B, Easter 1, The Resurrection of our Lord - Isaiah 25:8 Acts 10:39b-40 "Contronym of God"

(There is no video due to technical problems with my radio microphone.)

Do you know words that have two meanings, completely opposite to each other?  These words are known as contronyms (or contranyms).  We use these words all the time, usually without realising the word can mean the opposite of itself.

Dust is one such word.  Dust means to add particles to something, like dusting a cake with icing sugar.  But it also means to remove particles, like when one has to dust the house.

To dust is a contronym conundrum, a challenging contradiction in the one word.

Cleave can mean to adhere to something or someone, like a husband and wife cleave to each other in marriage.  Yet cleave also means to separate, as in to cleave meat from the bone with a cleaver.  To cleave your spouse, misunderstood, could see you incarcerated!

Bolt can be to flee, or it can be to restrain.  He bolted from the burning building or bolt the door before you go to bed.  If one bolts from one’s bed, and the door has not been bolted you’re possibly sleepwalking out into the night!

Fast means quick moving, but it also means unable to move as in stuck fast or fasten.  First-degree can be the most severe, as in murder.  But it can be not so bad, as in a first-degree burn. 

When you put out something, you’re either exposing it or extinguishing it, put out the bin or put out the fire! 

Is tempering making something stronger or softer?   To temper the mood takes the heat out of an argument.  But to temper steel hardens it with fire. 

Being transparent can mean invisible, but also it can mean being obvious. 

Left means what remains, as in left behind, or it means one has gone.  One could even use a contronym in the one sentence.  The girl has left but has left her sister here. 

Our language is very adaptable, but that makes it confusing too!   It gets even more fluid and baffling with colloquialisms and generational nuances.  The confusion of contronyms only increases between age groups!  

Around the house, I’m often told, “Heath, you’re special aren’t you!”  But with the amount of sarcasm with which it’s said, I don’t think it’s a compliment.  Especially, when the kids agree saying, “Yeah, dad is real special!”

Then again, I have told my children that they’re geniuses.  Should they take it as a compliment when they haven’t thought the process through!  They usually don’t!   …think the process through!  … or take it as a compliment!

Listening to young people today, one might wrongly be led to assume many of them are not healthy, or the situation their friends find themselves in, is bad. 

Every bro is sick, eh!  Their best friends are sick, and they do really sick stuff.  I’m glad I’m not there when they’re sick!  So much sick would make me sick!  I hate the smell of my own vomit, even less other people’s!

Contronyms are sick, eh!

I ask a question and get the answer, “Yeah-na”!  Ah, excuse me, do you mean yes or no?  Or are you being indecisive, taking a bet each way?  How does that fit into, the yes means yes and no means no mantra we’ve taught our kids?

Contronyms, yeah-na!

But it goes on!  Some say, “that’s wild!”  But they exclaim it with jubilation.  However, on seeing a nasty tropical storm approach with green clouds full of car-destroying hail, or a fire storm raging towards your house, saying, “that’s wild!”  fills no one with joy!

The confusion of contronyms can be catastrophic!

Filthy when I grew up meant dirty!  When mum saw us come inside after playing in the mud she’d say, “You boys are filthy!”  But today amongst our younger generations, I think, being filthy means being cool.  Yes, we were cool after playing in the mud, but mum didn’t think we were all that cool.  From memory it usually made her a bit hot under the collar when we dripped muddy water through the house!

And for that matter, dirty meant being filthy!  Yet, in our sexually promiscuous society, being dirty is seen as being good.  Regardless of one being covered in mud or being covered in shame, being dirty or filthy is not good.  Especially when good order depends on cleanliness!

The contronym conundrum starts to take on a confusing but sinister tone when words can imply good or bad.  The word wicked is one such word.  Once it meant evil, but now it can mean good.  When good and evil are confused, no longer are we in a contronym conundrum!  We’re actually in a state of confusion and chaos.

Piano Man, Billy Joel sings, “They say there's a heaven for those who will wait.  Some say it's better, but I say it ain't;  I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints; The sinners are much more fun.  You know that only the good die young.”

Being good is good for some, but being bad is better!  That’s the message sung to us!  Not just by Billy Joel, but by most in society today.  Evil is good, good is evil.  Disorder and disobedience are good, because good order needs to be disobeyed as it’s destructive to the rights of the inner self.

In this age of good being evil, and vice versa, Jesus Christ has become a contronym.  When many use his name it’s not to glorify him!  The name Jesus Christ for many is a curse word.

But for us these two words are anything but a curse, they’re the most two blessed words in the world!

Many may use his name as a contronym, as a curse rather than a blessing.  But we allow him to be what he really is!   Therefore, we name evil as evil, and God as the only good.

In the hearing of the resurrection Gospel, all areas of society, all identities, all people, male and female, see in Jesus Christ what is good and what is evil.  The law of God is imprinted on everyone’s hearts having heard the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  Perhaps this is why, rebellious humanity finds it so easy to use Jesus’ name as a cursing contronym.

In Jesus Christ conservatism and progressivisms are shown what is evil in them and what is good in them.  After all Jesus was conservative and progressive!  If we conserve anything other than Jesus Christ or progress anything other than his death and resurrection, we must truly ask ourselves, “Have I conserved or progressed Jesus Christ as a contronym curse?” 

However, to abide in his call to repentance and believe his word of forgiveness, conserves Jesus Christ in his Word and progresses his kingdom, the Kingdom of God!    You might identify with a certain identity.  But to be truly certain, we put aside being conservative or being progressive, for the certainty of being in Christ, a Christian!   That might not be good in the eyes of the world.  But then again, they are not saving you from death!

We hear, “They put him to death by hanging him on a tree,  but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear.” (Acts 10:39b–40 ESV)

There was much confusion on the morning of that first Easter.  Jesus was dead and then he is alive again.  Despite the confusion, death on a cross since the resurrection, now means life for us! 

The world has no contronym for death.  Unlike the use of Jesus’ name as a curse word, most avoid using the word “dead or death”.  Death scares people, yet in the confusion and chaos of death Jesus Christ, and his word, stand out from all other words!

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, life and death are a contronym on the cross.  “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1:21 ESV)

Living in Christ is dying!  Dying in Christ is living! 

When Lazarus had died Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25–26 ESV)

And from Isaiah, “He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.”  (Isaiah 25:8 ESV)

God has spoken!  God has acted!  In Jesus Christ the conundrum of death is resurrected as an eternal contronym for life!  Amen.