Chris Altrock & Joshua Ray – April 4, 2010 Easter Sunday
During the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia the Russian athletes struggled. In the days leading up to the games, Russian leaders boasted that their athletes would bring home 30 medals. By the time Vancouver was complete, however, they only brought home 15 medals, and only 3 of those were gold. It was the Russian’s worst performance since 1912. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called for the resignation of Russia’s top Olympic officials. Russia groaned, because they envisioned that the games could have been so much more. They were afflicted with this sense that Russia hadn’t fulfilled its potential.
That’s where Paul begins this Easter Sunday morning: “17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…” (2Cor. 4:17 ESV). Paul writes about affliction. He writes something similar in Romans: 18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Rom. 8:18 ESV). Paul writes about suffering. He writes about affliction.
But that suffering, that affliction, is of a particular kind. Here’s how Paul puts it in 2 Cor 5.: 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling… For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (2 Cor. 5:2,4 ESV). Paul writes that this suffering, this affliction, leads to a groaning. But it’s not just a groaning that happens because of something bad we have in life. It’s a groaning for something good we don’t have but want to have in life. Paul looks at his life right now, and he groans because he can envision a much better life. He can see the potential for a fuller life. He says it’s like living in a tent but groaning for a house. You can see how better life could be lived in the house. Paul says that we groan because we know deep down that there’s so much more that’s possible. We can sense that life hasn’t reached its full potential.
Paul writes about this similarly in Romans 8: 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Rom. 8:22-23 ESV) Paul writes again about groaning. Paul looks at his life right now, and he groans because he looks into the future and he envisions a better life. He says it’s like the pains of childbirth. A woman becomes pregnant and groans for the day when she’ll hold that baby in her arms. She envisions that day when her life will be so much more. Paul says that we groan because we know deep down that there’s something missing. We can sense that life hasn’t reached its full potential.
In the 1954 movie “On the Waterfront,” Marlon Brando plays an up-and-coming fighter with big dreams and a bright future. But his close friend forces him to take a dive in an important fight. And suddenly Brando’s bright future grows dark. And as time passes, he fails to achieve his full potential. In the movie’s most famous scene, as Brando and his friend Charley sit in the back of a car, Brando groans: Remember that night in the Garden you came down to my dressing room and you said, “Kid, this ain’t your night. We’re going for the price on Wilson.” You remember that? “This ain’t your night”! My night! I coulda taken Wilson apart! So what happens? He gets the title shot outdoors on the ballpark and what do I get? A one-way ticket to Palooka-ville! You was my brother, Charley, you shoulda looked out for me a little bit. You shoulda taken care of me just a little bit so I wouldn’t have to take them dives for the short-end money…You don’t understand. I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I coulda been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am…” It’s that groan of knowing life could be so much more.
But Paul says that we humans aren’t the only ones groaning. Creation is also groaning: 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Rom. 8:22 ESV) Even creation knows that it’s not living up to its potential. Even creation knows it’s capable of so much more. Paul describes creation as enduring birth pains. Creation is in a state in which it longs to be reborn, it gasps and grunts, dreaming of giving birth to its full potential. Even creation knows that something’s missing.
A journalist assigned to the Jerusalem bureau lived in an apartment with a view of the Wailing Wall.[1] Every day when she looked out the widows, she saw an old Jewish man praying at the wall. Eventually, the journalist walked down and introduced herself to the old man. She asked, “You come every day to the wall. How long have you done that, and what are you praying for?” The old man replied, “I have come here to pray every day for 25 years. In the morning I pray for world peace and then for the brotherhood of man. I go home, have a cup of tea, and I come back and pray for the eradication of illness and disease from the earth.” The journalist was amazed. She asked, “How does it make you feel to come here every day for 25 years and pray for these things?” The old man looked at her sadly and said, “How does it make me feel? Like I’m talking to a wall.” That’s the groan—the sense that we and creation could be so much more.
(JOSHUA RAY)
In our text this morning Paul writes about the groan. The groan that comes because we and creation could be so much more. But Paul also writes about glory. He writes about the glory that one day we will become so much more. And he writes about the glory that one day even creation will become so much more. Because Jesus’ resurrection not only guarantees us the glory of a body that has reached its full potential. Jesus’ resurrection also guarantees us the glory of a creation that has reached its full potential: 18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Rom. 8:18-25 ESV). This is a complex passage. But one thing it clearly states is that because of the resurrection of Jesus, even creation has begun to be set free from its bondage to corruption. That is, even creation is guaranteed that it will become the so-much-more that God intended it to be. In fact, John says in Rev. 21, eventually this earth and heaven will become a new earth and a new heaven where those who follow Jesus will live forever. Our eternal home will not be a set of clouds. Our eternal home will be a heaven and an earth that no longer have limits, that have reached its full potential. All because of the resurrection of Jesus.
In Our Greatest Gift, author Henri Nouwen tells a parable.[2] He imagines twins–a brother and a sister–talking to each other in their mother’s womb: The sister said to the brother, “I believe there is life after birth.” Her brother protested vehemently, “No, no, this is all there is. This is a dark and cozy place, and we have nothing else to do but to cling to the cord that feeds us.” The little girl insisted, “There must be something more than this dark place. There must be something else, a place with light where there is freedom to move.” Still, she could not convince her twin brother. After some silence, the sister said hesitantly, “I have something else to say, and I’m afraid you won’t believe that, either, but I think there is a mother.” Her brother became furious. “A mother!” he shouted. “What are you talking about? I have never seen a mother, and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have. Why do you always want more? This is not such a bad place, after all. We have all we need, so let’s be content.” The sister was overwhelmed by her brother’s response and for a while didn’t dare say anything more. But she couldn’t let go of her thoughts, and since she had only her twin brother to speak to, she finally said, “Don’t you feel these squeezes every once in a while? They’re quite unpleasant and sometimes even painful.” “Yes,” he answered. “What’s special about that?” “Well,” the sister said, “I think that these squeezes are there to get us ready for another place, much more beautiful than this, where we will see our mother face-to-face. Don’t you think that’s exciting?” The brother didn’t answer. He was fed up with the foolish talk of his sister and felt that the best thing would be simply to ignore her and hope that she would leave him alone.
But you can’t ignore it can you? We all sense it. There must be more than this. And Jesus’ resurrection says, “That’s right.” His resurrection was the first of the birth pains that will eventually lead us to the glory of a new body and the glory of a new earth.
[1] “Wailing Wall,” Religious Joke of the Day, beliefnet.com (4-25-03).
[2] Henri Nouwen, Our Greatest Gift: A Meditation on Dying and Caring (HarperSanFrancisco, 1994), 19-20.
