The Second Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:32-35
Psalm 133
I John 1:1-2:2
John 20:19-31
Today’s scriptures have too much going on to cover in just one sermon. They could easily be part of a sermon series on practices of Easter. The inspirational preacher needs to be selective about choosing her or his focus among themes such as John’s Pentecost, breath prayer, believers’ authority, forgiveness, doubt and faith, faithful economics, ethical behavior, and confession of sin.
John 20:19-31 initially highlights an encounter involving Jesus and his disciples on Easter night. Despite the accounts of the resurrection they have heard, Jesus’ followers are still frightened, even those who encountered the risen Christ. Jesus appears to his followers and, first, proclaims “peace be with you.” Peace occurs in time of crisis as well as placid days. Peace involves a sense of God’s presence amid our pain, uncertainty, fallibility, and fear. Peace is the recognition that God is with us in all the seasons of life and will provide a way to the future when we see no way ahead.
Then, Jesus breathes on them and says “receive the Holy Spirit.” Jesus’ breath gives them new life. The Spirit will give them power and the authority to forgive and withhold forgiveness. Although the disciples are given authority to withhold forgiveness, the implication is that after their desertion of Jesus, their self-awareness will inspire them to forgive and accept those who, like themselves, have sinned and fallen short of God’s vision for their lives.
There is no need to pick on Thomas today. He is both critiqued and affirmed in today’s reading. Those who believe without seeing are blessed. Thomas’ quest for certainty is implicitly criticized. Yet, Thomas is faithful, despite his doubts. He has not experienced the risen Christ, he has no experience of the joy and ecstasy of Easter, and yet he sticks around. His doubt is aimed at belief, not skepticism. When he encounters Jesus, he believes wholeheartedly and, as the legend goes, becomes the apostle of the good news to India.
Jesus gives us breathing space. He breathes in and on us, giving us new life and energy to face our own trials and challenges. We need to open ourselves to divine breath and out of the spaciousness give grace and love to others.
The Epistle of John counsels followers of Jesus to walk in the light. Realistically speaking, he recognizes that we are all ambiguous spiritually and ethically. All of us sin, and all of us need confession. Without defining ourselves as sinners, it is essential that we have a robust understanding of personal, interpersonal, and relational/social sin. None of us is faithful on our own: our sense of righteousness is an illusion, especially if it separates the world into good and bad, and pure and impure, whether personally or politically. We need to rely on the grace of God to find healing and wholeness. Our brokenness is social and relational, and so is our salvation. Confession opens us to be honest before God and others, and out of that honesty receive the healing touch that allows us to walk in the light as recipients, moment by moment, of God’s saving grace.
Acts 4 describes the economics of faithful interdependence. I am not sure that we can preach this practice literally in today’s USA without great confession and the willingness to recognize our complicity in the poverty and deaths of many of God’s beloved children. In ways that defy our USA economic and political systems, the earliest members of the Jesus movement sold their possessions and insured that everyone had enough to live a good life. They were embodying the Jubilee spirit (the Jubilee year) that came with Jesus’ resurrection and the full manifestation of God’s Spirit on Pentecost. Faithfulness requires changed behaviors even in the economic sphere.
Today’s words of grace and challenge us to recognize that following Christ inspires us to new and countercultural behaviors. Trusting God to breathe through us enables us to let go of security. It enables us to make commitments to live more simply and share more fully. It is doubtful that we need to preach a form of communalism to our congregants; we can counsel them to share the good news in every aspect of our relationships. We can also counsel them to become mindful of our nation’s and our own role in the pain and poverty of others, and seek real changes that will enable others to have hopes for the future that we too often take for granted. Openness to God frees us from all forms of security, including the security of our righteousness and economic well-being.
Today, let us breathe deeply God’s presence that inspires, gives life, and invites us to be givers and receivers of God’s good news.
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