It is easy for us to forget that that is where the first disciples were on Easter morning\u2014in the cul de sac. They had no place to go. Peter and Andrew, James and John, Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary, the mother of James and the other women. The enterprise was based on Jesus of Nazareth. This movement which they had given themselves to\u2014this God thing\u2014it was all dependent upon him. The healing of the sick, delivering people from dark drives and obsessions, loosening the grip of loss, the teaching about how God works in peoples\u2019 lives, (not just religious practices), but having the ability to bring people into God\u2019s presence, into an experience with the living God by his words and presence. When Jesus was around, God came to them; forgiveness flowed; broken lives were mended. All this seemed to happen around him. You can see the problem I suppose\u2014Jesus was the franchise. There was no way to posture or pretend about these things. Without him it would be futile to carry on.<\/p>\n
To further illustrate my point, remember the disciples didn\u2019t have any of these. The Pharisees and the scribes had the Hebrew scriptures; the priests in the temple had the altar of sacrifice, the altar of incense, the candelabra, the shew bread, the robes, the Holy of Holies\u2014all that the disciples had was Jesus. Frankly, if he had not been raised we would never have heard of him. And just to have heard of him is hardly enough anyway. Without Jesus they were clearly in the cul de sac of death, which Karl Barth once called \u201cthe hopeless cul de sac.\u201d That\u2019s what those who stumble over Jesus\u2019 seemingly exclusive statement that he is \u201cthe way, the truth and the life\u201d too often forget. The Easter message is quite clear here\u2014there\u2019s one way out of the cul de sac and Jesus pioneered it.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n You may not be satisfied with all the circumstances of your life but you can be joyful. #homilytweet<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/B4zEAgUvzc<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kathryn Jean Lopez (@kathrynlopez) May 2, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n