Luke 24:1-12; Onlookers no More

This Gospel text is not shared by everyone today, but I have also exposited John 20:1-18 for those who read that Gospel text. Here is Luke's account of the empty tomb.

"But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, ‘Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.’ 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened."

Introduction

The most striking thing about Luke's account of the empty tomb and the resurrection of Jesus is that the realization of Jesus' resurrection only gradually dawns on everyone. The disciples show the same obtuseness as earlier; only Peter is said to be "amazed" (24:12), even though amazement in Luke's Gospel is not the same thing as faith (see below). Only the women are "on the ball," but even they are more perplexed than believing. Thus, as we celebrate Easter today, with resounding hymns and bold statements of resurrection, we must do it in the context of the experience of the first disciples who, though not "at a distance" anymore, didn't grasp all at once what was happening.

In order to capture the tone of this passage I will do three things: (1) Show how the disciples had been clumsy onlookers; (2) Describe the varied emotions of the women at the tomb on Eastern morn; and (3) Lay out the divided reaction of the men.

I. The Context--Onlookers

What struck me as I studied this text for today is that the role of disciple shifts from Luke 22 to Luke 24, and women are the instrument of its shift. In brief, the male disciples go from sleepy onlookers when Jesus was praying (22:45) to people who watch "from a distance" during his crucifixion (23:49), while the women are among those watching from a distance but also are those who "follow" and watch where they lay Jesus' body but do nothing about it (23:55). The women, therefore, move from positions of distance to closeness by observing Jesus' burial site, while the men are portrayed as confused, distant and frightened followers. Both groups, however, are onlookers. What will happen on the first Easter morn, however, is that they will gradually be drawn into intimacy even though they have to pass through the threshold of incongruity, perplexity and terror to get there.

The bridge between the status of being onlookers and that of more intimate connection with the risen Jesus is a verse passed over quickly by everyone: "On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment" (23:56b). This, in my judgment, is no throwaway or passing comment. It captures a psychological and narrative reality that is elsewhere expressed in Scripture, and that is that "rest" or "ceasing" something functions as an important transition in the action. Think of Gen. 2:2, where God rested on the seventh day. This becomes not simply the link between the two accounts of creation but a sort of culminating statement of creation's completion. Or, think of Job. 31:40 ("The words of Job are ended"). Rather than simply a statement that Job has finished talking, until ch. 42, they indicate to me that Job has become all "talked out," as we say, and is finally able to hear the advice of a human (Elihu) and God.

Thus, when the text in Luke says that they rested on the sabbath, it tells me that the ordinary activity of religious ritual becomes the context for the extraordinary events to follow. Humans celebrate ritual and regularity, but during that regularity the work of God continues and comes to fruition. Thus, the transition from onlookers to eyewitnesses comes through the person of women and through the practice of ritual. Now, we are ready for what the women see, or don't see.

II. The Women's Reaction (24:1-8)

Ambiguities pervade this passage. If we were to have filmed this narrative, the empty tomb would be front and center. But it is a symbol only because of its emptiness. There is no action in the tomb because the action-producer is not there. The varied emotions evoked by the passage should be mentioned. The women are perplexed (v. 4); then they are terrified (v. 5); then they "remembered" Jesus' words when the men in dazzling apparel reminded them of them (v. 8). But we never get the impression that the women fully understand what is going on. They are witnesses, but then they are not really witnesses. That is, they see and hear the account of the men in dazzling clothes but they see nothing.

They are perplexed because they simply are coming to the tomb to complete Jesus' honorable burial by anointing him with spices and ointments. They really don't seem to be expecting to find anything other than the tomb and the body of Jesus. They are terrified because the situation turns out not as they expected in the least. Just as the male disciples, when they saw two figures other than Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, were confused and wanted to build tents for the two other figures (Moses and Elijah), so the women here are more than confused. They are terrified by the unexpected.

But their terror provides the context for the stimulation of memory. Memory provides an antitode of sorts to terror and perplexity, even if it doesn't completely resolve all uncertainty. The two men remind the women of Jesus' words. Some might wonder why they needed to be reminded of things so basic to the Gospel message, but we forget that it had been a "hectic" week. They were in need of an interpreter of these fast-moving events, and the men in dazzling raiment provided that interpretation. But still the women are living with uncertainty and need further clarification.

III. The Men's Reaction (vv. 9-12)

We first learn the reaction of the apostles in general before getting a one-verse description of Peter's trip to the tomb to check for himself. He will no longer be an onlooker, but will want to become a witness. The apostles scoff at the women's tale. We don't know if they don't believe the women because of the inherent unlikeliness of the story or because women were considered unreliable witnesses. In any event, their dismissive attitude towards the women makes them look bad, even though they probably thought that it was the women who were quite daft.

But the passage closes with Peter's action. At least he will return to the tomb to see what the true situation is. When he sees the linen cloths but no body, he is "amazed" (thaumazein). Here are a few other verses where the same word is used in Luke's Gospel.

(a) In the story of the shepherds visiting Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus, they tell others about their experience and "all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them" (2:18).

(b) When the people in Jesus hometown synagogue heard him say that Isaiah's Scripture was fulfilled in their hearing, they were "amazed" (4:22).

(c) When the disciples were out with Jesus on the lake and a storm developed, so they were in danger of sinking, they cried out for help to Jesus. He awoke, stilled the storm and said to them, "Where is your faith?" They were "afraid and amazed" (8:24-25).

There are other instances of the use of "amaze" by Luke (11:38; 20:26), but the crucial verse to understand Luke's concept of amazement is 8:25. Jesus rebuked the disciples for lack of faith. What was their reaction? Amazement. Therefore, amazement for Luke is a step short of faith, a kind of stupefaction or incomprehension that may come prior to faith but is not faith itself.

Conclusion

Therefore, as we leave the empty tomb account today, we have the feeling that even though life has decisively changed for the disciples, that they don't yet understand what is happening. Incongruities and perplexities continue. Partial faith and amazement is the order of the day. Lack of understanding and clarification of that ignorance happens. And maybe that isn't such bad news after all. Easter may dawn gradually for us, too, even though God has set in motion all that we need for a full celebration of it. But let's celebrate it according to our ability; certainly there will be time to sort things out further in the future. Let's begin with the empty tomb and gradually (re)build our understanding. Maybe some can get to full faith today, but maybe some of us will still be amazed.

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