The 1st Sunday of Easter, Easter Sunday, Year A
Scriptures: Jeremiah 31:1-6; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; Matthew 28:1-10; Colossians 3:1-4
Key Verse: “When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4)
<music>
<Intro:>
Hello, This is Jade.
Welcome to Yi.kigai
A space for all to explore the intersection between faith and daily life
<music>
<Message:>
It has been raining these days in the greater Seattle area. Whenever the sun comes out, even just for a little bit during the day, it lights up my eyes and warms my heart. Such a rainy and cloudy season often makes me think of a Chinese phrase, 撥雲見日, bo-yun-jian-ri. It describes a kind of hope revealed like the sun after the clouds move away. It is similar to a metaphor that you might know, “Every cloud has a silver lining.”
How did Jesus’ disciples make it through the days before they learned about his resurrection? It might have been the longest, darkest, unforgettable three days in their lives without any clue on the hope that Jesus had promised them. Many of them left their hometowns, their families and friends, or their jobs by hoping and trusting that they followed the right person. Had they allowed their faith to waver out of anxiety or fear?
Last week, I mentioned that the Hope from God is Jesus himself and isn’t just a feeling. The same goes to the Faith and the Love from God that is also Jesus himself and not just a feeling. Our own faith, love, and hope can be built upon our knowledge, our understanding, our experiences, or our feelings. When we have tough days like the three days Jesus’ disciples experienced before Jesus’ resurrection, instead of holding onto our own feelings, we want to hold tightly the Hope from God that is Jesus Christ.
There is a picture book called Hole, but I don’t know anything about the author or any information about its publisher. It’s about a little boy named Hao Zhi. One day, he decided to dig a hole in his backyard. Many people passing by his house advised him on how to go about the digging. Some said, “Dig a pool.” Some said, “Make a trap instead!” Some even told him, “Just stop this nonsense!” He didn’t respond to them and kept digging deeper and deeper. His dad visited him daily and checked on him but didn’t advise him or offer any suggestions. He let Hao Zhi dig his own hole. Finally, one day, the hole was big and deep enough. He jumped into the hole and looked at the sky. The blue sky was beautiful, especially when he saw a butterfly fluttering by. Then he climbed back up and filled the hole with the soil. That’s it. That’s the story.
This story has a healing power just like the resurrection story of our Savior Jesus Christ who is our hope. In our faith journey, a time of digging our own hole to cover or hide our pain and suffering might occur. No matter how big or how deep your hole is, may you see the hope from God, our Savior Jesus Christ stopping by and checking on you each day like a butterfly fluttering by. We all go through our own Lent and our own Holy Week, but remember that we are the people of Easter, too. Holding onto our own hope, faith, and love is not all we are about. On this Easter Sunday, we gather and celebrate all that we are and have from God our Saviour Jesus Christ who restores us, heals us, and completes us.
<Music>
<Closing Prayer:>
May your coming week be blessed by God’s grace
As together we explore the intersection between faith and daily life
<Outro:>
Thank you for listening. Please subscribe and follow yi.kigai.
<music>
Comments