2 Easter B April 12, 2015
Luther Memorial Church Seattle, WA
The Rev. Julie G. Hutson
Acts 4: 32-35 + 1 John 1: 1-2:2 + John 20: 19-31
Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!
Now that we’ve eaten all of the chocolate bunnies and jelly beans and swept up the last of the Easter grass and put away the Easter baskets, it’s tempting to think that Easter is over. After all, the lilies and jelly beans are on the sale rack at the store and we have lots and lots of room in our parking lot and our pews again this morning. But in the church year, the season of Easter lasts for 50 days and as disciples we are Easter people – the promise of the resurrection is what we cling to in all days. And so we continue our Alleluias!
This morning I want us to go back for a few moments to those days and hours before Jesus was crucified. We remember how Peter denied even knowing Jesus, not once but three times. We remember how Jesus wouldn’t answer Pilate’s questions directly as Pilate asked him “Are you the King of the Jews?” We remember how the soldiers mocked him and took his clothing and cast lots for it. We remember the passers by who jeered and cried out at Jesus to save himself from the cross. And we remember even the thieves who hung beside him and did the same.
Last week, we gathered in this place and heard the story of the resurrection of Jesus, who appeared, not to any of his formally designated disciples or to the authorities or to the religious leaders – but to the women who had come to anoint his body in the tomb.
And that’s where our story picks up today. The reading from John’s Gospel reminds us that it is evening of the first day of the week – the very day when Jesus rose from the tomb.
One might imagine or expect that the first order of business in this case would be to prove to everyone who had denied, questioned, mocked, beaten, and killed him – that they had not been victorious after all. That death had not been able to contain him. Any other person in Jesus’ sandals might have gone to Peter and said “Let’s talk about how your fear of being found out overcame your devotion to the ministry.” Or to Pilate and said “Yes, to answer your question, I am, in fact the King of the Jews and the Lord of all.” Or to the soldiers and the crowds and said something like Jack Nickolson in the movie The Shining: “I’m baaaaack.”
It is perfectly reasonable to presume that the first words spoken to his opponents would be words of triumph and to the disciples words of “let’s keep working.”
Instead, Jesus opens locked doors, walks into the room full of confused and frightened followers and says “Peace be with you.”
And when the disciples see the marks of the nails from the crucifixion and realize that it IS Jesus, they rejoice, and Jesus speaks again and again he says “Peace be with you.”
I’ve been pondering the ways these two post resurrection realities intersect. That would be, our post resurrection reality, here, on April 12, 2015 and the post resurrection reality of the disciples hiding behind the locked doors.
Because we, you and I, we’ve come back here today, a week later, when our new Easter clothes are no longer new and there’s no big dinner waiting on us when we go home. Our houseguests have returned home and we’ve eaten the last of the M&Ms from the plastic Easter eggs. And we’ve come back.
Like the disciples we need to know why it matters that Jesus rose and we are still together when he isn’t actually here among us anymore. Like the disciples, we’ve come together with some fears rumbling about in our spirits.
Personal fears that we hold close in – for our loved ones or for ourselves or just in general. Will there be enough? Can I do this? What if something goes wrong? What comes next?
And shared fears – fears that the planet is being irrepairably damaged while we all sit around and argue over whether that’s really the case. Fears that bigotry and prejudice not only still exist but are costing our young black brothers their lives in alarming numbers. Fears that an unknown terror group is making inroads not just across the world, but here in our own country as well.
Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you.”
The disciples in that locked room were having a fear based identity crisis. If their teacher and leader was dead….then what was supposed to happen now? Who were they if they were not Jesus’ disciples? No wonder they were afraid. No wonder they locked the doors.
And the Church today, both big C and as it is known in this place – we are also faced with a changing cultural understanding of what it is to be the followers of Jesus. How do we make the love of Christ known? Where are the 160 people who were here last Sunday? Because, for God’s sake, I want to tell them this story of Jesus….of how he appeared to his disciples and how even Thomas doubted. I want to break bread with them again and share wine and sing the faith together. How do we make the love of Christ known….how do we share the rest of the story….in a reality that looks like this day rather than last week?
(It should be noted that I paused while writing this and wondered…even hoped….that I’d have to edit on the fly because those 160 people would actually be back today.)
And this is how our post resurrection story and the disciples post resurrection story intersect. This is where they come together.
Jesus came and stood among them and said “Peace be with you.”
The remainder of this Gospel reading today is a full and rich part of the story. Jesus talks to the disciples about forgiveness and he empowers them and equips them with the Holy Spirit. Thomas makes his well known appearance as the champion of all doubters everywhere and Jesus doesn’t scold him or kick him out, but he provides a way for Thomas to believe. And then the writer concludes that there were many other signs from Jesus, too many to even write in the memoir that is the Gospel of John.
But it all begins with Jesus’ first post-resurrection words to them: “Peace be with you.”
Maybe you have wondered why we share the peace in our worship service, rather than just greeting each other with “Good morning! How are you! Good to see you! Nice shirt!”
This is why.
Because we have come to this place with our own doubts and fears and uncertainties for ourselves and our church and the whole creation. It’s easy to gather here when there are pancakes and egg hunts and alleluias, but it is something else altogether to gather in the post resurrection days, the ordinary days, and figure out what we are supposed to do next. We need, before anything else, the words of peace from Jesus.
This peace is not an absence of conflict or strife or disappointment either. This peace is not an easy thing or a guarantee of smooth sailing ahead.
This peace of Christ is beyond our ability to understand or comprehend, but it is what we long for with our whole hearts. It is life in fullness, it is called shalom.
And although Jesus is not here for us to put our hands in his sides and hands, he is here. He is here in wine we will taste and bread we will touch. And he is here in the person seated next to you and in front of you and behind you. He is here, equipping and empowering us for all that lies ahead as we speak his words to one another. Perhaps, rather than a shout of alleluia on this day we need another greeting.
Peace be with you. And also with you.
Thanks be to God. Amen.