The sun and the Son have risen, the tomb is empty, the Easter baskets emptied, the Hallelujah’s sung; and we now find ourselves with a choice. Do we share what we have discovered with the world, or do we keep it to ourselves too afraid to share because we don’t understand what has happened?
Recently I posted on Facebook a thought that occurred to me after a week of sermon prep, Bible study, and the various other duties that happen when you are a pastor. What I shared was, “I’ve come to realize maturing in my faith means becoming less certain; however, through the grace of God, I am becoming much more comfortable in the uncertainty.” Even the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, expresses this from time to time in his writings. “We do not now know perfectly any of his works, either of creation, providence, or grace. It is enough that we can love and obey now, and that we shall know hereafter” (John Wesley, Complete Bible Commentary, Explanatory Notes on John). For some it might be surprising to hear a pastor voice such a thought; however, the more time I spend in scripture the more I see God calling us to uncertainty and encouraging us to find comfort in that uncertainty. Let me see if I can explain.
While there are examples throughout our scriptures in both the Old Testament and New, I will stick with the gospel accounts to illustrate the point I am making. In Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John, one of the first things Jesus does in his ministry is recruit disciples. His disciples learn from him by watching, listening, and even occasionally arguing with one another and Jesus. Throughout this process the disciples become more and more certain of who Jesus is and what he has come to do. Jesus is the Messiah, and he has come to throw Rome out of Palestine and reestablish the earthly kingdom of Israel. Then Good Friday happened and all their certainty left them. They found themselves so uncertain as to what to do next and fearful for their own lives that they locked themselves away and hid from the public eye. Their certainty turned into absolute uncertainty and caused them to freeze and react in fear.
Then Easter Sunday happened which initially really didn’t help. In the original canonical gospel, Mark; the ladies were so uncertain about the news they received from the messenger that they failed to do what he asked. Rather than go and tell Jesus’ other disciples that he had been raised from the dead, they said nothing out of fear (Mark 16:1-8). They let the uncertainty of events they did not understand cause them to be afraid. Their fear did not just affect them, but it also affected those around them.
The other gospel writers let us know that the good news was eventually shared among the disciples and that the disciples then began sharing it with the world around them. Our being a community called Cokesbury UMC is proof that fear was overcome, but is it proof that uncertainty has been overcome? Do we know fully how God’s grace works? How does Jesus’ death and resurrection atone for our sins and justify us back to God? What exactly is our existence going to be like once we pass from mortality into immortality? How we answer these questions often times is telling about how we share Jesus’ good news or if we even try to share it at all.
There are some of us that feel like we must be absolutely certain about ever aspect of Jesus’ life, how atonement works, and what eternal life looks like. If we have any questions we act as if it is blasphemous and sinful. If someone questions our understanding of faith or the Bible then they are simply wrong. I have to ask, is it just Jesus’ death and resurrection that reveals God’s love and grace, or is there something more about Jesus? As far as atonement, how does that work? If we are certain, then why do even the most learned biblical scholars call them atonement theories and not atonement facts?
Then there are those of us that are so nervous about sharing the good news that we become silent because we do not understand it. We either do not want to be viewed as a Jesus freak, or we are afraid we are going to encounter someone who asks questions we cannot answer or challenges us to a new understanding. Do we think the disciples who witnessed Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection fully understood what was happening before they started sharing the good news? Do you think they fully grasped the Pentecost event? Did Paul fully understand his visions of Jesus and heaven? I am willing to assume that no, they did not have a full understanding, but they did not let that stop them from sharing the news that was too good to keep to themselves.
Uncertainty is part of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Being open to new understandings of faith and scripture is becoming more mature in our faith. Not knowing all the answers is just part of being human and should not keep us from witnessing to God’s love and grace being at work in our lives. Be comfortable in the uncertainty. Share the good news of God’s love and grace as expressed through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Don’t worry about being able to explain it. Jesus loves us this we know, cause the Bible tells us so is certainty enough.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Bryan