Second Sunday of Easter 2005

Acts 2:1-14a,22-32

Psalm 16

1 Peter 1:3-9

John 20:19-31

“The doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Judeans.”

It is a week later. Last week we gathered here in great joy to celebrate Easter. We sang our Alleluias and belted out the news that Christ is risen indeed!!

And we heard that life is different after the resurrection?

Well? Is it? Has this past week been different than the weeks before? Has the good news of God’s mighty power over death changed your life?

Hmm…not really? Life is pretty much going on as normal. Work, school, chores, laundry, maybe some early spring yard work…

Life changed for the disciples that first week. Mary has told them the news…she has seen the Lord! Wow! That’s amazing!!

So what do the disciples do? Dance in the streets? Call all their friends? Throw a big party?

No. They lock themselves up in a room. For they are afraid. Afraid that they will be hunted down. Afraid that the missing body makes them suspects in a body snatching case. Afraid, perhaps, that God isn’t big enough for this latest miracle?

Afraid. They shut down, hide together. Close the door. All except for Thomas. Where is he? Out getting milk and bread? Roaming the streets? Gone home to check on his family? We don’t know.

But we do know that rest of the group was in hiding. The good news that Mary shared has them scared.

Things have changed, oh yeah. And not necessarily for the better!

So they hide.

So they think.

But since when does a locked door keep God out? If a dark tomb with a heavy stone at the entrance can’t keep God down, a locked door certainly won’t be an obstacle!

The disciples are wondering what to do next, is it safe out there?

When Jesus appears in their midst and says “Peace be with you.”

Imagine it, Jesus. Now we believe what Mary told us. For here he is. Look at that!

Jesus appears and brings peace and then says…get out of here…shoo….go on…. get out of this room and get busy. There is a world out there that needs me. And you are the ones I am sending to tell the story, to forgive and heal and calm the fears.

Now go!!!

That should do it, right? The disciples have seen the Lord. Maybe now they can dance in the streets! Have that party! Call the friends! For Jesus lives!!!

But did you notice that it doesn’t quite work that way yet. For a week later, now we’re talking 2 weeks after the resurrection, the disciples are again in that house with the door shut. This time Thomas is there.

And Jesus appears and again says “Peace be with you”

Turning to Thomas he shows the scars. Do not doubt, but believe! And Thomas cries out ‘My Lord, and my God!” Thomas gets it. Thomas has held out to experience Jesus on his own terms…and finds that those terms are foolish when he comes face to face with Jesus. And then he knows.

The fear and the doubt are dissipating. For Jesus is alive! Truly alive! Look! Touch! Taste and See!

Breaking through the fear and the doubt. Jesus appears proclaiming peace.

Where does that leave us? A week after the resurrection we are gathered together. Afraid that God isn’t big enough? Afraid that God can’t handle our brokenness or our shame or our anger? Afraid that God isn’t working in our midst anymore? Afraid that our neighbors will think we are nuts or weak or strange?

Where does that leave us? A week after the resurrection we are gathered together with our doubts. Did it really happen? Can God really do that?

Where does that leave us? A week after the resurrection we are gathered together. Wondering if we really have been changed. Wondering If the world really is different now. Wondering if God can really use us in our world.

Gathered together in this place. Not so much afraid of what is out there, but what is in here. Afraid that doubt is the opposite of faith and we all have doubt. Afraid that nothing changes.

There is good news for us today. For gathered together in this place Jesus is in our midst, proclaiming peace. Telling us that God is big enough to take on our fears, to hold our pain, to heal our brokenness.

God is big enough to overcome even the grave, God is certainly big enough to overcome our fears.

Jesus is in our midst, and he doesn’t reprimand us for having doubts. Jesus doesn’t lecture Thomas or condemn him. He simply says, “Look, its’ me. Go ahead and touch the wounds. If that is what it takes for you to believe.”

For the opposite of faith is not doubt, but certitude. (Repeat). Thinking that we have God all figured out and labeled and boxed up.

There is room for doubt in every believer’s hearts. And it is often in that space that Jesus appears. For doubt leaves us open to new paths, new ways, new revelations of God.

And everything changes, even now, even all these centuries later. The risen Christ is still at work. Breathing the Holy Spirit into our midst. And sending us out…Shoo…scat…you can’t stay here all week, behind closed doors.

The world, the city, the neighbors need to know of a wounded God that has room enough to hold our fearful, doubting, wondering selves. And then transform us together into the body of Christ.

Sometimes that transformation takes time, weeks perhaps, months, years. And it is never quite complete… that is the beauty and the excitement of being disciples in the world.

Life is different after the resurrection. Life is bigger, fuller, more amazing. Dance in the streets! Call all your friends! Throw a party!

For Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!