difficulty accepting his resurrection and its inherent mystery. He also knows that it will be even harder for them to explain it to others. So, he asks for something to eat, an action essential to human life. Only corporal bodies can eat; ghosts and spirits cannot eat or drink. Need more proof? Watch me eat! And, according to Luke, he opened their minds so that they might understand God's plans. They become witnesses not only to the what but to the why.
The Easter Vigil is often a time when we baptize children and those new to the church. As a community, the body of Christ, we act as their witnesses to the initiation into our church. We join the candidates in affirming our faith by renewing our vows –
Belief in God the Creator
Belief in the Resurrected Jesus
Belief in the Holy Spirit, the Comforter
Belief in repentance and forgiveness
And, Belief in our resurrection.
We don't try to prove – we assent based on the gift of grace, strengthening our faith in the Risen Christ.
Eastertide recalls the empty tomb, the women, and their witnessing. It reminds us of the Road to Emmaus, the men, and their encounter with the Risen Christ. We also witness Jesus making himself known to his followers, not as a spirit but as Christ Resurrected, opening the disciples' eyes.
Today, we pray that through our profession, God opens "the eyes of our Faith" to our future resurrection, "being raised with him, know the strength of his presence, and rejoice in his eternal glory." (pp. BCP, 493)
Amen.
Works Cited
Coogan, M. D. (Ed.). (2001). The New Oxford Annotated Bible: With the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, New Revised Standard Version. New York , New York: Oxford University Press.
Holy Bible. (1984, 2011). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
Markovsky, B. (2023, October 25). Are ghosts real? A social psychologist examines the evidence . Retrieved from University of South Carolina: https://sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2023/10/conversation-are-ghosts-real.php
The Book of common prayer and administration of the sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of the church : together with the Psalter or Psalms of David according to the use of the Episcopal Church. (2007). New York, NY: Church Publishing Inc.