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Easter According to Max— and St.Matthew
Last weekend I had the unexpected visit of my two daughters—from Oregon and Boston. “What should I preach this year at Easter?” I asked. Now in their late 30’s, they had of course as preachers’ kids do, experienced quite a number of their mother’s sermons. (And I had often experienced quite a number of critiques of their mother’s sermons.)
They did not hesitate. The immediate and univocal response was: Max’s Chocolate Chicken! I’m not sure what I had in mind for Easter but certainly NOT this! It is a children’s story–a wonderful one, but not relevant or so I thought to a World at War, ICE at every door, a government which increasingly excludes those who don’t meet certain biological or political criteria where winning or losing and the ability to blow a country to smithereens is the measure of success or failure. On Easter– this year especially, I want to offer serious signs of hope, not a children’s story as proof or at least promise of new life and transformation, some way the ancient story of Jesus’ s resurrection comes to reality in a despairing 2026.
And then I was reminded of the words of Jesus who always called the children close and invited us to listen to their wisdom. Reminded also close to home here at St.Michael’s–how the children of this parish have reenacted and retold the story of Jesus— his birth from the incarnation in the Christmas Pageant,– to the Passion Walk we made last Saturday morning here in the sanctuary. In each the featured characters are those whose power is nothing in the realm of EMPIRE –or emperors and generals. From the birth of the baby to the hope filled entry into Jerusalem with Palms and the donkey, to the last supper, Jesus washing the feet of the disciples, the despair of the crucifixion. There are no conquerors here. Just the man called king on a donkey, who heals a soldier’s ear, who does not defy Pilot, or resort to violence, who forgives the sinner on the cross. As the children (adults in tow) walked the way to Jerusalem, the events retold, there was no sugar coating even as the children entered the cave draped in black cloth which served as the tomb.
And NOW—Just as there is no better symbol of joy and resurrection than today watching these same children ( and a few more!) with their flowers – “flowering the cross”– in a church adorned with beauty, remembering those we love, proclaiming they are in the midst of us. Our times have not changed, divisions not healed, but on this easter day we are offered hope—in the presence of children, AND In spite of it all Spring and New Life are not only a promise, but a reality of resistance and possibility. It is a hard story–the Jesus one- life and death and new life again. Perhaps best learned early and retold to us by children who one day indeed may be presidents or power brokers but for now officially they are not. But they (and we) will have this walk, this journey to remember as they encounter the world.
Matthew’s Gospel today continues that ancient story of the first Easter—here through the eyes and experience of the women– another nobody side lined not powerful group. The women had been there all along, beside Jesus, though not officially called disciples. They were there at the cross, watching weeping staying awake. And so it was on the third day they went—Mary Magdalene and another called Mary—perhaps to anoint the body, as was their custom, bringing their sorrow, grief– most of all their fear– not just in remembering the violence of the death of one they loved, but the fear of life without their leader. Would they as witnesses, as his followers be the next to suffer the same fate? Was early violent death to be theirs as well? Did they have courage enough for that?
They arrive at the tomb, wondering who would take away the stone, sealed so carefully. To their shock they were met instead with an earthquake and an Angel sitting on the rolled away stone, the tomb open and Jesus not there. “ DO NOT BE AFRAID,” said the angle. Those words, even from or maybe especially from an angel are not a lot of comfort and did not bode well for what is to come next for these women. In fact they were the prelude to what was likely hardest thing these women have ever done. With a short explanation (which is no explanation at all ) the angel sends them forth. Go and Tell…. And along the way you will see Jesus who has risen from the dead. And so they went – taking their fear and this time also great joy. Perhaps they were remembering that other Mary, Jesus’s mother, who had been with them at the cross as well, remembering the story of that other angel descending, who said “Be Not Afraid” and announced Jesus’s birth. That Mary, pondering then consenting. “Fear not.” Said that angel too. Now some 30 years later, an angel comes to these women. Do Not be Afraid. Go and Tell.
Could it be that the angel’s message is ours as well? Do not be afraid, of course. Then the call and task: Go and tell. Perhaps not just go and tell , Go and tell and Do and Be. Taking courage from that ancient story, courage from the children, courage from the accounts of those who were there. Seeking signs of hope and resurrection along the way, in our own lives, our world, in our communities. Afraid, yet joyful.
WE may not think that angel is speaking to us. But she is there, she is there telling us that angel, whispering strength and courage to us too, telling us over and over again that new life is possible in spite of our fears. The one who we follow is Jesus—. Yes, because he rose from the dead—yes, because he was crucified, yes, because he died for our sins
But most of all because he and the angels and the saints and the God in whose image we are created calls us like those ancient Marys before to say yes !
To keep on being a community of welcome–where there is no litmus test to whether you can belong, and hard as it is, loving enemies, forgiving, bridging divides, making peace even when it doesn’t seem possible refusing to demonize another NO MATTER what. Where disagreements do not lead to war ,where POWER means the power of love and NOT the POWER of the gun or a bomb. Where there’s Grace, Forgiveness, Belonging, where there is a place and enough for all—-including each of us.
This is serious work, hard work, and there are struggles. AND it is joyful work. We find hope in the stories of our faith, in the children, in the story of that first Easter and in those who had the courage to tell, indeed, in our own telling.
And even in the seemingly frivolous story an erstwhile heavenly rabbit, a bunny called Max and his self-righteous big sister Ruby.
For those of you who may not know the story, here it is, in short:
A Heavenly Rabbit floats through the clouds dropping elaborately colored eggs on the ground. And places giant Chocolate Chicken in a bird bath. Big sister Ruby suggests an egg hunt where the one who finds the MOST eggs takes all, and especially, the chocolate chicken. Ruby finds many beautiful eggs. Max finds none. He finds a mud puddle, a spoon, some acorns and ants. “No EGGS No Chicken,” cries Ruby, as her basket gets full to overflowing. In the blink of an eye, just as Ruby calls an end to the hunt, Max grabs the chocolate chicken, hides in the hole of a tree trunk and eats the entire thing. Ruby can’t find Max, sees the empty birdbath and is irate and horrified. “How could you do this to me Max?” Just as the words are said— the Heavenly Bunny discreetly places another large chocolate chicken in the birdbath.
There is enough. There is enough. We do not have to fight to win. There will be suffering, there will be death. There will be struggle. And this year too, there is hope and yes reality of resurrection.
Happy EASTER!! 2026. AMEN.
