Calvin Synod Herald, 2011 (112. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)
2011-03-01 / 3-4. szám
4 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD EASTER QUALITIES People in every generation will follow someone who thinks that they are relevant to their lives. Even people of faith are no different. For the last few weeks during Lent we were preparing for the joyous celebration of Easter, commemorating the glorious resurrection of our Lord, and for many it made little difference. They say, “OK, Easter happened. So what? How will that make a difference in my life today or tomorrow or the next year?” In the Gospel of Luke 24 following the resurrection of Jesus He appears to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. The Scriptures tells us that “They didn’t recognize their Lord”— was it because they were overwhelmed by grief. They travel together almost a full day, yet we are told- “that they did not know Him”. They even invite Him to have dinner with them. And only when they quiet down around the table and see Him “As He breaks bread with them and offers thanks, they see that it is Jesus, their Messiah. As I was contemplating this event before me that I discovered 4 relevant qualities to make our lives different: peace, joy, hope, and mission... The first of these is: PEACE. Jesus knew that His followers were confused and frightened when he was taken before their own eyes to the Cross. They had hit rock bottom. And so He says, “Peace be with you.” This is not simply a salutation; it’s the first application of Easter—peace. Everyone wants peace of mind. We live in a very troubled world. I would dare to say that even before we can get peace of mind, we need to find peace with God. The Hebrew word for peace, shalom, means fullness, wholeness. Peace comes from the realization of faith that we’re forgiven. Peace means that the grave is not the end of life. By applying Easter’s peace today to our lives means that we can face tomorrow with assurance and confidence. Peace is hard to come by when we strive to balance the world on our own backs, but when we heed God’s invitation to give Him our burdens, the weight of our world becomes effortless for our risen Lord. The second quality that Easter brings is : JOY. As we follow the scripture account of the story. We read that “they still did not believe because of joy and amazement.” Earlier in the Gospels, Jesus states, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full” (John 15:11). The disciples were surprised by joy; they felt the resurrection was Continued from page 3 appeared also to me. For 1 am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because 1 persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. ICor. 15:1-11 Believe in the Gospel. Christ is risen! A Blessed Easter to All of You! Yours in His Service Béla Póznán, Bishop nearly too good to be true; overcome with grief, they’re now overwhelmed with joy. It’s like being told you’ve won the lottery - at first you can’t believe your good fortune. Jesus gave His disciples time to let the reality of His resurrection sink in. He asked for something to eat, and they realized that He was truly alive. Joy is a companion to peace, a natural bi-product. Joy helps us overcome our concerns. Joy is not the absence of sorrow. God can give joy event in the midst of sorrow. The fact that Jesus could have joy in the midst of sorrow shows that we can experience it too. The world’s joy is artificial, and when it’s gone we’re left with greater emptiness. Christian joy is not substitution but transformation. It is something we become. Joy that comes from God enriches our lives and enables us to feel secure even when our circumstances are shaky. Joy is spiritual prosperity. Joy is different from happiness. Happiness turns up more or less where you’d expect it to. Joy, on the other hand, is as unpredictable as the One who gives is. Easter is about victory over death. We have joy in knowing that Jesus holds the keys of death and hell. He has unlocked heaven’s doors and locked the gates of hell. A third Easter quality is: HOPE. When you know people that love you and you see that they are keeping the promises they made to you, you have a secure hope that does not disappoint. Jesus explains to His followers how all the details of His life were in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s promises to us. At every turn in our life Hope causes us to rejoice. According to an ancient Russian Orthodox tradition, the day before Easter was devoted to telling jokes. Priests would join the people in telling their best jokes to one another. The reason was to reflect the joke God pulled on the devil in the resurrection. Satan thought he won on Friday, but God had the last laugh on Easter Sunday. Our hope causes us to laugh about the victory we have through Christ. The fourth quality that Easter brings is: MISSION. Easter as we have seen thus far brings internal qualities of peace, joy, and hope...which result in external action. And the result is that we are given a mission. We participate in the work of Christ by heralding the Good News. Every organization that I have come across usually defines what their mission is with a mission statement. Our mission statement as followers of Christ and as a Church is that “We proclaim Christ. That proclamation is best describes that way that we live, the way we talk and act. Paul the Apostles in his letter to the Colossians 1:28 describes it this. “We all have unique gifts, and God expects us to find our niche in His Kingdom.” Now that Easter is over, the questions is: Will we walk away from Easter with renewed peace, joy, hope and a firm sense of mission, which can affect our entire outlook on life? Will we become purpose-driven to win our world for Christ? Or we will act as if nothing has happened, the outlook of our lives will remain the same as before Easter. It is my hope and prayer that when people ask what’s happened to us, we can answer: “Easter happened—that’s what!” Rev. Stephen Torok
