Why Do You Seek the Living Among the Dead?
“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen” (Luke 24:1-6).
“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” It’s a great line. It is one of those lines I think about having on my headstone — among other options like, “But God…” and “New body, who dis?” Ok, maybe not that one.
It’s a great line because in processing the question the women have to decide between two realities. In the reality of the world, dead men stay dead. But in the reality of heaven they don’t — especially not this one. They followed Jesus. They saw the miracles or heard about the ones they didn’t witness. They heard Jesus tell them that he must be delivered into the hands of sinful men to be crucified. Jesus told them he would rise on the third day. But the reality of the world seized upon the trauma of Friday and Saturday. This is the way it works. Innocent men are killed by corrupt authorities. Dead men stay dead. The reality of the world tried to tell them it was all lies. There is no justice, there is no savior, there is no hope.
With one question, the light of the reality of heaven broke into the darkness of the reality of the world. I imagine the man in dazzling apparel asking the question with a kind-hearted smirk as he watched their eyes — at first filled with fear and confusion then giving way to wonder and joy. It was all true. If this was true, then everything he said was true. The “you have said so” of Thursday night and Friday morning has become the “I told you so” of Resurrection Sunday — except Jesus doesn’t say that because he’s not petty like we are. Instead, he sends angels to ask, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”
It’s a great line. The literal reality check they needed to hear. They… needed to hear. But not us, though, right? We have the testimony of Scripture and two thousand years of witness and the Spirit of God dwelling in us. The reality the world tries to sell us doesn’t end up in our cart, right?
If a man in dazzling apparel observed our lives and saw the places we went to seek comfort or value or security or satisfaction or belonging or joy or love — he wouldn’t ask us, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” — would he?
This reminds us of our need to confess our sins.
Father, the idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them. They are not what you are. You are the living God and with you is the fountain of life. Forgive us for seeking life apart from you. We have given away our voice by singing the praises of men and women. We have lost our sight by hiding in shadows. We have lost our hearing in turning up the volume of our distractions. We have suffocated breathing in our own ego. These are great evils and we know that if we regard sin in our hearts, then our prayers will be ineffectual. Forgive us for these sins, God, and the sins we confess to you now in this moment of silence….
…Father, we have a living hope because we have a living God. Death is swallowed up in victory. In the resurrection of Jesus, you have delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of your beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Thank you, God. Thank you for replacing our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh and for giving us your Spirit. Guard our hearts and keep us from straying from the way of life. Guide us as we walk according to our calling as your daughters and sons. You have said, “Seek my face.” Our hearts say to you, “Your face, Lord, do we seek.”
In Jesus’ name, amen.
