Luke 24:5 … Living among the Dead (03/19/17)
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
~ unknown (Luke 24:5)
First & foremost, it is important to realize the context surrounding this particular verse – namely, that Jesus had been removed from the cross only the day before, and had only been (supposedly) in the tomb overnight … It was indeed only the previous day that “The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.” (Luke 23:55-56)
And these women did indeed return the next day with what was in all likelihood healing herbs to tend to the wounded-but-not-dead Jesus – seeing as how Jesus in all likelihood pre-planned the entire crucifixion event, including the women bringing him healing salves to tend the wounds he received while on the cross (wounds that normally killed those who received after a number of days, not the mere few hours Jesus was up on the cross (see Matthew 27:45-50) …
Besides, it was Jewish custom to anoint a body with burial liniments before it was placed in its tomb, not afterward. This would explain their surprise the next day when they arrived at the now empty tomb – not that they were surprised to see that Jesus was no longer dead, but rather that he was no longer there to be tended by them.
And this is when the “two men in dazzling clothes” spoke with them, asking the above-cited “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.” Their “dazzling clothes” probably meant that they were dressed in white – much like the Essenes were known to have dressed in Jesus’ day. And this is especially intriguing, seeing as how the Essenes were known to practice a lifestyle very similar to the one preached by Jesus; seeing as how Jesus was probably baptized by an Essene at the very outset of his ministry (see Matthew 3 & Luke 3); and seeing as how more than a few biblical scholars go under the assumption that Jesus was an Essene himself.
It is intriguing as well that these two “men” (Note: they were not described as angels) very clearly stated what Jesus himself had told his disciples many times over the previous three years – that he would be persecuted, that he would be crucified, but that he would not die therefrom; that he would indeed “rise on the third day” (see Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:23, Mark 8:31, Luke 9:22, & Luke 24:7 et al) …
And this makes perfect sense, seeing as how Jesus had also said over & over & over again that his followers were not to worship him as God (see Mark 10:18, John 5:41, John7:16, John 8:50-54, John 12:44 et al), that each of them had the same divinity within them as he did (see John 14:20-26), and that they could all do & live exactly as he had done & exactly as he had lived (see John 12:47-48).
Indeed, Jesus was all about refocusing his listeners not on the Hereafter, but rather on this lifetime (see Matthew 10:7 & Luke 17:20-21) – not on their liberation from the Romans in the near future (He avidly proclaimed that he was not the Davidian Messiah; see Matthew 22:43-45 et al) – not on the days to come but rather solely on today (Matthew 6:34) – not on personal fears of anxieties, but rather on serving others (see Matthew 16:24 & Matthew 25:35-40) …
Indeed, his Father is a “God of the living, not of the dead” (Luke 20:38), and his Way was a Way of the living as well, not of the dead. And this is why Jesus kept telling folks over & over & over again not to worship him but to “follow” him instead (see Matthew 4:19, Matthew 9:9, Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:3, Luke 5:27-28 et al) – and not to wait to do so at some point in the future, but rather to do so immediately, lest death catch them unawares (see Matthew 24:42 & Matthew 25:1-13) and they suffer the raw deathbed consequences of a life unlived (see John 3:36 et al).
So let us all therefore cease seeking “the living among the dead” – let us all choose to live our lives to the fullest, by ceasing to chase after Life among activities fully deadened.
Amen … Let it be so.
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