Peace be with you

John 20: 19-31 (April 19, 2009)

1) The Text

19When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” 22When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” 24But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.”

26A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” 28Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” 30Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31But these 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.

2) The Context

The story of “Doubting Thomas” is always told on the Second Sunday of Easter - and is, in fact, the only Gospel that is used in all three Years of the liturgical cycle. This familiar and remarkable passage describes the first appearance of the resurrected Jesus to the assembled disciples. The text stresses the fear felt by the Twelve, even though it doesn't specify precisely what their fear consisted of. Were they afraid of the Jews because the Jews suspected them of stealing the body? Of leading some kind of insurgency movement? In the midst of this fear Jesus appears, calms their fears, gives them the Spirit and a mission and then, a week later, appears again to them to convince a doubting Thomas. The theme of the whole is how belief is confirmed first by touching, then by seeing and then by neither touching nor seeing. In other words the author is trying to create a sort of chain from those who were actually present with Jesus to those of us who must believe without seeing. He does this through the instrument of Thomas. But the Thomas theme appears in the midst of an even greater theme--that of the giving of the Spirit for the forgiveness of sins (vv. 22-23).

3) Interpretation

"Overwhelmed" is a good way to describe the disciples after Jesus died, huddled together in their fear and confusion, not knowing where to turn or what to do next. Their leader and teacher who had held them together all those long months was dead and buried, executed like a common criminal, and lying in a tomb. They were left only with an overwhelming sense of failure, loss, and shame because they knew they had deserted Jesus in his hour of need. Suddenly, quietly, there he was, right there, in their midst, before their very eyes. Isn't it reasonable to assume that the disciples might have been just a little bit afraid that Jesus might be understandably angry with them for abandoning him?

But that's not what happened. There were no recriminations, no anger, no condemnation or judgment, not even an understandable "venting" of disappointment and hurt. Instead, the first words Jesus offered were both greeting and gift: "Peace be with you." He knew what was in their hearts and why they had barred the door. He saw right through them and knew that they weren't re-grouping, getting it together and deciding on their next move, that is, how they were going to carry on Jesus' legacy or spread his teaching. They were scared and hiding out. Yet, suddenly, in the midst of their fear and confusion, there he was, not with angels, trumpets, or legions, but quietly. He brought only peace, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, and a commission. In fact, he breathed the Spirit into them. This is John's "Pentecost," but here the Spirit comes not with wind and flame but with Jesus' own breath, the very life-force of the one raised from the dead who tells them to go out and be peace and forgiveness and love for the world.

However, he does not give them the gift of a personal, "private" faith, a just-you-and-me-Jesus faith that has nothing to do with the world that God loves so well. Instead, these weak and overwhelmed disciples, now Spirit-gifted, are Jesus' gift to the world. Jesus first talks about that thing that's more difficult to talk about in the church than sex or even money: forgiveness, which gives us some sense of what's uppermost in Jesus' mind. Jesus sends us out into the world, to put our hands on the marks of its suffering, to bring good news and hope to all of God's children. We may feel overwhelmed on the Second Sunday of Easter, like those disciples one week later, even though we have experienced the risen Jesus. We are back to our lives with their own "overwhelmings;” two wars that drag on; an economic crisis threatening thousands with foreclosure and bankruptcy, high unemployment, high gasoline prices, high health care costs. And there are our own private griefs and burdens: health problems, kid problems, too much work, too much worry, too much coming at us, so much to run away from, so much to fear. What's an overwhelmed person of faith to do? Even one week after the music of the trumpets and the splendor of the lilies have faded, how are we to live "as Easter people"?

The heart of this lesson is that Jesus comes again and again to these scared and confused disciples. The disciples have not warranted a second visit by Jesus, but they get one, and a renewed gift of his peace. In the same way, if we long to see Jesus, he offers us the same gift of himself, not just once, but over and over. Whatever overwhelms us, God comes to us in the midst of our fear and says, "Peace be with you." Whatever doubts churn in our minds, whatever sins trouble our consciences, whatever pain and worry bind us up, whatever walls we have put up or doors we have locked securely, God comes to us and says, "Peace be with you." Whatever hunger and need we feel deep in our souls, God calls us to the table, feeds us well, and sends us out into the world to be justice and peace, salt and light, hope for the world. We can do it, if we keep our eyes open, our minds limber and our hearts soft and willing to love. As God sent Jesus, God sends us, too, into the world that God loves.

4) Thought Exercise

How can we live as “Easter people” once Easter is over?

How can you offer the peace of Christ to others in your daily life?