An Unlikely Resurrection

Reflective Reading: Luke 24:1-8

Several years ago, I drove to western NY to surprise my mom for Easter weekend. Dad had died a few years earlier, and I didn’t want her to be alone. When I arrived, I immediately knew something was wrong. I had never seen my mom so sick. She wasn’t even able to carry on a conversation, though she came downstairs to sit at the kitchen table with me. Isn’t that just like a mom? No matter how sick, they are always there to serve and be with their children.

But she was unable to keep her head up. Excusing herself, she said she needed to go to bed and would hopefully feel better in the morning. If you knew my mom, you would know that she would have to be on death’s doorstep to not be cooking when her children or grandchildren came home.

Mom slept through the night. But the next morning she was worse. It was Easter Sunday, and the choices for medical help were minimal. When we arrived at the hospital, mom had to be taken in a wheel chair. She could no longer walk. After the initial examination and a CT scan, the doctor came to me with a sense of urgency and said they were life-flighting mom to a major hospital. The scan revealed a catastrophic brain hemorrhage that was life-threatening. He relayed to me that it was doubtful that mom would survive the day, or the flight. I longed to see her one last time, to tell her how much I loved her.

While mom was being life-flighted fifty miles away, I drove to meet them there. God was in control. Would I lose my mom on Easter? Losing my dad a few years earlier was so hard. “Please Lord, not my mom; not now; please.” It felt like a lifetime before I heard any news. An attendant finally came to meet me in the waiting room and said I could come and see my mom. There she laid, still and silent. I cried. I prayed.

When the doctor came in, he shared that mom was in a coma and would not live long. She had a few weeks at most, during which time she would not wake up again. The rest of the day was spent at mom’s bedside. The only comfort I had was that she was going to see Jesus soon and would also see dad.

There was another complication that needed to be addressed. I was supposed to fly out the next day as the keynote speaker at a conference that started on Tuesday. Seeing that mom might remain in a coma for a few weeks, I wondered whether I should fly out and speak and then return early the following day. I shared this with my family, and their response to me was not favorable. “Seriously, Dad?! Your mother is dying, and you would go and speak at a conference?” Well, obviously, after seeing and hearing their responses, the idea of traveling and speaking was laid to rest.

But for some reason I sensed that the Lord was directing me to speak at the conference. Was I placing ministry above family again, or was this a time that I should take up my cross and follow Christ? Seeing my unrest, my oldest son looked at me and said, “Dad, unless there’s a miracle, we need you here.” I smiled and nodded in agreement. Ok, this was not the time to place ministry above family…but there was still one option left on the table—option miracle.

It was now evening, and the doctor never came back to mom’s room. We stayed with her through the night. The next morning, I did not depart for my flight, but was in contact with the folks at the conference. They were very gracious and understanding. They sent out a prayer request to their registered attendees, and the throne of God began to be petitioned.

It was now 9 PM Monday evening. For some reason they rolled mom’s bed out and said they were doing another CAT scan. Soon after the scan, the neuro surgeon stepped in. We all stood around mom’s bedside, listening intently. What he said next took our breath away. He looked at each of us solemnly and said, “Your mom is experiencing what we call in medical terms, a miraculous intervention!” We were in shock. He continued, “The coma she was in has been induced and now we will take her slowly out of it. We will be releasing your mom in the morning, and though she will be very tired for some time, she should recover completely.”

As I sit here writing, it is Good Friday, two days before Easter. She was in her 70’s when she received this “miraculous intervention.” She is now 92! I just got off the phone with her, and our conversation ended with, “Mark, I love you very much.” “Mom, I love you.” She was excited to tell me about the meals she’s planning for tomorrow and Easter—stuffed chicken and lamb! Great grandchildren, grandchildren, children, loved ones, and friends will be enjoying another Resurrection Day with “Nonny.”

Oh, the homeschool conference? I received a phone call from the airline Monday evening telling me that my original flight had been canceled and had to be rebooked for Tuesday morning. They apologized for any inconvenience, but Tuesday early AM was the only option. What an unexpected miracle! I arrived at the conference 15 minutes before I was to speak.

I will never forget this rare but duo-fold miracle. What was interesting about our family miracle was that it did not produce a sense of celebration. It left us all contemplative and thankful. For me, the celebration was exchanged for a deeper dedication. I think I understand why. When Peter, for example, met Jesus after his resurrection, there wasn’t any celebration. You would have thought such an event would have brought celebrations like the fourth of July!

The resurrection of Jesus is more about realization and recommitment. It is about coming face-to-face with death and then awakening to the reality of a new life with new responsibilities and new commitments. When Jesus sees Peter after the resurrection, he asks if Peter really loves him…not just once, but three times. Note that there are no celebratory moments after the realization that Jesus had risen from the dead. There are no high fives from the Apostles to Jesus that he beat death.

There is work to be done and heart issues to address. After Jesus’ threefold questioning of Peter’s commitment, Jesus then tells Peter how he is going to die (John 21). So much for the celebration—now Peter has to face death. In Peter-like style, he diverts the attention from his own impending death toward the future fate of his friend John. Peter said (my paraphrase) “Um…Jesus, um…so you say I’m going to die, but what about John? How will he die?” Jesus responds by saying, “If he lives until I return, what is that to you? You follow me.”

Post-resurrection, Jesus deals with heart issues, commitment, and focus. The celebration will be postponed for another time. For now, for Peter, for me, and for all, there is work yet to be done. Mom’s miracle helped me to have a greater commitment, a greater love, and a greater willingness to sacrifice. Life is short. May we serve like we’ve never served and love like we’ve never loved!

Sincerely,

Mark Hamby

M.S., M. Div., Th. M., D. Min.

Recommended Reading:

• Worth More Than Gold (Ages 6+)

• Fireside Readings Vol. 2 (Ages 6+)

• The Making of a Hero (Ages 12+)