BROKEN OUT TO BREAK IN

The broken disciples, who lost their hope in Jesus, visit the tomb early in the morning to pay homage. In Jesus’ tomb, they want to break in tears with all their betrayal narratives and guilt of infidelity. To their surprise, the breaking in tears could not happen as they witness the tomb that is broken in. Their bewilderment to the risen message given by the man sitting inside the tomb makes them realize that the tomb is not broken in by someone or a gang of robbers; rather it is broken out by Jesus who has opened life to all humanity after their physical death. From the tomb the women and other disciples run to proclaim the living Jesus. This is the beginning of the proclamation of good news; the life after physical death is possible, it is shown in the resurrection of Jesus. The Easter event is a breaking in of new reality into humanity, breaking in of new philosophy to human life, breaking in of new perspective to anthropology, breaking in of new religion on this earth and at last, most importantly, it is a breaking in of God’s immense love to humanity; Jesus who is risen is not coming to condemn his executioners rather His rising to life is to capture them with God’s forgiveness and love. Anyone who believes in risen Jesus would be saved even if s/he were to be involved in the process of Jesus’ crucifixion.

PHYSICAL DEATH IS CONQUERED

In the garden of Eden, God placed man as heavenly beings who suppose to take care of the creation for some limited time. Man’s desire to conquer the nature veiled his/her perspective to see the heaven that is reserved for eternity. Man is born into the world to move towards the heaven, s/he is not for the world. No creature that is born into the world is capable of having life in heaven after their physical death except the human creature. In this way man/humanity is exalted. Man has to rule the world by faithfully attaining heaven. His/her capturing of life in heaven is telling other creatures that s/he is most privileged than them and s/he has achieved his/her destination. Man’s life on heaven is exaltation that s/he is above all creatures. The distraction of man to conquer the temporal world destroyed his/her vision of heaven. Conquering is possession something. Man’s desire to possess the world curtailed the freedom of other creatures to exercise their part in creation, thereby leading to rupture and disorder in the creation. This rupture and disorderliness is a sin which emanated from the selfishness of man. Heaven is only for man. Heaven is not just a destination that comes after something. It begins from this earth. Heaven is not a place alternative or substitute to this earth. It is a state that God and Man create with their cooperation to each other. Heaven is being with God, it is becoming better and better. Man has the right and duty to offer heaven to other creatures as they are deprived of this privilege. Every act that man does correspond with the order in the universe is good and creates heaven. All those orderly acts make the universe better and better. Being in heaven is to BE IN GOD and BEING ONE WITH NATURE (Two commandments of love). Living in sin, selfishness, conquering attitude lessens man’s perspective on life as earthly. Living in love, in God, with Others will make man to hope for life in eternity in heaven that is beyond physical death. Conquering the earth is losing heaven, reaching heaven is conquering the universe (the principle of humility – one who exalts will be humbled, one who humbles will be exalted).

FROM DEATH TO LIFE IN ETERNITY

Jesus’ resurrection with the body showed the humanity that there is life after death. In the history of humanity we have some people who have returned to life after their physical death, even bible records the rising of widow’s son at Nain (Lk 7:11-17) the rising of lazarus (Jn 11:1-44) the rising of death from tomb at the death of Jesus on the cross (Mt 27:52-53). The resurrection of Jesus is different from those came to life after death in as much as it concerns the nature of their bodies. The risen body of Jesus is a glorified body that is different from natural body that has corruption and destruction. All who brought to life after death were dead after sometime. The risen Jesus in glorified body can’t die anymore, He is destined to live for ever, He in glorified body has no corruption to death, not defection to sickness and no materialness to spacio-temporal limitations. Risen Jesus is at once in earth and in heaven. In his resurrection He is everywhere at every time. Jesus’ resurrection is a definitive assurance that we will live after the physical death. His resurrection is not to make us expect to appear to others on this earth after our death as it happened in Jesus’ case. His resurrection is a manifestation of life that is reserved for us after our physical death on this earth. This assurance to life after death broke out the human hopelessness of death as end of everything and breaks in a new hope of life in eternity with divinity.

BROKEN OUT BREAKS IN

Having assured of life after death, the disciples break through out the world to proclaim this good news euvangeliion. Jesus is the prototype (first model) of this assured life. His life on earth without sin ended successfully by conquering heaven. His exercise of humility before other creatures maintained the order in the universe. He did not rebel against the injustice done to Him. He repaired that injustice, he recovered that wound, he reset that disorder with His humble submission and love. The breaking out of Jesus on the cross ends with the breaking in of God’s love that forgives the sins of man. The broken out Jesus breaks in with divine glory – resurrection. Thereby, it fulfills the word “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (Jn 12:24) – all that is broken out will be restored.

As we celebrate this unique event in the history – resurrection of Jesus – let us break out to proclaim the good news that there is life after death, it is possible to reach heaven, it is our duty to create heaven for other creatures on earth. Let the love of God break into our hearts to break out the darkness that has stumbled humans from sensing God. May the breaking out of Risen Jesus from the tomb make us to break into the love of God and our neighbours.

Happy Easter!