April 15, 2007
The Second Sunday after Easter (Year C)
Acts 5:27-32; Psalm 118:14-29 or Psalm 150; Revelation 1:4-8; John 20:19-31
In real time, that is our time right now, a whole week has passed since the Resurrection, but according to the first part of our gospel reading for today only a few hours have passed and the disciples, it doesn’t say how many, or which ones in particular, have locked themselves away out of fear of what might happen to them. After all they were friends and followers of that fellow who was crucified as a criminal. It’s a very different scene from a week ago. It is highly possible the mob will come after them and crucify them too. Maybe they’ve even heard threats to that effect. Better get out of sight.
Rumors are flying around about what has happened since Joseph of Arimathea, with Pilate’s permission, and with the help of Nicodemus, took the body, prepared it for burial according to Jewish custom, and laid it in the tomb. Mary Magdalene discovered early this morning that the stone had been rolled away. Rather logically, I suppose, wouldn’t we have done the same? she jumped to the conclusion that someone had stolen Jesus’ body, and ran and found Simon Peter and John, the only disciple to stand at the cross along with Mary, the mother of Jesus and her sister, and Mary Magdalene herself. Arriving at the tomb the two men went in and, John, the gospel says, “saw and believed”; even though as yet none of them understood, “that he [Jesus] must rise from the dead.” Then as quickly as they came, they left; but Mary stayed, and suddenly Jesus was standing there and when he spoke to her, she recognized him. With that she went and found the disciples again, and told them what had happened and what Jesus had said to her. “I have seen the Lord,” she said. Makes you wonder what Peter and John had told them, if anything.
We don’t know what happened between that moment when they must have been so excited and reinvigorated, their faith made alive again, and where they are now, all huddled in fear behind locked doors. In my daily prayer I refer to fear as a power of evil. Fear leads one to at times wrong action and at other times, as in this case, to no action. So given that, I’m sure they are not prepared for Jesus to be suddenly standing among them, saying, “Peace be with you.” But at the sight of him they rejoice and then Jesus breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This account doesn’t quite jibe with the Pentecost story in Acts but this almost sounds a little more like the way it could have been, a more intimate setting with Jesus himself there, nurturing, caring, teaching, reminding them who sent him as he now sends them, out into the world. And to do what? Jesus in his infinite wisdom knows that this is not the time to say, “Go, feed the hungry; heal the sick; visit those in prison.” No, instead, he mentions only forgiveness of sins and conversely retention of sins. At this moment this is what has to be foremost in their minds. Who has sinned? What great sin has been committed here? Even, how have we sinned that this has befallen us? By directing them to look beyond themselves, to forget themselves and to forgive those who have so terribly hurt them, Jesus is getting them, that motley crew of followers, back on track. As long as they are full of self-pity, feeling wronged, deserted, being afraid, they will get nowhere. They have to forgive in order to move on.
So, we come to the second half of the today’s reading, a very familiar story, Thomas with his questioning, his doubting, “I will not believe unless I see the mark of the nails, touch them and put my hand in his side!” Could it be that Thomas felt that this was too good to be true, that Jesus stood in the midst of his comrades, was still with them even though they know he has died? Was he afraid of being disappointed? He who when Jesus told them Lazarus was dead and that they should go to him, had said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too!” Thomas, who when Jesus said, “And you know the way to the place where I am going,” said, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” This Thomas who is so literal minded, a little impetuous maybe, kind of like Peter, is now confronted with hearing his fellow disciples say that Jesus was here, in the midst of them. It just can’t be. I can’t believe it. I’m afraid to believe it.
We fast forward a week and once again the disciples, including Thomas, are all gathered in the same house and Jesus again is suddenly standing in the midst of them. “Peace be with you,” he says, again, and then he turns to Thomas. I’m not sure I’d want to be in Thomas’ sandals at that point! But just seeing Jesus there was apparently enough. There is no mention of his actually taking Jesus up on his command – it was not a simple invitation. Jesus said, “Put your finger here . . . Reach out your hand . . . Do not doubt but believe.” All imperatives! Shape up, Thomas! But as I said, the gospel does not record that Thomas actually responded other than to say, “My Lord and my God!” A declaration of faith if there ever was one! But Jesus doesn’t let him off that easily. “Have you believed because you have seen me?” It’s so easy when there are signs, isn’t it? Did he shake his head and sigh? Did he wonder about the future? How would those yet unborn survive? Could it be that this story really about us? Is Thomas’ doubt really there to make us think, to make us realize what faith is all about?
“These [things] are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” – so wrote John at the end of today’s passage. He began with forgiveness, the necessary first step towards reconciliation and ends with a profession of faith.
I wonder if we haven’t got it wrong. We profess our faith before we confess our sins, before we seek reconciliation, the amendment of our lives and the healing of our relationships with God and with our neighbours. In Matthew Jesus said, “I have come not to abolish [the law] but to fulfill [it].” He goes on in that same discourse to talk about being first reconciled with those who have something against you before offering your gift at the Altar. At other times he heals and in the same breath speaks of sins being forgiven. What good does it do or what does it prove to say, “My Lord and my God” if you do not love your neighbor, if you do not seek reconciliation with the one who has wronged you or the one whom you have wronged. I believe this is the message that Jesus really wanted people to hear. Forgive, forgive others, forgive yourself, forgive freely, as Gale says in her final blessing. His greeting of “Peace be with you” resonates with forgiveness and with his commandment of “Love one another.”
So I suggest that this is what we leave with today: the resolve to look not so much for signs but for what we can do to spread the Peace of the Lord, God’s Peace, around our small portion of the world. Let us look for where it is in our lives that we need to forgive or to seek forgiveness, to heal or to be healed, in order to love as God loves us. In that way we may become the signs that Jesus would have us be; and his light will shine through us. Then I think we may say from the heart along with Thomas, “My Lord and my God!”
Amen.
Sonia F. G. Stevenson, M. Div.
Church of the Good Shepherd