‘Preaching Easter at Old First Gnostic’
By Thomas G. Long
“The resurrection of Jesus’ body is not only an affirmation of the goodness of the creation, it is also a validation of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus was not simply a sage who left behind some inspiring thoughts; he embodied the presence of the reign of God. He touched lepers with healing, he put his hands on the eyes of the blind, he overturned the tables in the Temple, he opened his mouth to speak parables, he broke bread and fed the hungry crowds, he raised a twelve-year-old girl to new life, and he set his face to go to Jerusalem where he offered his body and his life, even to death on a cross. Easter’s good news is not that a mystical light goes on in our heads, but that the mercy and grace, embodied in what Jesus did with his hands, what he spoke with his mouth, and where his feet took him, is now validated as eternal truth. He performed acts of liberation and spoke words of wisdom. With his body, he was both savior and teacher. He put his body in harm’s way for the sake of others, and the body of the risen Lord still bears the wounds of what the world did to him. The memory of his life, the memory of his self-giving love even to death, is held and preserved in his risen body.”
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Witness to Grace 
This one will deserve a second and third reading, for sure! So much in this. The mixture of gnosticism in the traditionalist setting is such an appropriate observation. Also, some things that are far from gnosticism are sometimes placed there because they approach the Bible in a way that traditional theologians do not. For example, the controversial statements about eschatological timing in the New Testament prompted even C.S. Lewis to note sadly that Jesus was embarrassingly mistaken when telling His First Century disciples that they would see Him coming back from heaven in their natural lifetime. Mr. Lewis, like much of Christianity, may have been locked into what amounts to a cult-like mental dogma of what the Second Advent was supposed to look like, much like the Palestinian Jews expected the Messiah to be a mighty political Savior from Roman oppression. Anyway, this has kept in the mix one of many abiding ingredients for traditionalism to lose and prevail, and for some things that are actually safely within Christian orthodoxy to be mis-judged by technicality. At any rate, a fascinating article!!! Thanks.
Much to think on. It does explain why sin is such an unpopular subject in church discussions. In a culture where “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” is a way of life, how difficult it is to let go, and fall on our knees instead.
For some reason, I never saw both of your comments until today. Thank you for your insights!