“And get this, there was a big earthquake, and a messenger of the Holy One came from heaven to roll back the stone and sit themselves upon it” (Matthew 28.2).
During the entry to Jerusalem, which is read year upon year on Palm Sunday, the religious leadership tell Jesus to quiet the crowd. Quit causing trouble and making a scene, they order. Make the people shut up, stop this kind of celebration.
Jesus, if you remember, tells them that it’s no use. If the people, if humanity were silent then the rocks in and upon the earth would begin to speak, to shout. In context, it sounds like hyperbole, or a brush off. No one at the time, nor do we as readers, realizes this is prophetic.
As the sun began to rise, the two Mary’s began their walk to the tomb. Like anyone who is up at that hour, they moved as quietly as possible, probably pulling the door shut slowly, gently so as not to break the silence, the stillness of that hour when almost no one is awake.
It’s in that moment that the earth seems to move beneath their feet, probably causing them to grab one another for balance as the dirt down to the bedrock below started to move. Began, like words, a shout, or a song to cause the earth and air to vibrate.
Maybe I’m stretching and correlating what was merely metaphor on Jesus’ lips with what happened on that morning. It’s possible that the rocks and stones have no voice or none we can discern.
But, it’s possible, Creation is ready to speak into the silence we leave.
Risen One, give us silence so we might hear the words and songs of your Creation—hearing its joy and its pain, where it is loved and where it is abused. Then, grant us the grace to respond.
I’ve never thought about the connection between the earthquake on that Sunday and His words from Palm Sunday: “the rocks will cry out”. That’s probably a “duh” moment for me. It brings a whole new excitement to the Resurrection