The week after Easter is a pretty interesting time in the life of any church. In a parish like ours, this is especially true, especially if you talk to anybody who was working here during Holy Week and Easter. For example: my own experience was that for a couple days, speech that was monosyllabic was ambitious and much of my diet consisted of things that were egg-like in shape or covered in pastel colors, or both.
But, despite a certain amount of weariness that set in after my first Triduum as a priest, I made attempts to reflect on the ramifications of Easter. What I found as I prepared for chapel masses as well as for this sermon, was that even the Scriptures, even after something so cosmically and personally reorienting as resurrection, even the Scriptures seem to say: “Resurrection! Awesome! Now what?”
Our lesson from the gospel according to St. John is no different. The disciples were hanging around, their hanging around tinged with a bit of fear, and Jesus appeared even though the door had been locked. He greeted the group with his peace, apparently thereby excusing himself of freaking out the disciples, who were not expecting anyone (let alone someone who has no need for doors anymore). John’s account of what happened next does a few interesting things to answer the big “Now What.”
First, Jesus sends the gathered disciples, breathes on them, grants them the Holy Spirit and bestows on them the forgiveness and retention of sins. In doing all these things, Jesus has sent his disciples to do the work that the Father has given Jesus to do by the power of the Spirit. The implications of this are broad, though specialists argue over whether this is an apostolic mandate, meant to prefigure the ministry of the ordained or if this gathered brethren is a representative of all Christians. Despite some major difference in practice across the branches of Christianity, it is now clear that Christian people are a body whose work is to proclaim the forgiveness of sins and reconciling love of God through the power of the Spirit in light of the Resurrection.
But Jesus isn’t finished. Next, he presented himself to that latecomer, Thomas. Now poor Thomas has become so much fodder for sermons extolling the importance of apologetics in light of his apparent doubt. Apologetics are great and everything, and I have been known to have a certain knack for it, but I feel a little bad for Thomas who is no longer called the Twin, but Doubter. And yes, you can hear the bravado on his voice when he says and I’m paraphrasing, “I’ll see it when I believe it.” And he does! John made Thomas’ confession the climax of this episode for a reason. Thomas is not a doubter, especially considering the overall mood of the room just prior to Jesus’ no-door move. After seeing the wounds, Thomas answered to Jesus “my Lord and my God.” Thomas’ confession is so startling that it shakes the foundation of First Century Roman emperor worship, not to mention Jewish radical ethical monotheism. Jesus is Lord? But that’s supposed to be Caesar! Can Jesus be God? The Hebrew Scriptures and tradition pronounce that God is One! After the Resurrection, Jesus’ followers had to re-examine how to understand God. Thomas’ confession and not his “doubt”, therefore, is one of the ways that the New Testament helps Christians to understand the divine relationship between the 3 persons of the Trinity.
And from the mouth of Jesus, in response to Thomas’ acclamation, here is where everyday believing Christians get a shout out from Lord Jesus across the centuries. Thomas got a chance to see the risen Lord in person. For most of us since the ascension, it hasn’t been as easy, even as we know Him hidden by the bread and wine of the sacrament. But Jesus tells Thomas, tells us through John, that blessed are those who believe yet have not seen. I’ve always gleaned a bit of confidence from those words. Thanks Jesus, we love you too.
Finally, to sum up the whole piece, not just the discrete piece we heard today, but pretty much the whole Gospel, John lays it on the line. Check your bulletin and read this last sentence along with me:
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.”
So for John, his answer to the Now What question was: write down what Jesus did and said so that more people will believe, and here’s the kicker, have life in his name. It brings into focus the fact that there is an answer to the question at all: and that the very idea of belief might be more profound than we give it credit. And John is specific about what he wants us to believe about Jesus, because I think the point is made that belief in the messiah and Son of God is more than just checking the box on an idea. To John, to us, belief in these things enters us into another mode of life: a life where it is possible to have a relationship with the one who was wounded for us, but without meeting him like other people you might at a bus stop or something. It means a life where each person plays a part in revealing the forgiveness of sins and the desire of God to close the gap between us.
On this week after Easter, in light of what I was reading in the Gospels, I ultimately felt that the post-resurrection “Now What” is all about telling Good News, even if all I said amounted to tired grunts at points. Today’s lesson from John helps us to communicate the Good News by letting us know what our message is about: forgiveness of sins by a God who loves us. We also have the assurance that the same God who forgives is the same God who met us in the person of Jesus. And John thought it important enough to remind us to believe in him so that we can enjoy the fullness of life. This week, answer the “Now What” by finding a way to help the Church spread the message. Invite a friend to mass. If you pray for someone, let them know. Be kind to people that you don’t have to be kind to in Jesus’ name.
While you’re at it, keep each other in your prayers. Amen.
Sermon preached by Rev. David S. Bumsted
Church of the Redeemer
Sarasota, Florida
Easter 2
April 27 2014