April 8 – “Noatic Words of Wisdom”

Just a few words of wisdom from that up and coming young sage who is “almost four years old, Noa.  With the Easter season approaching, her family was apparently having a discussion about important details of the original special days.  Good Friday was one point of inquiry.  It began with, “Why did Jesus wear a diaper when he was on the cross?”  Thank you artists from centuries past for that one.  The answer, of course, is simply that Hanes and Fruit of the Loom hadn’t quite gotten their companies expansion efforts to include Israel yet. 

But the biggest point of concern was specific to the Easter morning scenario.  She understood that Jesus’ clothes had been left behind in the tomb when he rose from the dead, “’cause they were all folded up.”  So much for the cross diaper.  But here’s the thing.  Jesus didn’t appear to anybody with no clothes, so where did Jesus’ new clothes come from after he rose from the dead?  Ah, ponder that one for a moment or two …

Well between Noa and her brothers and I guess her Mom as well, they came up with a few answers.  One sounded very guy-like.  Perhaps he took some of clothes off of one of the guards.  After all they were all passed out outside the tomb.  That one makes perfect sense on a practical level.  The next one involved the supernatural.  Maybe the angels brought him some clothes when they came to move the stone out of the way so Jesus could get out.  Again, that makes all kinds of sense to me.  But my absolute favorite came from the realm of the Wisdom of Noa, chapter three-and-almost-four.  She gave me this detailed description:

“See, there was this hole in the back of the tomb.  And when Jesus got up, he went to the back to that hole.  And there was a dresser there in that hole.  And he got some clothes out of that and put them on.” 

There you have it, ladies and gentlemen of the archaeological community.  Want to find the exact tome that belonged to Joseph of Arimathea that he loaned out to Jesus for three days?  Look for the one with the dresser hidden in a hole in the back. 

2 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

Father, thank you for theological discussions among children.  They really help the kids solidify the historical background of their faith.  Amen.