Breaking The Stone
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle A
After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said." (vv. 1--6)
Moishe Rosen founded Jews for Jesus, an organization that aims to evangelize Jews to a belief that Jesus is the Messiah. In a newsletter article titled "Resurrection Reflections," he reflects on his conversion to Christ. His wife, Ceil, had a budding faith in Jesus. As a Jew, he struggled with her new faith. He went to Rabbi Brycks who had married the couple for advice on how to dissuade Ceil's new beliefs. Rabbi Brycks was Orthodox, good--natured, and easy to talk to.
Rosen said, "I need to know the official Jewish reasons for not believing in Jesus." He was prepared to receive a deep theological answer.
Rabbi Brycks replied with a long "W--e--e--l--l--l." After a brief pause, he said, "It's just something that you can't believe." Rosen waited, hoping there was some more substantial reasoning. Rabbi Brycks continued, "Christians think that God made a virgin pregnant, and from that they got Jesus."
Rosen replied, "So." He figured that if God could create the universe out of nothing, arranging for a virgin to be pregnant wouldn't be problematic.
Rabbi Brycks resumed, "And Judaism is a religion of the here--and--now. Christianity is a religion of the hereafter. To them what happens after you're dead is more important than when you are alive." After seeing Rosen's perplexed face, he added, "When it comes to the hereafter, no one ever came back to tell us what it was like."
Rosen held his tongue. He wanted to say, "But that's what Ceil keeps telling me - that Jesus did come back from the dead. She really believes it, and she's a sensible person." He knew that everything the rabbi had said would do nothing to convince her she was wrong. Rosen didn't believe like his wife, and the rabbi's arguments were not even convincing him. So he left the conversation dissatisfied.
Within months, Rosen discovered that faith is a gift from God and believes in what cannot be understood. He surprised himself when he confessed belief in Jesus as the Messiah who was crucified for our sin and rose victorious on Easter. He didn't necessarily understand it, but the same power that raised Jesus from the dead was at work in his life. The hardness of the stone couldn't keep Jesus in the grave, and the hardness of Rosen's heart couldn't keep Jesus out. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah who came to save by overcoming death.
Moishe Rosen founded Jews for Jesus, an organization that aims to evangelize Jews to a belief that Jesus is the Messiah. In a newsletter article titled "Resurrection Reflections," he reflects on his conversion to Christ. His wife, Ceil, had a budding faith in Jesus. As a Jew, he struggled with her new faith. He went to Rabbi Brycks who had married the couple for advice on how to dissuade Ceil's new beliefs. Rabbi Brycks was Orthodox, good--natured, and easy to talk to.
Rosen said, "I need to know the official Jewish reasons for not believing in Jesus." He was prepared to receive a deep theological answer.
Rabbi Brycks replied with a long "W--e--e--l--l--l." After a brief pause, he said, "It's just something that you can't believe." Rosen waited, hoping there was some more substantial reasoning. Rabbi Brycks continued, "Christians think that God made a virgin pregnant, and from that they got Jesus."
Rosen replied, "So." He figured that if God could create the universe out of nothing, arranging for a virgin to be pregnant wouldn't be problematic.
Rabbi Brycks resumed, "And Judaism is a religion of the here--and--now. Christianity is a religion of the hereafter. To them what happens after you're dead is more important than when you are alive." After seeing Rosen's perplexed face, he added, "When it comes to the hereafter, no one ever came back to tell us what it was like."
Rosen held his tongue. He wanted to say, "But that's what Ceil keeps telling me - that Jesus did come back from the dead. She really believes it, and she's a sensible person." He knew that everything the rabbi had said would do nothing to convince her she was wrong. Rosen didn't believe like his wife, and the rabbi's arguments were not even convincing him. So he left the conversation dissatisfied.
Within months, Rosen discovered that faith is a gift from God and believes in what cannot be understood. He surprised himself when he confessed belief in Jesus as the Messiah who was crucified for our sin and rose victorious on Easter. He didn't necessarily understand it, but the same power that raised Jesus from the dead was at work in his life. The hardness of the stone couldn't keep Jesus in the grave, and the hardness of Rosen's heart couldn't keep Jesus out. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah who came to save by overcoming death.
