2nd Easter
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| Artist unknown |
Apr 3, 2016
John 20: 19-29
On the evening of the first day after the Sabbath, the
disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the authorities.
Jesus came and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you!”
And while he said this, he showed them his hands and his
side.
Full of joy the disciples recognized the Lord. And again he
said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”
And when he said this, he breathed on them and said,
“Receive Holy Spirit through which the world will receive healing. From now on
you shall work in human destinies with spiritual power, so that they shall have
the strength to wrest themselves free from the load of sin, and at the same
time to bear the consequences of their offences.”
Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not
there with them when Jesus came. Later the disciples said to him, “We have seen
the Lord.”
But he replied, “If I do not see in his hand the marks of
the nails, and do not put my finger in the place where the nails were, and
place my hand in his side, I cannot believe it.”
Eight days later, the disciples were again gathered in the
inner room and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came
and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.”
Then he said to Thomas, “Stretch out your finger and see my
hands, and stretch out your hand and put it into my side. Be not rigid in your
heart, but rather feel and trust in my power in your heart.”
Then Thomas said to him, “You are the Lord of my soul; you
are the God whom I serve.”
And Jesus said to him, “Have you found my power in yourself
because you have seen me? Blessed are those who find my power in their hearts,
even when their eye does not yet see me.”
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| Rembrandt, WikiCommons |
2nd Easter
Apr 3, 2016
John 20: 19-29
In some cultures, it is customary that the birthday
celebrant him or herself is the one to give out gifts to those celebrating with
him.
And so it is with The Risen One. After giving birth to his Resurrection
Body on Easter, he proceeds to give his disciples a gift. He breathes the
healing spirit of love into them. They are to work with this healing spiritual
power in a way that strengthens others.
To those who err, who fail, the disciples
are to give strength, so that they can wrestle themselves out from under the
burden of sin. They are to give them strength so that they can bear the
consequences of their offenses. In Christ’s eyes sin is our failure to hit the
target; it comes from our aiming too high, or falling short, or veering away
from our true moral goals. And with the healing spirit, Christ came to help.
Thomas was not there the first Easter Sunday; the gospels do
not say why. Was he perhaps afraid, and still in hiding? In any case, he
apparently had the habit of fact-checking. Like many of us, he wanted to be
sure, to have the evidence of his own senses rather than to believe the
impossible on mere hearsay. And the Risen One gladly grants his request. It is
as though He understands the value of a healthy skepticism. Reach out and see…
But at the same time,
Christ warns against a heart that is rigid and untrusting; a heart that could
say, despite evidence to the contrary, that it is still impossible. Such a
heart cannot enter into relationship with Christ. In fact, for all his holding
back, Thomas achieves a high degree of recognition and knowledge. Peter
recognized the promised Messiah in Jesus; in the Risen One, Thomas recognizes
Lord and God. As Emerson said,
Give all to love;
Obey thy heart;
…
’T is a brave master;
Let it have scope:
Follow it utterly,
Hope beyond hope:
…
Souls above doubt,
Valor unbending,
It will reward,—
They shall return
More than they were,
And ever ascending.*
*Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Give All to Love”
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