Living the Resurrection

Posted byMatt StonePosted inthoughtsTags:

William_bouguereau_women_at_the_tomb What does resurrection mean for you? This is where differing views on eschatology and apocalyptics have profound implications for discipleship.

If you view the future as relevant for the present only in so far as the last judgement can be calculated to the near future, then chances you’ll treat the resurrection mostly as something to be awaited (as in, End Times events) or remembered (as in, the Easter event).

If, however, you view the future as relevant for how we live in the present, irrespective the nearness of the last judgement, then the resurrection changes everything, right here and now. For it means living the future day and age in this day and age, and watching the sparks fly.

For consider, what if we lived “as if” loving your enemies was an ethic for the present and not just the future? What if we lived “as if” the bottom line was not the bottom line? What if we lived “as if” the threat of death (from terrorists, militant democracies and others) had no hold on us? How world shaking that would be.

That’s what Easter is for me. It’s a call to apocalyptic awareness now.

This post is a contribution to the April Synchroblog: DO YOU LIVE UNDER A ROCK? Check out the other great posts for this month’s synchroblog:

Phil Wyman at Square No More – Apocalyptic fervor spurs benevolent giving

Marta Layton at Marta’s Mathoms – Getting Out From Behind The Rock

Alan Knox at the assembling of the church – Living The Resurrected Life

Mike Victorino at  Simply A Night Owl – Crawling Out From Under A Rock

John Paul Todd at E4Unity – Still Asleep In the Light

Patrick Oden at Ravens – A Resurrection

Brambonius at Brambonius’ blog in english – hiding the Resurrection life like a candle under a bucket?

George Elerick at The Love Revolution – (for)getting the resurrection

Liz Dyer at Grace Rules – I Will Answer That Question In A Minute, But First, I Want To Talk About Jesus

Jeff Goins at Jeff Goins Writer – Resurrection

Tammy Carter at Blessing the Beloved – Rock and a Hard Place

Kathy Escobar at the carnival in my head – little miracles

Christen Hansel at Greener Grass – Resurrection Rhythm

5 thoughts on “Living the Resurrection”

  1. Overall, I think this is a great post. I did have to comment on this one statement:
    “For consider, what if we lived ‘as if’ loving your enemies was an ethic for the present and not just the future?”
    This is something I just don’t get. Is there really any other way to read the passage in which Jesus gave the instruction to love and pray for one’s enemies? I’m all for contextual reading, but I see nothing in the context that suggests this was an instruction on how one should act in some “later kingdom.”

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  2. As strange as it may seem, yes there are alternative interpretations. Dispensationalists speak of “rightly dividing” scipture such that what is considered relevant in one “dispensation” or “era” is not considered relevant in another. Thus, what Jesus said to his disciples is not necessarily a command for the post-Pentecost church, or so they say. Personally I think it’s an example of theological yoga.

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  3. Its an oldie but a goodie: “Christ – Crucified and Risen – Challenges Human Power”, which was put up by Orthodox participants who rephrased the theme of a Melbourne Conference in 1980 from “The Crucified Chrisat Challenges Human Power” (From Daviod Boschm Tranforming Mission, p515). “The resurrection has the ascendency and victory over the cross” and its deathly power (ibid, Berkohof cited in Bosch).

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